Ari Marcopoulos is an American self-taught photographer, adventurer and film artist. Born in the Netherlands, he is best known for presenting work showcasing elusive subcultures, including artists, snowboarders and musicians. He lives and works in New York.
Since arriving in New York from his native Holland in 1979, Ari Marcopoulos has documented the diverse subcultures of America. His photographs and videos depict the brash vitality of underground music and the rebellious athleticism of extreme sports. ln a body of work that demonstrates a rare empathy for his subjects, Marcopoulos neither patronizes tentative expressions of identity nor romanticizes youthful freedom.
His straightforward portraits and lush snapshots capture everyday moments of beauty and anxiety, becoming, as he says, “something that just stands for life lived.”
Marcopoulos’ work has been the subject of exhibitions at New Orleans Museum of Art, USA; Berkeley Art Museum, USA and Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, the Netherlands, among others. His work is included in public collections such as USA Berkeley Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of American Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; New Orleans Museum of Art; and Switzerland Fotomuseum in Winterthur.
"For me, making the books is how I organize my brain in order to look at my work."
The Amsterdam-born, New York-based photographer Ari Marcopoulos has been prolific for decades. His website is a good way to keep up with his various projects, which include art books, zines, gallery and museum exhibitions, album art, videos, and a variety of collaborations with people like Matthew Barney, Jay Z, and Richard Prince, and bands like Trash Talk, Ratking, and the Beastie Boys. As of this typing, his most recent project was a video for Santigold, which he made with Kara Walker.
