Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his journey as a documentarian. While living in Livermore, California, in the late 1960s, he worked as a photographer for the local newspaper. He became increasingly interested in the suburban areas that became heavily populated after WWII.
Owens started photographing middle-class America and would eventually publish a best-selling book, Suburbia, in 1972. Suburbia is considered one of the most important photography books to date. He went on to publish three more books, Our Kind of People, Working and Leisure, focusing on the suburbanites of America.
Owens was the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, which he received in 1976.
Between working commercially and on personal photographic projects, he opened a brewery in California in 1983 and became so enamored with craft beer that he founded the American Distilling Institute and American Brewer magazine.
The photographs of Bill Owens are highly sought after and can be found in private and public collections such as the Getty Museum, Modern Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
Find Bill Owens photography on 1stDibs.
Bill Owens: Suburbia Portfolio (15 photographs)
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Bill Owens Portfolio A selection of fifteen photographs from the series, Suburbia Edition of 15 Each photograph is signed and numbered in pencil with artist stamp in black ink on pri...
Silver Gelatin
Before the Dissolution of our Marriage, from the series, Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Gelatin Silver Print 14 × 11 in. Ed. of 15 Signed, numbered, dated in pencil with artist stamp in black ink on verso From the series, Suburbia “Before the dissolution of our marriag...
Silver Gelatin
I bought the lawn
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"I bought the lawn in six-foot rolls. It's easy to handle. I prepare the ground and my wife and son helped roll out the grass. in one day you have a front yard." Edition of 15 Signed...
Silver Gelatin
One Day Our Toilet Broke
By Bill Owens
Located in New York, NY
Bill Owens Before the dissolution of our marriage my husband and I owned a bar. One day a toilet broke and we brought it home, 1971 Print Paper Size: 13 x 17 inches Print Image Size...
Archival Pigment
We really enjoy getting together, from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"We really enjoy getting together with our friends to drink and dance. It's a wild party and we're having a great time." from series, Suburbia Edition of 15 Signed, dated and number...
Silver Gelatin
My dad thinks it's a good idea
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"My dad thinks it's a good idea to take all the leaves off the tree and take up the yard. I think he is crazy." Edition of 15 Signed, numbered, and artist stamp...
Silver Gelatin
$3,500Sale Price|39% Off
We're Really Happy, from Suburbia series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"We're really happy. Our kids are healthy, we eat good food, and we have a really nice home." Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Signed, print date, misc. notation in pencil on vers...
Silver Gelatin
Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite. I do the barbequing" Edition of 15 Signed, dated, and numbered by Bill Owens Gelatin silver print 16 x 20 in. Series: Leisure Bi...
Silver Gelatin
$3,500Sale Price|39% Off
Christina's Room
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"I wanted Christina to learn some responsibility for cleaning her room, but it didn't work." Edition of 15 Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Signed, numbered, and dated in pencil wi...
Silver Gelatin
Parade Woman Holding American Flag, from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 15 Signed, dated and numbered. Series: Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his...
Silver Gelatin
We like to play war, from Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
We like to play war, 1971 Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Edition of 15 Stamped in ink, signed, numbered, and dated in pencil on verso by Bill Owens Series: Suburbia Bill Owens wa...
Silver Gelatin
New Suburbia, Hayward (Weed Wacker), from New Suburbia
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 5 Signed, titled, and numbered in black ink on print verso. Series: New Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he pi...
Digital Pigment
McDonald's Modern Day Care Center, from Leisure series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"McDonald's modern day care center keeps the boys out of my hair and lets me have a moment to myself. Kansas City, MO", 1976 Edition 7/15 Signed and artist stamps. Printed 2007 Serie...
Silver Gelatin
Untitled (Driveway) - Black and White Landscape, Suburban, Neighborhood
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Untitled (Driveway) by Bill Owens presents a tranquil scene. A long driveway leads up to a house in a suburban neighborhood. Two trash cans sit in front of the garage. The garage doo...
Silver Gelatin
Nixon on TV by Bill Owens, 1971, Silver Gelatin Print, Photography
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Nixon on TV by Bill Owens presents a living room scene. An image of Richard Nixon is frozen mid speech on the television screen. A framed print of Vase with Twelve Sunflowers by Vinc...
Silver Gelatin
Sunday Afternoon, from Suburbia series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"Sunday afternoon we get it together. I cook the steaks and my wife makes the salad." Edition of 15 Signed, numbered, and artist stamp. Series: Suburbia Bill Owens was born and rais...
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Walmart
By Bill Owens
Located in New York, NY
Chromogenic print Signed, verso This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.
C Print
The Bath #1 Silver Gelatin Print, Signed, Edition 2/10, 1995
By David Levy
Located in New Orleans, LA
Stone and Press Gallery is excited to offer several works in celebration of the LGBTQ community. David Levy created this vintage silver gelatin photograph in 1995. The image was t...
