Ray K. Metzker: City Lux

A definitive new monograph on Ray K. Metzker, showcasing his innovative approach to urban photography and mastery of light and form.

Going against the grain of conventional street photography or humanist photography--both too traditional for his bold creative vision--Ray K. Metzker (1931-2014) uniquely appropriated urban space through its vertical and horizontal lines, with complete mastery of light. Long underrated, his work has previously only been featured in about a handful publications, all of which are now out of print. This new monograph, bringing together approximately 150 photographs, offers a fresh perspective on Metzker’s work as well as a (re)discovery of the American photographer, who developed an emotional affinity early on with the cities of Chicago and Philadelphia. His photography broke free from narrative aesthetic conventions, elevating monochrome photography to new heights.

Former journalist Françoise Morin has been involved in documentary and experimental photography since 1988. In 2006, she co-founded Les Douches la Galerie in Paris with Stéphane Couturier. She is the exclusive representative in France of several photographic Estates, including that of Ray K. Metzker. Philippe Séclier, also a former journalist, explores photography in all its forms. He has published several books and directed the documentary film An American Journey (2009), based on Robert Frank’s The Americans. He is also an exhibition curator.