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Bill Owens Photography

American, b. 1938

Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his journey as a documentarian. While living in Livermore, California, in the late 1960s, he worked as a photographer for the local newspaper. He became increasingly interested in the suburban areas that became heavily populated after WWII.

Owens started photographing middle-class America and would eventually publish a best-selling book, Suburbia, in 1972. Suburbia is considered one of the most important photography books to date. He went on to publish three more books, Our Kind of People, Working and Leisure, focusing on the suburbanites of America.

Owens was the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, which he received in 1976.

Between working commercially and on personal photographic projects, he opened a brewery in California in 1983 and became so enamored with craft beer that he founded the American Distilling Institute and American Brewer magazine.

The photographs of Bill Owens are highly sought after and can be found in private and public collections such as the Getty Museum, Modern Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

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Artist: Bill Owens
We really enjoy getting together, from Suburbia

We really enjoy getting together, from Suburbia

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"We really enjoy getting together with our friends to drink and dance. It's a wild party and we're having a great time." from series, Suburbia Edition of 15 Signed, dated and number...

Category

1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Before the Dissolution of our Marriage, from the series, Suburbia

Before the Dissolution of our Marriage, from the series, Suburbia

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Gelatin Silver Print 14 × 11 in. Ed. of 15 Signed, numbered, dated in pencil with artist stamp in black ink on verso From the series, Suburbia “Before the dissolution of our marriag...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

One Day Our Toilet Broke

One Day Our Toilet Broke

By Bill Owens

Located in New York, NY

Bill Owens Before the dissolution of our marriage my husband and I owned a bar. One day a toilet broke and we brought it home, 1971 Print Paper Size: 13 x 17 inches Print Image Size...

Category

1970s Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

My dad thinks it's a good idea

My dad thinks it's a good idea

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"My dad thinks it's a good idea to take all the leaves off the tree and take up the yard. I think he is crazy." Edition of 15 Signed, numbered, and artist stamp...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

We're Really Happy, from Suburbia series

We're Really Happy, from Suburbia series

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"We're really happy. Our kids are healthy, we eat good food, and we have a really nice home." Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Signed, print date, misc. notation in pencil on vers...

Category

1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bill Owens: Suburbia Portfolio (15 photographs)
Bill Owens: Suburbia Portfolio (15 photographs)

Bill Owens: Suburbia Portfolio (15 photographs)

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Bill Owens Portfolio A selection of fifteen photographs from the series, Suburbia Edition of 15 Each photograph is signed and numbered in pencil with artist stamp in black ink on pri...

Category

1970s Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Untitled (Driveway) - Black and White Landscape, Suburban, Neighborhood
Untitled (Driveway) - Black and White Landscape, Suburban, Neighborhood

Untitled (Driveway) - Black and White Landscape, Suburban, Neighborhood

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Untitled (Driveway) by Bill Owens presents a tranquil scene. A long driveway leads up to a house in a suburban neighborhood. Two trash cans sit in front of the garage. The garage doo...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure

Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite. I do the barbequing" Edition of 15 Signed, dated, and numbered by Bill Owens Gelatin silver print 16 x 20 in. Series: Leisure Bi...

Category

20th Century Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Parade Woman Holding American Flag, from Suburbia

Parade Woman Holding American Flag, from Suburbia

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Edition of 15 Signed, dated and numbered. Series: Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his...

Category

1970s Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Christina's Room

Bill OwensChristina's Room, 1971

$3,500Sale Price|39% Off

Christina's Room

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"I wanted Christina to learn some responsibility for cleaning her room, but it didn't work." Edition of 15 Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Signed, numbered, and dated in pencil wi...

Category

1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

We like to play war, from Suburbia

We like to play war, from Suburbia

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

We like to play war, 1971 Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Edition of 15 Stamped in ink, signed, numbered, and dated in pencil on verso by Bill Owens Series: Suburbia Bill Owens wa...

Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

I bought the lawn

I bought the lawn

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"I bought the lawn in six-foot rolls. It's easy to handle. I prepare the ground and my wife and son helped roll out the grass. in one day you have a front yard." Edition of 15 Signed...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

New Suburbia, Hayward (Weed Wacker), from New Suburbia

New Suburbia, Hayward (Weed Wacker), from New Suburbia

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Edition of 5 Signed, titled, and numbered in black ink on print verso. Series: New Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he pi...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

McDonald's Modern Day Care Center, from Leisure series

McDonald's Modern Day Care Center, from Leisure series

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"McDonald's modern day care center keeps the boys out of my hair and lets me have a moment to myself. Kansas City, MO", 1976 Edition 7/15 Signed and artist stamps. Printed 2007 Serie...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nixon on TV by Bill Owens, 1971, Silver Gelatin Print, Photography

Nixon on TV by Bill Owens, 1971, Silver Gelatin Print, Photography

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Nixon on TV by Bill Owens presents a living room scene. An image of Richard Nixon is frozen mid speech on the television screen. A framed print of Vase with Twelve Sunflowers by Vinc...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sunday Afternoon, from Suburbia series

Sunday Afternoon, from Suburbia series

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"Sunday afternoon we get it together. I cook the steaks and my wife makes the salad." Edition of 15 Signed, numbered, and artist stamp. Series: Suburbia Bill Owens was born and rais...

