Mark Steinmetz is back…

Stephen Daiter Gallery is pleased to announce Chicago: Mark Steinmetz on view from February 7 2025, through April 27, 2025. This is the first solo exhibition of Mark Steinmetz’s work at Stephen Daiter Gallery, featuring select photographs from his newly published book Chicago.

Nearly thirty-five years ago, Steinmetz lived in a small apartment in Wrigleyville, Chicago. It was there that he created prints in a makeshift bedroom/darkroom, producing well-known series like The Players, Summertime, and Carnival, along with this previously unknown work made in our fair city.

“The gestures of these men and the expressions on their faces are observed with delicate precision,” said Peter Galassi (from Introduction, Chicago: Nazraeli press, 2025). “Elsewhere, with the same gentle eye, Steinmetz is alert to people in the act of adjusting a sandal or a sneaker, reading, giving the thumbs-up, lifting weights, flying a kite, lighting a cigarette, focusing a long lens, leaning against a rickety bus stop, fishing, counting change, talking on a pay phone—and a woman scratching her back.”

Mark Steinmetz’s photographs are devoid of malice—they are full of compassion. His work is curious and respectful, asking questions without pretense, or judgments. He allows his subjects to express how they are feeling, rather than projecting his own—a rare quality in contemporary art. Steinmetz simply enjoys observing and sharing what he sees, a straightforward yet profound approach. The result is a series of powerful images capturing Chicagoans in their element, doing what they do best, in true Chicago fashion.