Robbie McClaran is a documentary and fine art photographer whose work focuses on the American people and landscape. His work has been widely exhibited and published, appearing in numerous magazines throughout the world.
He began his study in photography in 1975 at the Center for Photographic Studies with C.J. Pressma and continued at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester NY where he studied with Joan and Nathan Lyons as well as many others.
Robbie’s work is held in several private and public collections including Portland Art Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art and Memphis Brooks Art Museum. The prints from his controversial book project Angry White Men are in the permanent collection of the University of Oregon.
His commissioned work has appeared in such diverse publications as The New York Times Magazine, Time, Smithsonian, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, Runner's World, Inc., Bloomberg, Forbes, and Reader's Digest.
His work has been featured in The Oxford American, Lenscratch, Plazm, Photo District News, The Photo Review, ID Design, and has been recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, American Photography, The New York Art Director’s Club, Graphis and Communication Arts. Robbie is a 2015 Critical Mass finalist.
Robbie is a grateful recipient of a 2014 grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the Ford Family Foundation. He lives, works and teaches in Portland Oregon with his wife, Designer / Illustrator Lydia Hess and their two daughters.
Born: 1955, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Education: The Center for Photographic Studies, Louisville, KY 1975-1976
Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY; 1976-1978
Collections:
Portland Art Museum, Portland Oregon
New Orleans Museum of Art
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Memphis Brooks Art Museum
University of Oregon, Special Collections Library, Eugene Oregon
Walker Art Museum, Minneapolis
Oregon Capitol Collection
Louisiana State Museum
Holter Museum of Art, Helena Montana
The Arkansas Arts Center
Visual Studies Workshop
Indie Photobook Library
Selected Exhibitions:
2017 – "Recent Acquisitions†- Portland Art Museum
2017 – "A Place in Time, Selections from the Permanent Collection†- Ogden Museum of Southern Art
2017- "Speaking Volumes†(group) – Ft Collins Museum of Art
2016 – "Currents†(group), Ogden Museum of Southern Art
2016 - "Celebrating the Music Triangle", New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival / New Orleans Photo Alliance
2016 – "PDX 30†– Lightbox Gallery, Astoria, Oregon (Juried Group)
2016 – "People of the Northwest†– Chehalis Cultural Center, Newberg, Oregon (Juried Group)
2016 – Blue Sky Gallery Northwest Viewing Drawers – "July 4th, Rockaway Beach†– (Juried Group)
2015 - Severio Gallery / PhotoNOLA, New Orleans – Mardi Gras 1979 (Solo)
2015 – Houston Center for Photography (Juried Group)
2015 - Living Arts, Tulsa OK – Speaking Volumes (Group)
2015 - Blue Sky Gallery - Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers, Hot Rod (Juried Selection)
2014 - The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA - "Ordinary People†(Solo Show)
2014 - Lightbox Gallery, Astoria Oregon – "Delta / From Here On†(Solo Show)
2014 - Newspace Center for Photography – Art of Work – (Juried Group)
2014 - Blue Sky Gallery - Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers, Portland, Oregon, juried selection
2014 - Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, Vermont – "The Human Altered Landscapeâ€Â (Juried Group)
2014 - New Orleans Photo Alliance – Masquerade – (Juried Group Show)
2013 - Newspace Center for Photography "From Here On†(Solo Show)
2013 - Gotthelf Art Gallery, San Diego Center for Jewish Culture – San Diego, CA - Speaking Volumes (Group)
2013 - Newspace Center for Photography, Juried Exhibition (Group)
2013 - Blue Sky Gallery - Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers, Portland, Oregon, juried selection
2013 - Lightbox Gallery, Astoria Oregon, Juried group show.
