Minor White was a deeply influential American photographer whose carefully composed black-and-white images often explored landscapes, architecture, and the male form. His work was shaped by a profound engagement with Zen philosophy and mysticism, ideas that informed not only his subjects but also his artistic approach. As he once reflected, “At first glance a photograph can inform us. At second glance it can reach us.”
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 9, 1908, White earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota.
White’s time in New York marked a turning point—he encountered pivotal figures like Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams, with whom he would go on to co-found Aperture magazine. Teaching became a major part of his legacy, with influential posts at institutions such as the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute) and MIT, where he helped shape the emerging field of photography education.
Minor White passed away on June 24, 1976. His photographs are included in major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago.