Label TextBorn in San Jose, California in 1938, Bill Owens took up photography while traveling for the Peace Corps, eventually honing his craft as an anthropology student and newspaper photojournalist. In his personal work, he documented the suburbs in the 1970s, capturing the lives of prosperous, predominantly white Americans in the years after the cultural shifts of the 1960s but before the dawn of the digital age in the 1980s. His photos were compiled into the best-selling books Suburbia (1972), Our Kind of People (1975), and Working: I Do It For the Money (1977). Shot mainly in California and the Midwest, these images reveal Owens’ distinctive eye as he seems amused at his subjects while clearly enjoying their company. The view of American history these photographs present is specific and limited to a certain financial, racial, and regional demographic, but may seem familiar to many as it resembles the nostalgic way that era has often been depicted in pop culture. The images are titled with quotes from the people depicted, allowing their voices to reach us decades later.
Published References"Bill Owens: Suburbia," Straight Arrow Books, 1972, unpag.
"Bill Owens: Suburbia," fotofolio, 1999, p. 72
Published References"Bill Owens: Suburbia," Straight Arrow Books, 1972, unpag.
"Bill Owens: Suburbia," fotofolio, 1999, p. 72
DimensionsOverall: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm)
Accession Number 2025.141
Classificationsphotograph
Edition1/15
Portfolio/Series"Suburbia" series
ProvenanceJeff Perry; Des Moines Art Center [gift from the previous, 2025]
Bill Owens
ca. 1970, printed 2001
Bill Owens
c. 1970, printed 2002
Decorating the House for Christmas, Tri-Valley Area, Northern California, from the "Suburbia" series
Bill Owens
1969-1975, printed 1999
Bill Owens
ca. 1975, printed later
Bill Owens
ca. 1975, printed later
