The macabre photography pioneer

The American Ralph Eugene Meatyard (1925-1972) was actually an optician and ran his own business. He only devoted himself to photography during his vacations and proved to be one of the most original photographers of the 20th century. His amateurish approach allowed him to take a casual approach to the medium, in which Meatyard, considered an eccentric, captured his penchant for the absurd and macabre in an extremely creative way. He often used dolls and turned family members into masked performers. Meatyard was not entirely unknown during his lifetime—although only two photo books were published before his death—but he worked outside the art scene. It was only after his death that his popularity increased significantly. The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is now showing 36 rare prints. These appeared in Meatyard's first book in 1970 and were considered by him to be his best work. These appeared in Meatyard's first book in 1970 and were considered by him to be his best work. The exhibition The Family Album of Ralph Eugene Meatyard runs from December 12, 2025, to May 10, 2026.

Many of the photographs on display are from his Romance series, in which the photographer subverts traditional family photography with an uncanny and mortal feel. He himself described these works as »romantic surrealism«. They expressed his urge to bring fictional and realistic elements into a shared world. The exhibition also features several portraits of writers, poets, and artists with whom Meatyard associated. The artist died of cancer while working on the posthumously published photo book The Family Album of Lucybelle Crater. The title of the book, about a witch and her family, served as inspiration for the exhibition title.