Silver Gelatin
Audrey Hepburn in Pool, 1966 by Terry O'Neill
By Terry O'Neill
Located in Chicago, IL
Audrey Hepburn having a swim during a break from filming Stanley Donen’s 1967 work ‘Two for the Road’ in St Tropez. Limited edition silver gelatin print Paper size: 16 H x 20 W inc...
Silver Gelatin
Jaybirds
By Adam Jahiel
Located in Sante Fe, NM
For years, Jahiel has been photographing the cowboys of the Great Basin–perhaps one of the most inhospitable regions of the already rugged West. These people represent one of the l...
Silver Gelatin
$8,350
H 16 in W 20 in
Marcel Duchamp Playing Chess with Eve Babitz, 1963 - Julian Wasser
By Julian Wasser
Located in Chicago, IL
Marcel Duchamp and Eve Babitz, 1963, TIME Walter Hopps, the curator of Duchamp's landmark retrospective at The Pasadena Art Museum, helped direct this shot...
Silver Gelatin
$2,300
H 19 in W 13 in D 0.01 in
Frida Painting "Two Fridas" - Black and White Photograph, Portrait, Frida Kahlo
By Nickolas Muray
Located in Denton, TX
Frida Painting "Two Fridas" by Nickolas Muray is a limited edition black and white portrait of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in her studio, sitting in front of her famous painting, The...
Archival Pigment
$1,125
H 16 in W 12 in
Kate Moss At 16 - signed limited edition print
By Jake Chessum
Located in London, GB
An Unknown Kate Moss At 16 by Jake Chessum 1990 limited edition edition size 20 only this size printed 2024 Archival pigment print numbered and signed by the artist unframed ...
Archival Pigment
Ryder Mounting Up
By Michael Crouser
Located in New York, NY
Toned gelatin silver print Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet (Edition of 25) 20 x 16 inches, sheet (Edition of 25) 24 x 20 inches, sheet (Edition of...
Silver Gelatin
$2,300
H 19 in W 13 in D 0.01 in
Frida and Diego with Gas Mask - Mexican Artists, Couple, Painter, Kahlo, Rivera
By Nickolas Muray
Located in Denton, TX
Frida and Diego with Gas Mask is a limited edition black and white portrait of Mexican painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The couple embraces each other while Frida holds a gas m...
Archival Pigment
Tel 1
By Michael Crouser
Located in New York, NY
Toned gelatin silver print Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet (Edition of 25) 20 x 16 inches, sheet (Edition of 25) 24 x 20 inches, sheet (Edition of...
Silver Gelatin
$5,880
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in
Deena's back - Willy Ronis, 20th Century, French Humanist Photography
By Willy Ronis
Located in Paris, FR
One of the most famous members of the Humanist photography in France. Signed lower right by the artist. Stamp of the artist's studio on the back.
Silver Gelatin, Photographic Paper
Eric Kanigan - Social Hour, Photography 2022, Printed After
By Eric Kanigan
Located in Greenwich, CT
"“You had a once-in-a-year day today.” Wildlife experiences tend to be easier to describe in feelings than in frequency. Even then, I often find myself taking days, months, or even ...
Archival Pigment, Platinum, Silver Gelatin
$3,750
H 20 in W 30 in
Eric Kanigan - How Deep is Your Love, Photography 2023, Printed After
By Eric Kanigan
Located in Greenwich, CT
"The moment you hit the water, you’re overcome by a profound sense of nothingness. At times, it feels almost like vertigo as you try to orient yourself. When you look down and around...
Archival Pigment, Platinum, Silver Gelatin
A lot of people say we're chunks of meat
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
A lot of people say we're chunks of meat, 1974 Gelatin silver print 14 x 10 3/4 in. Signed and dated in black ink on margin Bill Owens was born and rai...
Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 8 in W 10 in D 0.1 in
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from Suburbia series
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Artist Proof Signed and numbered in pencil with artist copyright stamp in black ink on print verso. Series: Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering...
Silver Gelatin
At Rosie O' Grady's Goodtime Emporium (Disco dancer)
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 15 Signed, dated, numbered and artist stamp on print verso by Bill Owens Gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 in. Printed 2005 Series: Leisure Bill Owens was born and raised in ...
Silver Gelatin
Our house was built with the living room in back
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 15 Signed. From Suburbia Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began his journey as a documenta...
Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 11 in W 14 in D 0.1 in
Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite, from Leisure
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
"Every summer we go all out on our camp in Yosemite. I do the barbequing" Edition of 15 Signed, dated, and numbered. Series: Leisure Bill Owens was born and raised in California. Af...
Silver Gelatin
Hockney Painted This Pool
By Bill Owens
Located in Denton, TX
Edition 10 Signed and numbered in black ink on print verso. Bill Owens was born and raised in California. After volunteering in the Peace Corps he picked up photography and began hi...
C Print