Samuel Bayer

TRANSITIONS

Samuel Bayer is a celebrated photographer, director, cinematographer and visual artist. Bayer studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Once in Hollywood, he immediately established himself as a filmmaker with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, widely considered an icon of the genre. During his prolific 30+ year career, his work has garnered an Emmy and a Cannes Gold Lion, among numerous other awards. His piece for David Bowie’s “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson”, is in The Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. 

His photography was featured in a solo exhibition at Ace Gallery in Los Angeles, and his portrait work done in Haiti was auctioned at The Third Annual Sean Penn and Friends Help Haiti Home Gala.

Bayer’s Transitions Series is a large format exploration of the exquisite color, design, and intricate detail of butterfly specimens from around the world. For Bayer, the magnified butterflies with their intricate patterns and rich colors offer a joyful aesthetic experience, while provoking reflections on nature, ecology, transformation, and the precarious beauty and fragility of life. 

The Transitions Series was photographed on 4x5 film, shot with vintage French Petzval glass. The images are available in limited editions at 3 size