BILL OWENS

Untitled [Planned Parenthood], 1971 Gelatin silver print Collection Mills College Art Museum, Gift of Marion Brenner and Robert Harshorn Shimshak, 2015.20.10

Bill Owens is known for his Post-War suburban depictions of the San Francisco Bay Area. During the 1970s he worked as a photographer for the local Livermore newspaper and his early career consisted primarily of photojournalism. Owens is best known for his portrayal of a predominantly white, middle-class people using traditional black and white photography. He is known as the foremost chronicler of suburban life, and his work was featured in his 1972 book, Suburbia. Owens turns an almost naive lens on his subjects, aiming less for art and more for authenticity. Within these four images Owens reproduces the lives of everyday, working women: a Planned Parenthood administrator, produce factory workers, nurses, and home cooks. His photography documents the real and ever-present way women give to society.

Emma Sugarbaker