Joel Sternfeld (1944)

Joel Sternfeld

Joel Sternfeld is an American photographer. He is known for his large-format color photographs that capture the American landscape, as well as his documentary-style photography that explores cultural and social issues.

Sternfeld began his career as a photographer in the 1970s, and his first major project was "American Prospects," which he worked on for a decade. The project explored the changing landscape of America, from small towns to urban centers, and captured the impact of human intervention on the natural environment.

Throughout his career, Sternfeld has continued to produce compelling photographic projects that explore important social issues, such as the effects of globalization on communities, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the lives of inmates in prisons.

Sternfeld's work has been exhibited widely and is included in the collections of many major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his photography, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and the Prix de Rome.