Joel D. Levinson
July 29, 2013
California Flea Market Series, Untitled 50
, 1977
Gelatin silver print
Gift from Gary and Eileen Levinson, 2011
California Flea Market Series, Untitled 21
, 1976
Gelatin silver print
Gift from Gary and Eileen Levinson, 2011
The Escalette Collection of Art at Chapman University received prints of Joel D. Levinson’s California flea market series as a gift in 2011 from Gary and Eileen Levinson. Amongst the political scandals, wars and new technology of the 1970’s, photographer Joel D. Levinson turned to the romanticized bazaar for his inspiration. The black and white photographs of California flea markets represent the spirit of the past. Through their candid nature, each photograph explores the enigmatic world of the flea market, and a unique array of distinctive personalities.
Photographer Joel D. Levinson attended California State University at Berkeley where he earned a Bachelors of Arts in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Visual Arts. Rising to fame in the 1980’s, Levinson has been included in various publications and is represented throughout museums across the United States and abroad. To date, the photographer has published two books highlighting his entire life’s work. James L. Enyeart, photographer and author, placed Levinson in the same category with well-known photographers such as Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus. Historian Helmut Gernsheim stated, “Levinson’s pictures are slices of life and in the best tradition of the modern classics from Paul Martin to Henri Cartier-Bresson.”
California Flea Market Series, Untitled 37
, 1976
Gelatin silver print
Gift from Gary and Eileen Levinson, 2011
For more works and information visit these sites:
Joel D. Levinson Website (Limited Biography and Comprehensive Works)
Contemporary Works (Comprehensive Biography and Limited Works)
