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Photo by Eliot Erwitt, California Kiss, 1955

Elliott Erwitt

California Kiss, 1955

Gelatin silver print

“I observe, I try to entertain, but above all, I want pictures that are emotion. Little else interests me in photography.”

Eliott Erwitt (born 1928) is an American Documentary photographer. Known for his candid approach and absurd shots of everyday life, he is considered a master of his medium. He has produced some of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century. Some of his more well-known subjects included Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe, and Che Guevara. In the course of his career Erwitt has produced several photographic books, and his work has also been published in Life, Collier’s, Look, and Holiday. He has been member of Magnum Photos since 1953. He received an Infinity Award for lifetime achievement from the International Center for Photography in 2011; his work can be found on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

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