Arne Svenson

Sightline
January 14, 2023   -   February 12, 2023

From forensic facial reconstruction sculptures to the anonymous neighbors across the street, Arne Svenson’s photographic subjects are diverse, but his concept consistent: he is forever seeking out the inner life, the essence and quietude of his subjects, whether they be human, inanimate, or something in between. 

Svenson’s photographs have been shown extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia and his work is included in numerous public and private collections including SFMOMA, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Norton Museum of Art. He has had more than thirty one-person exhibitions and won numerous awards — in 2016 he received the prestigious Nannen Prize in photojournalism for his project The Neighbors. Svenson is the author/photographer of numerous books, including Unspeaking Likeness; The Neighbors; Prisoners; and Sock Monkeys (200 out of 1,863). His work has been written about extensively in such periodicals as The New York Times, Art in America, Art Forum, The New Yorker and Frieze Magazine. Amongst numerous other venues, Svenson has lectured about his work at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Andy Warhol Museum, University of Chicago, SVA, and The New School, NY. He is the subject of the up-coming documentary “Glass Walls”, produced by Agile Films.