Along with William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, Sternfeld saw to it that color photography became a respected artistic medium in the 1970s. Until that time, color was used widely in advertising and amateur photography, but was rarely seen in museums and galleries.

Sternfeld was influenced by the color theory of the Bauhaus and by the work of William Eggleston, whose exhibition in MoMA in 1976 marked the official acceptance of color photography in the art world.

Foam presents the first major retrospective in the Netherlands of the work of one of the pioneers of color photography. Color Photographs since 1970 shows more than one hundred photos from ten different series in an exhibition spanning two floors. A highlight is Sternfeld’s early work from the 1970s, which has never been previously exhibited. A large selection from famed series such as American Prospects, the result of his legendary journey through the United States, and Stranger Passing  will also be on show. A constant factor in his work is his native land America, its inhabitants and the traces left by people on the landscape.

This exhibition was initiated by the Museum Folkwang, Fotografische Sammlung, Essen.

Foam is supported by the BankGiro Loterij, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, City of Amsterdam, Delta Lloyd, Olympus and the VandenEnde Foundation.