Bill Owens Black and White Photography
American, b. 1938
Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his journey as a documentarian. While living in Livermore, California, in the late 1960s, he worked as a photographer for the local newspaper. He became increasingly interested in the suburban areas that became heavily populated after WWII.
Owens started photographing middle-class America and would eventually publish a best-selling book, Suburbia, in 1972. Suburbia is considered one of the most important photography books to date. He went on to publish three more books, Our Kind of People, Working and Leisure, focusing on the suburbanites of America.
Owens was the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, which he received in 1976.
Between working commercially and on personal photographic projects, he opened a brewery in California in 1983 and became so enamored with craft beer that he founded the American Distilling Institute and American Brewer magazine.
The photographs of Bill Owens are highly sought after and can be found in private and public collections such as the Getty Museum, Modern Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
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Artist: Bill Owens
McDonald
s Modern Day Care Center, from Leisure series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"McDonald's modern day care center keeps the boys out of my hair and lets me have a moment to myself. Kansas City, MO", 1976
Edition 7/15
Signed and artist stamps.
Printed 2007
Serie...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Untitled (Driveway) - Black and White Landscape, Suburban, Neighborhood
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Untitled (Driveway) by Bill Owens presents a tranquil scene. A long driveway leads up to a house in a suburban neighborhood. Two trash cans sit in front of the garage. The garage doo...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
We really enjoy getting together, from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"We really enjoy getting together with our friends to drink and dance. It's a wild party and we're having a great time." from series, Suburbia
Edition of 15
Signed, dated and number...
Category
1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
One Day Our Toilet Broke
By Bill Owens
Located in New York, NY
Bill Owens
Before the dissolution of our marriage my husband and I owned a bar. One day a toilet broke and we brought it home,
1971
Print Paper Size: 13 x 17 inches
Print Image Size...
Category
1970s Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
My dad thinks it
s a good idea
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"My dad thinks it's a good idea to take all the leaves off the tree and take up the yard. I think he is crazy."
Edition of 15
Signed, numbered, and artist stamp...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Christina
s Room
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"I wanted Christina to learn some responsibility for cleaning her room, but it didn't work."
Edition of 15
Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in.
Signed, numbered, and dated in pencil wi...
Category
1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
$3,500 Sale Price
39% Off
We
re Really Happy, from Suburbia series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"We're really happy. Our kids are healthy, we eat good food, and we have a really nice home."
Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in.
Signed, print date, misc. notation in pencil on vers...
Category
1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
$3,500 Sale Price
39% Off
Nixon on TV by Bill Owens, 1971, Silver Gelatin Print, Photography
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Nixon on TV by Bill Owens presents a living room scene. An image of Richard Nixon is frozen mid speech on the television screen. A framed print of Vase with Twelve Sunflowers by Vinc...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
I bought the lawn
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"I bought the lawn in six-foot rolls. It's easy to handle. I prepare the ground and my wife and son helped roll out the grass. in one day you have a front yard."
Edition of 15
Signed...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Bill Owens: Suburbia Portfolio (15 photographs)
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Bill Owens Portfolio
A selection of fifteen photographs from the series, Suburbia
Edition of 15
Each photograph is signed and numbered in pencil with artist stamp in black ink on pri...
Category
1970s Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite. I do the barbequing"
Edition of 15
Signed, dated, and numbered by Bill Owens
Gelatin silver print
16 x 20 in.
Series: Leisure
Bi...
Category
20th Century Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Untitled (Overview of cul-de-sac)
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Signed, print date, misc. notation in pencil on verso.
Series: Suburbia
Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography ...
Category
1970s Post-Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Its a great pleasure to watch yourself make love
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Its a great pleasure to watch yourself make love, 1971
Gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 in.
Signed, artist stamp, and numbered.
Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volu...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Untitled (Woman Vacuuming), from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 15
Signed, dated and numbered.
Series: Suburbia
Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his...
Category
1970s Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
We like to play war, from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
We like to play war, 1971
Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in.
Edition of 15
Stamped in ink, signed, numbered, and dated in pencil on verso by Bill Owens
Series: Suburbia
Bill Owens wa...
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Parade Woman Holding American Flag, from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 15
Signed, dated and numbered.
Series: Suburbia
Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his...
Category
1970s Modern Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
When school is out we sunbathe all day and dance all night
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"When school is out we sunbathe all day and dance all night."
Edition of 15
Signed, dated, and numbered on print verso by Bill Owens
Gelatin silver p...
Category
20th Century Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Sunday Afternoon, from Suburbia series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"Sunday afternoon we get it together. I cook the steaks and my wife makes the salad."
Edition of 15
Signed, numbered, and artist stamp.
Series: Suburbia
Bill Owens was born and rais...
Category
1970s Contemporary Bill Owens Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
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Previously Available Items
A lot of people say we
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Located in Denton, TX
A lot of people say we're chunks of meat, 1974
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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from Suburbia series
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At Rosie O
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Our house was built with the living room in back
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Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure
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H 11 in W 14 in D 0.1 in
Bill Owens black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Bill Owens black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Bill Owens in silver gelatin print, archival pigment print, pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Bill Owens black and white photography, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Silvia Lareo-Vazquez, Robert Stivers, and Lawrence Schiller. Bill Owens black and white photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $950 and tops out at $20,000, while the average work can sell for $4,150.