A street photographer since the mid-’60s, Chip Simone studied at the Rhode Island School of Design with Modernist-master Harry Callahan and shot classic black-and-white pictures for years before jumping on the digital train in 2000. Since turning to faster cameras and color imagery, Simone has built an impressive body of work, which he makes by walking and cycling through cities up and down the East Coast. Collected by major museums, as well as Elton John, who’s a connoisseur of the medium, Simone has an eye for the uncanny and a keen awareness of how photography can magically parallel painting and sculpture. With a decade of work currently on view at New York’s Steven Kasher Gallery and a recent monograph and museum survey under his belt, Simone is definitely one to watch — especially after so many years of pounding the streets. Click through a selection of our favorite images.
Chip Simone, Vamp, Atlanta, 2005. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Dented Gutter, Worcester, 2010. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, El Morocco, 2006. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Scarlett on Piedmont, Atlanta, 2008, Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Ron Paul Ripped, Atlanta, 2007. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 17 x 11 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Broken Arch, Atlanta, 2006. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Marilyn Monroe, Worcester, MA, 2007. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, White on White, Atlanta, 2008, Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Highway Mirror, Atlanta, 2010. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Corner Beauties, Atlanta, 2009. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Space Between Yellow Doors, Atlanta, 2008, Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Car Under Plastic, Worcester, 2009. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Camel Bubbles, Atlanta, 2005. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 17 x 11 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Yellow on Red, Atlanta, 2008. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Black on Black Wall, Worcester, 2010. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Flower Wall, Worcester, 2006. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Purple Phone, Atlanta, 2007. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Balloon Tree, 2006, Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Orange Flame, Orange Plate, Atlanta, 2009. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Wet Bar Wall, Atlanta, 2006. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 11 x 17 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
Chip Simone, Sun, Man Walking, Atlanta, 2010. Archival pigment, printed 2012, edition of 10, 17 x 11 inches. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York