Paul Caponigro
Paul Caponigro (born 1932, Boston, Massachusetts) is a photographer whose meditative, technically precise images of the natural world and ancient sacred sites have placed him among the most respected photographers of his generation. Initially drawn equally to music and photography, Caponigro studied at the Boston University College of Music before turning fully to photography, studying with Minor White and drawing on the Zone System traditions established by Ansel Adams to develop an approach of exceptional tonal richness and formal control.
His most celebrated bodies of work include studies of Stonehenge and the Celtic megaliths of England and Ireland, the temples and sacred gardens of Japan, and the forests and natural forms of New England. All share a quality of stillness and attention that transforms landscape into something close to contemplation. A dedicated pianist throughout his life, Caponigro has consistently described music as essential to his photographic vision, shaping the patience and attentiveness that give his images their distinctive character.
He has been awarded two Guggenheim Fellowships and three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. His work is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.