In Keith Carter's work, there is always more than meets the eye. The contemporary American photographer's pictures have a Surrealist quality, and Carter has a way of transforming the ordinary into the otherworldly. He strives to bring out the significance of the moment with black and white, figurative and abstract photography that has a deep sense of time and place.
Carter was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1948. He grew up in Beaumont, Texas, where he also studied business management at Lamar University, graduating in 1970. After finding himself drawn to taking pictures, Carter started working as a commercial photographer.
Photography proved a successful and fruitful calling, and Carter earned recognition for his work over the years. In 1997, his photography was nationally televised on CBS Sunday Morning. Celebrities also started collecting Carter's photographs, including Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Diane Keaton, Elton John, Vanessa Redgrave and Barack Obama.
Carter was awarded the Texas Medal of Arts in 2009. Unfortunately, that same year, he was diagnosed with melanoma in his left eye, leaving him with limited vision. His photographic work helped him get through the experience: he even decided to make photographs focused on sight itself. Carter began experimenting with materials like silver gelatin and archival pigment to mimic the cloudiness of his vision.
Carter is represented by PDNB Gallery in Dallas, Texas, as well as by other galleries across the United States. In speaking to Introspective, the owners of PDNB Gallery describe Carter as a "Texas legend" and explain that they were following his work before they even opened their gallery. Their first 1997 show with the artist was described as a "blockbuster."
Carter's work is held in the collections at the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and many more prestigious institutions. He holds the Endowed Walles Chair of Art at Lamar University and continues to exhibit and hold workshops across the United States.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of original Keith Carter photography.
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$1,800
H 22 in W 17 in D 0.07 in
Swamp Moon by Keith Carter, 2016, Archival Pigment Print
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Swamp Moon by Keith Carter presents a dramatic scene; detailed shot of the moon, half lit, emerges from a dark, murky background. Swamp Moon by Keith Carter is a 20 x 16 inch archi...
Archival Pigment
$3,000
H 15 in W 15 in D 0.1 in
Boy with Bee - Black and White Portrait, Child, Insect, Sculpture
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Boy with Bee by Keith Carter is a black and white portrait of a child sitting on a bench while holding a bee sculpture. Edition of 50 Signed, titled, dated and numbered by Keith Car...
Silver Gelatin
$1,800
H 22 in W 17 in D 0.1 in
Earth, Moon and Water by Keith Carter, 2013, Archival Pigment Print, Photography
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Earth, Moon and Water by Keith Carter presents a tranquil scene. The full, shining moon reflects in the still water, accompanied by reflections of trees and brush. The hazy edges of ...
Archival Pigment
$1,800
H 22 in W 17 in D 0.01 in
Skyline by Keith Carter, 2018, Archival Pigment Print, Photography
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Skyline by Keith Carter is a sepia toned archival pigment print, featuring a section of buildings and skyscrapers in New York City. Image size: 16 x 16 in. Paper size: 22 x 17 in. ...
Archival Pigment
Under the Moon
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 25 Signed, titled, dated and numbered in pencil by Keith Carter. Archival pigment print Paper size: 22 x 17 in. Image size: 16 x 16 in. Keith Carter is an American photog...
Archival Pigment
$1,800
H 22 in W 17 in D 0.07 in
Angelina by Keith Carter, 2021, Archival Pigment Print
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Angelina by Keith Carter presents a sublime scene. A branch dips into the calm and quiet river. Trees line the river's edge, extending back to the horizon. The stillness in the water reflect the overhanging foliage, creating a dreamlike scene. Angelina by Keith Carter is listed as a 16 x 16 inch archival pigment print, with the paper size measuring 22 x 17 inches. It is available in an edition of 25. This photograph is signed, titled, dated, and numbered in pencil on print verso by Keith Carter. Angelina is from Carter's series, Ghostlight. Keith Carter is an American photographer who is known for his dreamlike black and white photographs of the figure, animals, and meaningful objects. He began photographing new and unknown realities using East Texas natives as subjects. This population and background setting spoke to the folklore, religious, and cultural motifs Carter was visually exploring. Since his start in Texas, his work continues to push imaginative realms while reaching prestigious artistic and technical status. In 1970, Carter earned a Business Management degree from Lamar University and began his career as a commercial photographer while working on personal projects. These personal projects have become a strong and highly sought after collection that have become twelve published monographs. Carter currently teaches photography at Lamar University as a Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. He travels worldwide providing photography lectures and workshops for artists. Carter’s fine art photography collections...
Archival Pigment
Homage to Bellocq
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 25 Signed, titled, dated and numbered. Series: Ghostland Paper size: 17 x 22 in. Image size: 16 x 20 in. Keith Carter is an American photographer who is known for his dre...
Archival Pigment
1972 (Nude)
By Keith Carter b.1948
Located in Denton, TX
Edition of 35 Signed, titled, dated and numbered. Paper size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 15 x 15 in. Keith Carter is an American photographer who is known for his dreamlike black and ...
Silver Gelatin