Matt Lipps, “Stance,” 2019. Gelatin silver print.
In 1995, Yancey Richardson opened her eponymous gallery in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. It didn’t take long for her to relocate to Chelsea, a neighborhood that, by then, many other gallerists had already flocked to. Over the course of the next three decades, Richardson managed to stage nearly 300 exhibitions, each zooming in on contemporary photography with unprecedented focus. Now, the gallery is marking 30 years—all while getting its artists more involved than ever.
Celebrating 30 Years gathers works created by all of the gallery’s exhibited artists and estates. These photographs encompass five decades of output across a variety of styles, technical approaches, and visual themes, ranging from dramatic landscapes rendered in soft black-and-white tones, to mixed-media compositions that incorporate collaged elements. Sharon Core’s Early American, Lemons, for instance, riffs upon the aesthetics of 17th-century still lifes, portraying a lemon basket with such a smooth sheen that it resembles a painting more than a photograph. Rachel Perry’s Lost in My Life, on the other hand, explodes with color, showcasing a woman stitching what appears to be a massive dress. It’s a delicious photograph, and one of the exhibition’s more playful scenes, where the entire frame is criss-crossed by a vibrant assortment of thread.
This diversity is impressive in and of itself, but what differentiates Celebrating 30 Years is its close collaboration with its featured artists. The gallery invited its artists to select work by their peers on the roster “with whom they share creative affinities.” As an example, Mickalene Thomas selected David Alekhuogie, while Terry Evans selected Ori Gersht. Richardson herself also selected works, opting for Lynn Geesaman and Sebastião Salgado, the latter of whom was the subject of the gallery’s inaugural exhibition in the 90s.
“I really feel the artists are at the core of the gallery, so I asked each [of them] to select a work by another artist,” Richardson said in a recent interview with Wallpaper* Magazine. “They loved it! And it was so fascinating to see who selected what.”
For those very reasons, Celebrating 30 Years is more than simply a commemorative gesture. It’s intimate in its conceit yet sprawling in its scope, offering a comprehensive overview of the gallery’s ethos across time.
“Since the day we opened our doors in 1995, the gallery has remained committed to supporting and embracing photography across the widest possible spectrum,” Richardson explains. “Though both the medium itself and society’s understanding of it has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, I have endeavored to keep the gallery as a space where those changes can be seen, felt, and interacted with.”
To plan your own visit to Celebrating 30 Years before it closes on Aug. 15, 2025, visit the Yancey Richardson Yancey Richardson website.
Yancey Richardson is celebrating 30 years with a sprawling exhibition, featuring work by all of the gallery’s exhibited artists and estates.
Installation shot of “Yancey Richardson: Celebrating 30 Years,” at Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, NY.
Kahn & Selesnick, “King of Weeds,” 2012. Archival pigment print.
Mitch Epstein, “Los Angeles II, California,” 1974. Archival pigment print.
Jared Bark, “Untitled, PB #1219,” 1973. Gelatin silver print.
Sharon Core, “Early American, Lemons,” 2007. Chromogenic print.
Tseng Kwong Chi, “Rome, Italy,” 1989. Gelatin silver print.
Celebrating 30 Years was not only curated by Richardson, but also by the featured artists themselves.
Victoria Sambunaris, “Untitled (Farm with workers Jacumba, California,” 2010. Chromogenic print.
Carolyn Drake, “Karen,” from the series “Knit Club,” 2018. Archival pigment print.
Ori Gersht, “Becoming, Flower 01 (Rijksmuseum).” Archival pigment print.
Mary Ellen Bartley, “Celluloid Blue Striped Vase (from the series Morandi’s Books), 2022. Archival pigment print.
David Hilliard, “Andreu (Bathroom Mirror),” 1997. Archival pigment print.
Installation shot of “Yancey Richardson: Celebrating 30 Years,” at Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, NY.
Terry Evans, “Deer Grazing on New Winter Wheat, Saline County, Kansas,” 1990. Gelatin silver print.
The exhibition is currently open at Yancey Richardson Gallery through Aug. 15, 2025.
Lynn Saville, “Jill in Newburgh,” 2016. Archival pigment print.
Rachel Perry, “Lost in My Life (Needlepoint Sitting Stitching),” 2023. Archival pigment print.
Andrew Moore, “School District 123, Cherry County, Nebraska,” 2013. Archival pigment print.
Yamamoto Masao, “Untitled #1178 (from Nakazora),” 2002. Gelatin silver print and mixed media.
Sebastião Salgado, “Serra Pelada, Brazil (Backs),” 1986. Gelatin silver print.
Mickalene Thomas, “Remember Me,” 2023. Archival pigment print.
Guanyu Xu, “RR-08212010-05012021,” from the series “Resident Aliens,” 2021. Archival pigment print.
Exhibition Information:
Celebrating 30 Years
Yancey Richardson Gallery
July 16–August 15, 2025
525 W 22nd St., New York NY 10011
Yancey Richardson Gallery: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by ALMA Communications.
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