Bruce Gilden “Why These?”

Bruce Gilden’s fiercely bold exhibition Why These? shines a light on the wide spectrum of society, bringing to center stage real people from back alleys, everyday life, and the true, unfiltered corners of the world. With a raw, provocative close-up style, Gilden’s dark humor serves a brighter purpose – to foster greater understanding between people. By exposing what lies just beneath the surface, he captures the fears that shape how we see ourselves and those around us.

Bruce Gilden, (b. 1946), a legend in the world of street photography, began his career in 1967. He captures scenes and people that others might consider intimidating, risky, or even repulsive. He is never merely a spectator, but actively seeks out faces that reveal more than they conceal – signs of grief and joy, desire and loss, intoxication and destruction. It is like a map of life.