Dean Kaufman

Dean Kaufman was raised outside of New Haven, Connecticut. The son of an architect, Kaufman earned a degree in news/editorial journalism with an emphasis in the fine arts. These three axes have come to provide a framework within which he has gone on to produce numerous bodies of photographs for both exhibition and cultural and commercial organizations as well as being a contributor to international publications including The New York Times “T”, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Living (Milan), Disegno (London), Casa Brutus (Tokyo). Kaufman currently resides in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, the illustrator, Yoko Ikeno their son Leo and daughter Lou.

“Initially what attracted me to Dean’s work was the clean, linear, architectural theme that is prevalent in his photographs. Whether it is blended with classic, unobtrusive portraiture, or more candid, reportage type situations, the theme runs throughout. His environments contain no added props or backgrounds, his subjects are not awkwardly or explicitly posed, there are no special effects or colored gels to act as signposts or arrows to the ‘message’ contained in his work. This apparently non biased presentation of images, enables the viewer to ponder the relationship and consequence of each individual subject and their respective environments. Depending on whether it is a person’s home or office space, or a section of urban landscape, Dean’s photographs study the environments that we create for ourselves, and what they tell us about ourselves both as individuals, and as a community.”
    Ben Hams from PhotoDistrict News ‘Editor’s Choice’

2017
THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM, Pittsburgh
Museum imagery portfolio. Patrick Moore, director. Everything Type Company, cd.

2014-ongoing
GRACE FARMS FOUNDATION, New Canaan
Commissioned long term documentation of construction, opening and ongoing use of the Tokyo based architectural firm SANAA designed river building which serves as a platform for the Grace Farms Foundation’s initiatives in the areas of nature, arts, justice, community and faith. Sharon Prince, Chair and President Grace Farms Foundation.

2012
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CLEVELAND
Commissioned portfolio for opening of MOCA CLEVELAND. Farshid Moussavi, architect. Jill Snyder, Executive Director

2011
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE Mansilla + Tuñón studio publication
Commissioned portfolio of images looking at Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois for the book Luis M. Mansilla + Emilio Tuñón: From Rules to Constraints (Lars Muller, 2012) Edited by Giancarlo Valle. These images were a contribution to the larger book’s overview taking in the 2008 to 2010 Jean Labatut Visiting Professorship held by the Madrid based architects.

2010
VENICE BIENNALE: The 12th International Architecture Exhibition “People Meet In Architecture”
Commissioned by La Biennale and architect/exhibition director Kazuyo Sejima (SANAA) to create all exhibition imagery for catalogue published by Marsilio Editori, Venezia.

2009
LOWER MANHATTAN CULTURAL COMMISSION
Access Restricted: Capital Of The World
Body of photographs exploring a select group of iconic and architecturally significant skyscrapers and other sites of dominant capital within New York’s financial district in conjuntion with the LMCC’s nomadic lecture series of the same name. The program aims to open to the public rarely visited and often prohibited space in Lower Manhattan. LMCC Chief Curator, Adam Kleinman.

2008
CHANEL Mobile Art
New York installation of international exhibition housed in Zaha Hadid designed pavillion. Karl Lagerfeld, Creative Director CHANEL. Adrian Benepe, Commissioner of the Department of Parks & Recreation for the City of New York. Douglas Blonsky, President of the Central Park Conservancy.

W MAGAZINE / ART ISSUE Klaus Biesenbach Residence
Collaboration with artist Andrea Zittel and W Magazine Creative Director Dennis Freedman regarding the living space of Museum Of Modern Art Chief Curator of Media, Klaus Biesenbach. Winter 2OO8-2OO9.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DENVER
Opening of MCA Denver Delgany Avenue facility. David Adjaye, architect. Cydney Payton, Executive Director and Chief Curator.

2OO7
THE NEW MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART NEW YORK SHIFT: Sanaa And The New Museum
Construction, installation and opening of The New Museum Of Contemporary Art New York. Kazuyo Seijima And Ryue Nishizawa Architects Associates (SANAA), Tokyo, Japan and The New Museum, New York. Accompanying book published by Lars Muller Verlog, Baden Swizterland. Edited by Joseph Grima and Karen Wong. Designed by Mevis And Van Deursen, Amsterdam.

2OO6
THE PHILIP JOHNSON GLASS HOUSE AND THE US NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Restoration and opening to the public of Philip Johnson’s home and estate ‘The Glass House’, New Canaan Connecticut. Accompanying catalogue published by Assouline and the National Trust For Historic Preservation. Edited by Christy Maclear and Dorothy Dunn.

2OO4
PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY Terminal Five
Art exhibit held within the 1962 Eero Saarinen designed TWA terminal. Rachel K. Ward, Curator. John F. Kennedy Airport, New York.
Selection of exhibiting artists: Vanesa Beecroft; Douglas Coupland; Dan Graham; Toland Grinnell; Jenny Holzer; Just Another Rich Kid; Jonas Mekas; Tom Sachs; Tobias Wong.
Accompanying catalogue published by Lukas & Sternberg. New York. Edited by Andrew Lee Walker and Rachel K. Ward. Designed by David Reinfort O.R.G. NY.