Elliott Erwitt

born in 1928 in Paris (France)

"My name is Elliott Erwitt, and it has been for quite some time"> Read more

Sarcastic yet tender, Elliott Erwitt stands amongst the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Born in Paris in 1928, he spent his childhood in Milan before returning to the French capital when he was ten years old. In 1939, his parents, who were Russian immigrants, moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. While attending the Hollywood Senior High School, Elliott Erwitt worked in a commercial darkroom processing movie star prints "signed" for fans.

After studying photography and filmmaking at the Los Angeles City College and the New School for Social Research, Elliott Erwitt was drafted in the United States Army as a photographer's assistant. In 1953, freshly decommissioned from the army, he reconnected with Robert Capa – whom he had met prior to his military service – who invited him to join Magnum. From 1968 to 1970, Erwitt was President of the prestigious photo agency.

As a leading photojournalist, he participated in The Family of Man, the famous 1955 MoMA exhibition curated by John Szarkowski. Throughout his career, he also photographed Hollywood stars, including famous shots of Marilyn Monroe and her flowing white dress during the promotion of the Seven Year Itch and those taken on the set of the Misfits.

In the seventies, he developed a keen interest for films and while continuing his work still as a photographer, he made several documentaries such as Beauty Knows No Pain (1971), Red, White and Bluegrass (1973), and The Glass Makers of Heart (1979). Never losing touch with his mischievous side, he also produced seventeen comedy and satire television programs for HBO.

Even while working on numerous photo and video projects, whether for editorial, industrial or commercial clients, Elliott Erwitt devoted his spare time to personal projects, producing over twenty books and countless exhibitions, including one man shows at the MoMA (New York), the Chicago Art Institute (Chicago), the Smithsonian (Washington, DC), the Palais de Tokyo (Paris), the Reina Sofia Museum (Madrid), the Barbican (London) and the Spazio Oberdan (Milan).

Paris, France, 1989

Exhibitions at Polka Galerie

Exhibitions at Polka Galerie

Sequentially yours Sequentially yours Sequentially yours Sequentially yours Sequentially yours

Elliott Erwitt

Sequentially yours
March 15 - May 12, 2012
EST // OUEST : ICÔNES EST // OUEST : ICÔNES EST // OUEST : ICÔNES EST // OUEST : ICÔNES EST // OUEST : ICÔNES

Elliott Erwitt

EST // OUEST : ICÔNES
November 19, 2010 - February 19, 2011
Action! Action! Action! Action! Action!

Elliott Erwitt

Action!
March 11 - June 5, 2010
Elliot Erwitt Exposition L'Amérique dans tous ses états Elliot Erwitt Exposition L'Amérique dans tous ses états Elliot Erwitt Exposition L'Amérique dans tous ses états Elliot Erwitt Exposition L'Amérique dans tous ses états Elliot Erwitt Exposition L'Amérique dans tous ses états

Elliott Erwitt

Elliot Erwitt Exposition L'Amérique dans tous ses états
November 12, 2008 - February 17, 2009

Selected Publications

Found not Lost Found not Lost Found not Lost Found not Lost Found not Lost

Elliott Erwitt

Found not Lost
Gost Book, 2021
Round Trip Paris/ New York Round Trip Paris/ New York Round Trip Paris/ New York Round Trip Paris/ New York Round Trip Paris/ New York

Elliott Erwitt

Round Trip Paris/ New York
Polka Editions, 2019
Dogs Dogs Dogs Dogs Dogs

Elliott Erwitt

Dogs
teNeues, 2017
PITTSBURGH 1950 PITTSBURGH 1950 PITTSBURGH 1950 PITTSBURGH 1950 PITTSBURGH 1950

Elliott Erwitt

PITTSBURGH 1950
Gost Books, 2017
Personal Best Personal Best Personal Best Personal Best Personal Best

Elliott Erwitt

Personal Best
teneues, 2018
Home around the world Home around the world Home around the world Home around the world Home around the world

Elliott Erwitt

Home around the world
Aperture, 2016
Regarding Women Regarding Women Regarding Women Regarding Women Regarding Women

Elliott Erwitt

Regarding Women
TENEUS, 2014
Kolor Kolor Kolor Kolor Kolor

Elliott Erwitt

Kolor
Teneues, 2013
Sequentially yours Sequentially yours Sequentially yours Sequentially yours Sequentially yours

Elliott Erwitt

Sequentially yours
Teneues, 2011
Paris Paris Paris Paris Paris

Elliott Erwitt

Paris
TeNeues, 2010

Selected Exhibitions

Selected Exhibitions

Elliott Erwitt

March 23 - August 15 2023
Musée Maillol

The World of Elliott Erwitt

Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyoto, 2018

Paris - New York

La Hune, Paris, 2017

Retrospective. Elliott Erwitt

Personal Best

International Center of Photography, New York, USA, 2011

Personal Best

Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, 2010

Personal Best

Art Museum, Portland, USA, 2007

Museums as Muse

MoMA, New York, USA, 1999

Rétrospective Centre National de la Photographie

Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 1988

Press

ELLIOTT ERWITT, BETWEEN PARIS AND NEW YORK

Polka #49, June 2019

Elliott Erwitt : Madfor Culture

MadFor Madame Figaro, décembre 2013

Elliott Erwitt : Sans paroles

Polka #17, mars 2012

Elliott Erwitt : Parlez-moi d'images

Polka #8, février 2010

Elliott Erwitt : American Express

Polka #3, octobre 2008