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Alec Soth

Magnum Photography Awards 2017 Interview
About Alec Soth

Alec Soth (b. 1969) is a photographer born and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has published over thirty books including Sleeping by the Mississippi (2004), NIAGARA (2006), Broken Manual (2010), Songbook (2015), I Know How Furiously Your Heart is Beating (2019), A Pound of Pictures (2022), and Advice for Young Artists (2024). Soth has had over fifty solo exhibitions including survey shows organized by Jeu de Paume in Paris (2008), the Walker Art Center in Minnesota (2010), Media Space in London (2015), and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (2024). Soth has been the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship (2013). In 2008, Soth created Little Brown Mushroom, a multi-media enterprise focused on visual storytelling. Soth is represented by Sean Kelly in New York, Weinstein Hammons Gallery in Minneapolis, Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco, Loock Galerie in Berlin, and is a member of Magnum Photos.

Featured on LensCulture
  • Advice for Young Artists
    Alec Soth
    Alec Soth’s new book avoids straightforward answers. Set against the playful, chaotic backdrop of art schools, it delves into creativity, self-discovery, and the existential aspects of becoming—and remaining—an artist.
  • I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating
    Alec Soth
    After abandoning portraiture for an entire year, Alec Soth returns to the genre with a new photobook, emphasizing the importance of collaboration while photographing his subjects.
  • Simply Paying Attention With Alec Soth
    Alec Soth
    For well over a decade, the distinctive voice and eye of Alec Soth have inspired photographers all over the world—discover his spare, poetic wisdom in this enlightening interview.
  • Suicide Machine: Is Bridgend Really the Town With No Hope?
    Dan Wood
    A small town in Wales—which rose to international prominence after a rash of suicides—is re-examined through the lens of local photographer, who is also facing the question, “Should I stay or go?”
  • Gathered Leaves
    Alec Soth
    This finely tuned retrospective allows us to appreciate Soth’s work with fresh eyes—and through his pictures, be reminded of the importance of listening closely, of remaining keen to the sad beauties of everyday mundanity.
  • Songbook
    Alec Soth
    Today we are constantly plugged in—but also ever alone. Our internet-fueled atomization raises concerns about the future of our sociability. There are few people out there able describe such issues with the same poignancy as Alec Soth. Discover his latest book.
  • Sleeping by the Mississippi
    Alec Soth
    This brilliant photography book features large format details of marginal living in the Midwest. Photographs by Alec Soth.
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Alec Soth's Projects on LensCulture
Alec Soth's Books