Phil Penman: Street

Exibart Editorial Staff

“The Street – it’s living and breathing. Millions of lives dizzyingly moving around us as we go about our daily routines… But in a city like this, it’s all too easy to miss it if you don’t stop and look around once in a while because as they say, ‘life moves pretty fast.’ I’ve found this to be true in the 18 years I’ve trawled the streets of New York City as a photographer.”

Acclaimed street photographer, Phil Penman, will show a selling exhibition of his work at Leica Gallery London from 12th April 2021. The exhibition, ‘STREET’ will exhibit 14 limited edition prints the British-born photographer has captured over two decades photographing New York City, its inhabitants, and ‘all it has to offer.’

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Penman documented the rapid flux of New York City’s streets – its living and breathing – on various Leica M cameras and the Leica SL. His debut book, ‘STREET’, which launched in 2019 as the number one release on Amazon for street photography, has since become a best seller and recently featured at MOMA, New York.

The exhibition shows a range of images from every corner of the vibrant city, from New York businessmen, colorful Harlem streets to urban skateboarders in Brooklyn. “If I was to say what I hope to achieve with my street photography, it would be to keep documenting the ever-changing streets of New York City in all its rat-infested, garbage-mounted glory.”
Penman credits Leica as a big part of his success, “I was sold a Leica M7 by a friend and became addicted to the quality of the glass and simplicity the camera gave me. I was now free to concentrate purely creatively.”

About the Author

UK-born, NY-based photographer Phil Penman has documented the rapid flux of New York City’s streets for over 25 years. With clients ranging from People Magazine to The Daily Telegraph, he has photographed celebrated living legends, including Jennifer Lopez and Bill Gates, and captured historical moments such as the September 11th Terrorist Attacks.

phil-penman-street-exibart-street-photography-01 — A portrait of Phil Penman

Penman’s distinctive style, versatility, and dedication to his craft has won him prestigious awards and exhibitions and distinction as one of the “52 Most Influential Street Photographers” alongside industry legends, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Sebastião Salgado.
His debut book “STREET” launched as the Number 1 new release on Amazon for Street Photography, and has since become a best seller and featured at MOMA in New York.