Walter Iooss Jr. has been called “the poet laureate of sports.” He has shot countless athletes. A career that spans over six decades, his photos have appeared on more than 300 covers of Sports Illustrated. He shoots these icons of the fields, courts, pools, tracks and stadiums in such a masterful way that the images become iconic themselves. Through his lens, athletes become art. Now on view online at Bruce Silverstein Gallery is a celebration of his work entitled Athlete.
The work on view includes iconic images like The Catch and Roger Maris Hits His 61st Home Run, alongside photographs that have never before been exhibited or published. Iooss took on his first assignment for Sports Illustrated at just 17 years old and was shooting the publication’s covers by the age of 20. His ability to establish deep connections and trust with the world’s greatest athletes allowed him inner access to private moments and historical feats. And with this trust and level of comfort, he delivered the goods. Michael Jordan once said of Iooss,“From what I can tell, Walter has never taken a bad shot of anybody or anything… You don’t have to perform for Walter.” His image of Jordan soaring the aim for a slam dunk is a legendary photo that somewhat defined Jordan’s dominance as the greatest; an image that is timeless today.
To list the names of countless athletes Iooss has photographed in his career would read like a dictionary of GOATS, which was ironically the name of an ESPN documentary which explored the greatest athletes through history through his photos. Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Wayne Gretzky, Cristiano Ronaldo, to name just a few. He’s also photographed each of the first 52 Super Bowls, authored Shooting for the Gold following U.S. athletes preparing for the 1984 Olympics, and co-created the New York Times bestselling book Rare Air. Iooss has also produced major advertising campaigns for Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, and other global brands.
