Alec Soth

As a dedicated traveler, American photographer, Alec Soth spent five years journeying down the Mississippi River, capturing the places and people he encountered with his 8 x 10 camera. His resulting collection, "Sleeping by the Mississippi," garnered critical acclaim during its display at the Whitney Museum of American Art and São Paulo 2004 Biennials.

Biography of Alec Soth

Alec Soth, born in Minnesota, draws inspiration from the tradition of photographers like Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Walker Evans. Soth's work stands out in its uniqueness because he independently developed his style through aimless wandering and chance discoveries, rather than studying established photographic techniques. Consequently, his creativity was not influenced by the work of his predecessors but rather derived purely from his own ingenuity.

While journeying along the Mississippi River, Soth crafted and self-printed a book titled "Sleeping by the Mississippi," which garnered attention for his work. In 2004, his image titled "Charles" was selected for the poster of the 2004 Whitney Biennial.

Another series, "Niagara" (2006), continued in a similar vein, documenting the borderlands where civilization and wilderness intersect, with a focus on the people who inhabit this dynamic space. One of the most iconic photographs from "Niagara" features a bride seated outside a small building, likely a local motel. This image was captured during Soth's visit to Niagara Falls, where he arranged to photograph couples immediately after their weddings. Interestingly, some of these newlyweds were photographed nude.

Expanding his exploration beyond photography, Alec Soth embarked on a four-year endeavor with Lester B. Morrison to create "Broken Manual." As the title suggests, this book serves as a guide for those seeking to escape their current lives and forge new paths. 

Alec Soth's first major accolade came in 2003 when he was awarded the Santa Fe Prize for Photography and received fellowships from the McKnight and Jerome Foundations. His work is featured in significant public and private collections. Notable institutions holding Soth's work include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Walker Art Center.

Soth has contributed photography to publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Fortune, and Newsweek. He was nominated to Magnum Photos in 2004 and accepted into the prestigious cooperative in 2008.