Capri Motel, Joplin, Missouri
Jeff Brouws
(American, 1955 - )
J eff Brouws's large-scale color photography captures the social experience and cultural relevance of classic American iconography. From the highway landscapes of run-down motels and neon-lit gas stations to carnival scenes of small-town side-shows, Brouws's "visual anthropologies" offer a somber view of contemporary Americana. Born in San Francisco in 1955, Brouws is a self-taught photographer. His work is in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; The Art Institute of Chicago; and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Published monographs include Highway: America's Endless Dream (S.T.C., 1997); Inside the Live Reptile Tent (Chronicle Books, 2001); and READYMADES: American Roadside Artifacts (Chronicle Books, 2003).