Richard Misrach (born 1949) is an American photographer known for his large-format color photographs of the American West, which explore issues of ecology, politics, and social justice. He is considered one of the most important photographers of his generation, and his work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world.
Misrach was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley in the 1970s, where he became interested in photography and began to develop his own style. In the early 1980s, he began to focus on large-format color photography, and his images began to explore issues of ecology, politics, and social justice.
One of Misrach's most significant works is "Desert Cantos," a series of photographs that explores the relationship between humans and the environment in the American West. The series includes images of nuclear test sites, military training grounds, and the border between the United States and Mexico. Another notable series is "On the Beach," which documents the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
Misrach's work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago. He has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1985 and the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in 1996.
Overall, Misrach's work is significant because it explores issues of ecology, politics, and social justice through large-format color photography. His images capture the beauty and complexity of the American West while also revealing the impact of human activity on the environment, and his legacy continues to influence photographers and artists around the world.