RIP George Tice
The photography legend is dead at 86.
Well, damn. It’s been a rough week.
Filmmaker David Lynch died on January 15. And I learned this morning that photographer George Tice died on January 16. When it rains, it pours. Both men had good runs: Lynch was 78, and Tice was 86. Still, it’s hard when artists you admire leave the world. You know it’s inevitable, but it feels good knowing they’re still out there, thinking, being, looking, creating. Their presence gives us hope.
I have long marveled at Tice’s work and wanted to pay my respects here. He pictured New Jersey with a passion and affection that I truly admire. Every place is photographic when you know how to look, and committing one’s practice to seeing your home state with fresh eyes has always appealed to me. Tice delivered blockbuster views every time he clicked the shutter — His Cherry Hill Mobil station is a classic, but “Car for Sale” has always been my favorite. Do you know these pictures?
If you aren’t familiar with Tice’s work, Eric Levin’s New Jersey Monthly piece and John Paul Caponigro’s interview with him are good places to start. I hope he receives a proper obituary in one of the major newspapers. Until then, this funeral home obit does a nice job of telling his story:
Renowned American photographer George Tice passed away on January 16 at the age of 86. Tice was celebrated for his poignant and contemplative black-and-white photographs that captured the essence of everyday life, landscapes, and architecture. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Tice began his photographic journey in the 1950s at the age of 14. His work often explored the American experience, revealing the beauty in ordinary scenes and the lives of everyday people.
Throughout his career, Tice's work was widely exhibited and published. He was regarded as one of the most important American photographers of his generation, known for his nuanced and introspective approach to documenting the world around him. The author of 24 photography books, his most recent publication, LIFEWORK, was released in 2021 by Veritas Editions. This book, a collection of his iconic images and previously unseen photographs, was a project of which he was especially proud. Tice received numerous prestigious awards, and his works are held in more than 150 collections worldwide. In 2005, his photographs were featured as scenic backdrops for the musical Jersey Boys, performed in over eleven countries. In 2003, George received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from William Paterson University.
George Tice was also a passionate educator, teaching Master Printing Classes at The New School in New York City and at the Maine Photographic Workshops for over 30 years. His life and career were chronicled in a documentary film by Bruce Wodder and Peter Bosco, which showcased how he became a master photographer.
Tice's legacy continues to inspire photographers and artists alike. His photographs remain a testament to the beauty and significance of the everyday, inviting viewers to slow down and appreciate the world's quiet moments. An artist, photographer, teacher, historian, and bookmaker, Tice worked passionately on his craft for 73 years. He never retired—photography was his life, and his vast body of work will continue to captivate audiences for generations to come.
I’ll leave you with this…
In 2013, New Street Films released George Tice: Seeing Beyond the Moment, a documentary film profiling Tice and his photography. I plan to watch it this week, and you should, too. Rest in peace, George. Thanks for showing us how it’s done.
If America celebrated its artists and creators with a tenth of the zeal with which it idolizes its billionaires, we'd live in an infinitely happier country.
Thanks for all this; the remembrance and the links especially. To paraphrase a previous comment, if Americans honored its documentary photographers a fraction of how they’re honored in Europe, we would be boundlessly more enriched.