Category

1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Walmart

Bill OwensWalmart

Price Upon Request

Walmart

By Bill Owens

Located in New York, NY

Chromogenic print Signed, verso This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

C Print

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Mercer Street, 1992

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Listing is for UNFRAMED print. Inquire within for framing. Edition of 1 of 10 If the exhibition piece is sold or the customer orders a different print size, the photograph is produced upon purchase. Please allow two weeks for production. Shipping time depends on method of shipping. Price is subject to availability. The Robin Rice Gallery reserves the right to adjust this price depending on the current edition of the photograph This exhibition is a visual dance of contradictions. Whimsical and sophisticated. Stylistic and simple. Studied and carefree. That’s what emerges when you take a photojournalist by study, fashion photographer by trade and fine artist by instinct and leave him alone with his camera and a muse. Burris’ work is influenced by his early career spent working with fashion photographer Bill King and inspired by the decisive moment made known by the Henri Cartier Bresson. He defies the confines of either discipline. It is not fashion photography, which is by nature produced, but rather purely spontaneous. Todd left the world of fashion photography after building his own career in Milan and New York to go to LA and find his niche. He embraced his fascination with flea markets and penchant for discarded items that wouldn’t ever be chosen because they were trendy but because they were interesting. Burris packed his 1979 white Pontiac station wagon with his finds. When he came upon a stage that fit the props, he called on his muses and created a visual story on the spur of a moment. The collection of black and white images conveys a sense of effervescence and Élan. It includes photographs from Burris' time in Los Angeles as well as earlier experimental work in Milan and New York City. Anything but superficial, the invitational image, "Paget #1" challenges the traditional symmetry of beauty. We see a dramatic close up of a woman’s face, her intense eyes framed by the stark contrast between her porcelain skin and jet black hair. The lighting is such that her face is divided by shadow, one half dark and mysterious, the other half light and classically beautiful. The effect is deeply engaging. The viewer doesn’t know when the photo was taken but you want to know more. In “Mercer Street...

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Two Leopards Spotted, Chicago 1974, Brookfield Zoo, Signed and Framed.
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Killers For Hire, JFK, South Dakota 1960, Black and White Photograph by Art Shay
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Kurt Hutton Fair Fun 1938 Limited Edition Silver Gelatin Fibre Print
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New Look (1955) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print

New Look (1955) - Silver Gelatin Fibre Print

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Men in Pool on Fire Island
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This is a unique photographic work taken by Andy Warhol of unknown men in a pool on Fire Island in 1982. Stamped twice on the reverse by both The Estate of Andy Warhol and The Andy ...

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Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, Las Vegas 1961, The Rat Pack, Black & White Photo
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Two of the famed Rat Pack are shown here is this playful photograph by Art Shay. Dean Martin carries Frank Sinatra across the stage while the other members enjoy the antics in this ...

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Untitled (Figure and Boat)

Untitled (Figure and Boat)

By Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Located in New York, NY

From a portfolio of ten gelatin silver prints from original Meatyard negatives (1959-71) Printed April 1974 Edition of 130 Credit stamp, verso 7 x 7 inches, image 15 x 12 inches, mount This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. An optician by trade, Ralph Eugene Meatyard was a self-described “dedicated amateur” photographer. He pursued his own vision to produce an exquisitely enigmatic, widely admired body of work. Meatyard began taking photographs in 1950, roaming the backwoods and towns in Kentucky, experimenting with framing, multiple exposures, and blurring to produce haunting, abstracted images of natural and manmade environments. In the late 1950s, he began incorporating monstrous, oversized latex masks...

Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

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Backyard Olympics - kids playing in the backyard circa 1949, Photo Signed
Backyard Olympics - kids playing in the backyard circa 1949, Photo Signed

Backyard Olympics - kids playing in the backyard circa 1949, Photo Signed

By Art Shay

Located in Chicago, IL

Children play and laugh in a backyard with makeshift playgrounds. Lined with a thin black border, framing options available. Art Shay Backyard Olympics silver gelatin print, printed...

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1960s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

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Previously Available Items
A lot of people say we're chunks of meat

A lot of people say we're chunks of meat

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

A lot of people say we're chunks of meat, 1974 Gelatin silver print 14 x 10 3/4 in. Signed and dated in black ink on margin Bill Owens was born and rai...

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1970s American Modern Bill Owens Photography

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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from Suburbia series

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from Suburbia series

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Artist Proof Signed and numbered in pencil with artist copyright stamp in black ink on print verso. Series: Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering...

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1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Photography

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At Rosie O' Grady's Goodtime Emporium (Disco dancer)

At Rosie O' Grady's Goodtime Emporium (Disco dancer)

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Edition of 15 Signed, dated, numbered and artist stamp on print verso by Bill Owens Gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 in. Printed 2005 Series: Leisure Bill Owens was born and raised in ...

Category

1970s Modern Bill Owens Photography

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Silver Gelatin

Our house was built with the living room in back

Our house was built with the living room in back

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Edition of 15 Signed. From Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his journey as a documenta...

Category

1970s Modern Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure

Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

"Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite. I do the barbequing" Edition of 15 Signed, dated, and numbered. Series: Leisure Bill Owens was born and raised in California. Af...

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20th Century Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hockney Painted This Pool
Hockney Painted This Pool

Bill OwensHockney Painted This Pool, 1980

Sold

H 16 in W 20 in D 0.1 in

Hockney Painted This Pool

By Bill Owens

Located in Denton, TX

Edition 10 Signed and numbered in black ink on print verso. Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began hi...

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1980s Contemporary Bill Owens Photography

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Bill Owens photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Bill Owens photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Bill Owens in silver gelatin print, c print, pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Bill Owens photography, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Neal Slavin, Peter Berlin, and Henry Horenstein. Bill Owens photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $950 and tops out at $20,000, while the average work can sell for $3,900.