Howard Gross (b. 1946) received his MFA in painting from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1972. After successfully exhibiting with the Alan Frumkin Gallery for a couple of years in Chicago, he decided to move to NYC on the advice of Robert Smithson. During his first years in NY, he immersed himself into the conceptual art scene of NYC. In 1976 he documented cracks on the sidewalks of new york for an exhibition at the prestigious Ok Harris gallery. For his next concept he decided to document the art world with its eyes closed. Significant figures of art history such as Richard Tuttle, Louise Bourgeois, Larry Gagosian, Leo Castelli and 200+ other artists, collectors, board members and friends appear in an unprecedented series of intimate closed eyed portraits. Gross exhibited the portraits for the first time in the late 70s at the Truman gallery and then upon special request, he rephotographed some of the figures 20 years later for a solo show at MOMA PS1.

 

Mr. Gross’s work is in the permanent collection of various prestigious public and private collections such as The Whitney Museum, NY, The International Center for Photography, NY, The Weatherspoon Art Museum, NC, and the private collection of Agnes Gund. Mr Gross currently lives and work out of New York, NY.