2012 - Newspace Center for Photography – Member’s Showcase –Juried Selection
2012 - Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Invitational (Invitational Group)
2009 - Louisville Photo Biennial, Actor’s Theater Gallery – Louisville, KY (Group)
2008 - Holter Museum of Art, Helena Montana - Speaking Volumes (Curated Group Show & Traveling Exhibit)
2008 - Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Eugene, Oregon - Angry White Men (Solo)
2001 - SK Josefsberg Studio - Portland, Oregon - Mid-Career Retrospective (Solo)
1999 - Forbes Gallery, New York City, (Group)
1999 - S.K Josefsberg Studio – Portland, Oregon - Surf (Group)
1998 - Harvest; AIGA Biennial, Portland, Oregon (Group)
1998 - Visual Studies Workshop – Rochester, NY - Angry White Men (Solo)
1997 - Powell’s Books Gallery – Portland, Oregon - Angry White Men (Solo)
1997 - Saba Gallery – New York City (Solo)
1996 - Submit; AIGA Biennial – Portland, Oregon (Group)
1994 - AIGA Biennial – Portland, Oregon (Group)
1992 - Tabula Rasa Gallery, Seattle, Washington – Away From Home; The Work of Four Photographers
1986 - Allen Street Gallery – Dallas, Texas - States of Texas (Group)
1978 - Franklin Furnace – New York, NY – Artists Books (Group)
1978 – Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester, NY (Group)
Books – Editions
Mardi Gras, 1979:Â 2015
New Years Day: 2015
Barrow: 2015
From Here On: 2013
Delta: 2012
New Year’s Day: 2008
Ordinary People; 2002
Angry White Men; 1996
Paquime / Pine Bluff; 1994
Atget's Gardens; 1981
Greetings From Rochester; 1978
Un-identified Non-Flying Objects; 1977
Press / Reviews:
 "Mardi Gras 1979†– Know Louisiana, by David Johnson - December 2015
"All American Soap Box Derby†– Slate.com – Feb. 2015
"Hot Rod†– Lenscratch, January 2015
Don’t Take Pictures – "PhotoNola 2014†December 2014
Oxford American, Eyes On The South – Robbie McClaran, Delta
"Mardis Gras in 1979†This Is The What, March 2014
"From Here On†Lenscratch, January 31, 2014
"10 Minutes With Robbie McClaran†: Kate Osba, This Is The What Blog, September 2011
"Interview With A Photographerâ€, TMTPW Blog, Jennifer Stoots, 2011:
"Ordinary Peopleâ€; Plazm # 29 2008
"Photographer Stays Out of the Pictureâ€; by Steven Blair, Portland Tribune, August 2001
"Angry White Menâ€; by Jean Dykstra, The Photo Review, Fall 1997
"Best of Show - Angry White Menâ€: I.D. Design Annual, Spring 1997
"We, The Very Angry Peopleâ€; by Bill Donahugh, The New York Times Magazine, April 1997
"Angry White Menâ€; Creativity, April 1997
"Do the Right Thingâ€; by Mark Lapin,Photo District News, March 1997
"White Flag on a Gray Backdropâ€; by Steve DuinThe Oregonian, February 13, 1997
"It's a Black and White Issueâ€; by Randy GraggThe Oregonian, February 12, 1997
"Angry White Menâ€; by Randy GraggThe Oregonian, December 17, 1996
"Mad as Hellâ€; by Jaqueline McCarthyWillamette Week, October 30, 1996
"Robbie McClaran's Seperate Realityâ€; by Kinney Littlefield,Dallas Morning News, September 6, 1987
Lectures / Presentations:
Newspace Center for Photography – "20 Years After Angry White Men†– March 2017
Portland Art Museum – Brown Bag Lecture Series - October 2014
Portland Art Museum – Brown Bag Lecture Series - October 2011
University of Oregon – Journalism Dept. - October, 2010
Society for Photographic Education, NW Conference, October 2010
Photolucida – April 2009
University of Oregon –- April, 2008
Northwest Journalism Conference - 2005
PhotoAmericas - 2002
Leica Historical Society National Convention - 2002
Visual Studies Workshop – 2000
New York University – Photojournalism Dept. - 1997
Powell’s Books, Portland OR -1997
Blue Sky Gallery, Portland OR – 1996
Teaching / Workshops:
Pacific Northwest College of Art – Guest Lecturer 2015
Newspace Center for Photography – 2010 - present
Photolucida Portfolio Reviews, 2011
Pacific Northwest College of Art – Photojournalism, 2010
Photolucida Portfolio Reviews, 2009
Pacific Northwest College of Art – Photojournalism, 2009
Pacific Northwest College of Art – Portraits and People, 2004
Pacific Northwest College of Art – Color Photography, 2003