(WEST BEND, WISCONSIN) – The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) will feature photographer Isaac Harris in Bad as Can opening on July 22, 2023. MOWA will host an opening party on July 22 from 2:00-4:00pm.
Isaac Harris believes that all the people he has photographed are “bad as can.” Whether his subject is a complete stranger or a well-known celebrity, Harris’s work inspires the same feeling of fleeting intimacy with every frame. His work evens the playing field between viewer and subject. Irrespective of socioeconomic status, Harris’s models feel familiar yet fascinating. His street photography uses color sparingly to enhance characteristics like skin texture and facial expressions.
“Isaac Harris’s portraits are raw and captivating, especially at the large scale he has printed for the exhibition at MOWA,” says Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, Anwar Floyd-Pruitt. “Every individual is posing and most are making eye contact. Intimacy and scale combine into an arresting moment in his art.”
Harris says that seeing a confident person in a great outfit walking down the street is “like watching a work of art in motion”. Harris has photographed fashion models, actors, musicians, and professional skateboarders. Viewers may find themselves marveling at the streetwear of Berlin, Paris, Las Vegas, and many other geographic backdrops to Harris’s work. Regardless of his location, he always chooses subjects based on their style and perceived approachability.
Harris’s work can be seen at MOWA from July 22–October 29, 2023.
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Image credit: Isaac Harris, moonbeardiedhere, 2019