
Matthew Pillsbury
Contortionist, Big Apple Circus, New York City, 2011 (TV11528), 2011

Famed for his long-exposure photographs of interiors and cityscapes using only ambient light, Matthew Pillsbury’s images are consistently moody and atmospheric. Working exclusively in black-and-white, Pillsbury cites his most significant influences as Hiroshi Sugimoto and Abelardo Morell. He is fascinated by the role that technology plays in contemporary life: in 2004, he began documenting people watching television, the blinding white screens serving as the major source of light. “I don’t intend my work to be a salvation or a criticism of technology, but really just an opportunity for people to reflect […], ” he says.


Famed for his long-exposure photographs of interiors and cityscapes using only ambient light, Matthew Pillsbury’s images are consistently moody and atmospheric. Working exclusively in black-and-white, Pillsbury cites his most significant influences as Hiroshi Sugimoto and Abelardo Morell. He is fascinated by the role that technology plays in contemporary life: in 2004, he began documenting people watching television, the blinding white screens serving as the major source of light. “I don’t intend my work to be a salvation or a criticism of technology, but really just an opportunity for people to reflect […], ” he says.