Magic eyes: the surreal world of Arthur Tress – in pictures
From doll makers to swamp-dwellers, the Brooklyn photographer turns his unique gaze on the more dreamlike aspects of America and beyond
Main image: ‘A singular figure’ … Self-Portrait in Photomat Mirror, Coney Island, New York, 1970. Photograph: Arthur Tress courtesy J Paul Getty MuseumFri 1 Dec 2023 02.00 EST Last modified on Fri 1 Dec 2023 07.54 EST
Bruce at Dawn, Paper Flower Maker, East Village, New York, 1970
Rambles, Dreams, and Shadows is a richly illustrated volume and the first critical look at the early career of Arthur Tress, a singular figure in the landscape of postwar American photography. Arthur Tress: Rambles, Dreams, and Shadows is published by Getty PublicationsPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterCemetery, Queens, New York, 1969
While Tress travelled internationally as a social documentary photographer in the mid-1960s, upon returning to the US he embarked on a series devoted to the people of Appalachia and New York City before pursuing more personal exhibitions and book projectsPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterGay Activists at First Gay Pride Parade, Christopher Street, New York, 1970
During the 1960s and 70s, Tress delved deeper into the worlds of surrealism, fantasy and his own queer identityPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterMinette as Gloria Swanson in Ruins of Fox Theater, Brooklyn, New York, 1971
An exhibition also called Arthur Tress: Rambles, Dreams, and Shadows is at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, until 18 FebruaryPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterSelf-Portrait in Photomat Mirror, Coney Island, New York, 1970
Tress was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1940. He started taking photographs as a teenager, capturing the decaying Coney Island amusement parksPhotograph: Arthur Tress courtesy J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterHands on the Staircase, Isla Mujeres, Mexico, 1972
Tress spent five years travelling, mostly in Asia and Africa, and developed an interest in ethnographical photographyPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterWild Man of the Forest, Central Park, New York, 1969
Tress used his camera to raise awareness about the costs of pollution – from both an economic and health perspectivePhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterPearl Norwood, Maker of Raggedy Ann Dolls, Banner Elk, North Carolina, 1968
Tress’s first professional assignment was from the US government – he was tasked with recording the endangered folk cultures of AppalachiaPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterDream Therapist, Harold Ellis, New York, New York, 1975
In the late 1960s Tress produced a series based on children’s dreams. This would evolve into work that dealt with the hidden dramas of adult relationships and the reenactments of gay desirePhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterFriends Playing Cards, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, 1970
In his home city, Tress photographed across many genres – from straight documentary to a more personal mode of ‘magic realism’Photograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterGirl and Moon Dream, New York, New York, 1968
From the early 1980s, Tress began shooting images in colour. His more recent work includes the circular images of his Planets series and the diamond-shaped images of PointersPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterShadow, Cannes, France, 1974
Tress lived in Cambria, California, for 25 years, but these days lives San FranciscoPhotograph: Arthur Tress/J Paul Getty Museum
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