Light and the city, light in the city—these two intertwined themes run through the striking and highly personal work of Ray K. Metzker. From the beginning of his career, Metzker developed a deep emotional connection to the urban environment, responding to its sharp geometries, dazzling flashes of white, and profound blocks of black. The exhibition City Lux takes its name from the major retrospective presented in autumn 2024 at Fondation A Stichting in Brussels. That exhibition, the second of comparable scope in Europe after the Musée de l’Élysée in Lausanne in 2007, marked the tenth anniversary of Metzker’s passing in 2014 and brought together around one hundred photographs.
The selection featured six major series: Chicago (1957–1959), Europe (1960–1961), Philadelphia (1962–1964), Composites (from 1964 onward), Pictus Interruptus (1976–1980), and City Whispers (1980–1983). These black-and-white prints, known for their exceptional tonal richness, were made by Metzker himself. They were drawn primarily from the Estate of Ray K. Metzker in Philadelphia, directed by Vicki Harris, along with works from Les Douches la Galerie in Paris, which has represented Metzker exclusively in Europe for more than a decade. For the accompanying publication, these works have been joined by an additional selection of photographs from the artist’s estate.

About the Author

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1931, Ray K. Metzker studied at the Institute of Design in Chicago—then known as the New Bauhaus—between 1956 and 1959. There he absorbed the experimental spirit of the European avant-garde, carrying forward techniques such as photomontage, composites, negative layering, solarization, and formal juxtapositions that became essential elements of his language.
Throughout his life, Metzker was committed to pushing the boundaries of black-and-white photography. Both in the act of shooting and in the darkroom, he produced images of extraordinary technical refinement. His practice combined meticulous precision with relentless experimentation, often deconstructing, reassembling, or layering images to create entirely new visual structures. On the streets, he focused on the fleeting gestures of passersby and the shifting play of light and shadow across the urban landscape—always in black and white, always with analog methods.
Over the course of five decades, Metzker forged a visual vocabulary that was uniquely his own, placing him among the foremost figures of American photography. He died in Philadelphia on October 9, 2014, at the age of 83.

Ray K. Metzker: City Lux
through 25 October 2025
Les Douches la Galerie – Paris – France

More info:
https://www.lesdoucheslagalerie.com/