Allan Sekula

Allan Sekula was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1951 and died in 2013. 

Allan Sekula was an American artist, photographer, writer, theorist, and major figure in contemporary documentary photography. His work examined the effects of capitalism, globalization, and labor on people and places. Working across photography, text, film, and installation, he developed a critical practice that explored economic systems, power relations, and maritime networks, a recurring theme throughout his work. Rejecting a purely aesthetic approach to documentary photography, Sekula used the image as a tool for social and political analysis. His work has been exhibited at major institutions around the world and continues to influence socially engaged artistic practices and critical thinking about the forces shaping our globalized world.