Artist Profile: Peter Turnley
Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb
Peter Turnley
“The one thing that is always clear in my mind is that the people and their stories, and the themes of life that I photograph, are always more important to me than the process of photography itself.” – Peter Turnley
Peter Turnley began photographing in 1972 in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He and his twin brother, David, photographed the lives of inner-city, working-class people on McClellan Street, striving to give voice to the heart of America. Since this early project, his photographs have always drawn attention to the plight of those who have suffered great hardships or injustice, while finding that many aspects of life are also beautiful, poetic, just, and inspirational. His photographs have been featured on the cover of Newsweek 43 times, covering most of the world’s conflicts over the last decade. Having traveled to over 90 countries, documenting everything from the fall of the Berlin Wall, daily life in Cuba, and the Gulf and Iraq wars.
Peter Turnley, A Victim of Landmines, Kabul, Afghanistan, archival pigment print, 1996, 2020.42.21.
Peter Turnley, The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, archival pigment print, 1989, 2020.42.33.
Peter Turnley, Ground Zero, New York City, Sept. 12, 2001, archival pigment print, 2001, 2020.46.53.