Ryan McGinley

Ryan McGinley made history in 2003 when, at age 25, he became the youngest artist to present a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Titled “The Kids Are Alright,” the show, like much of McGinley’s early work, featured playful shots of the photographer’s hedonistic coterie in downtown Manhattan—throughout McGinley’s frames, twentysomethings rave, skateboard, kiss, and shoplift. Since then, he has also become known for vibrant studio portraits, pictures of young people frolicking in American landscapes, and photographs that celebrate queer culture. McGinley has been the subject of solo shows in New York, London, Tokyo, New York, Paris, and Hong Kong, among other cities. His work has been acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and the Whitney. Along with his fine-art practice, McGinley regularly shoots celebrity portraits for magazines. His subjects have included Beyoncé, Brad Pitt, Kate Moss, and Harry Styles.