Gary Stochl
Gary Stochl is a Chicago photographer who worked in isolation for 40 years, never showing his photos to anyone. In 2003 he brought his work to Columbia College Chicago’s photography department, where department head Bob Thall recognized his talent and helped Stochl enter the world of art.
Stochl’s work consists of strong, graphic black and white images the suggest what Robert Frank’s work might look like if Frank had striven for technical excellence. They are street photography in which people are mostly graphic elements but never quite lose their individuality.
The history of Stochl’s work is nearly as interesting as the work itself. The book made me wonder: how much unrecognized talent is out there?
(In 2005 the New York Times published an interesting article about Stochl.)