Mark Havens is a contemporary artist working with lens-based media.
His practice explores the latent meaning in the contrails of human endeavor, revealing the immutable in the ephemeral. The work is visceral, embodying that most universal of experiences: the relentless passage of time and all that is left in its wake.
Havens’ work has been exhibited internationally and is held in private and public collections, including The George Eastman Museum, The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and The Library of Congress. Features on his work have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, The British Journal of Photography, The Paris Review, The Daily Mail, Interview Magazine and many other publications.
His first major monograph, entitled Out of Season, was recently published by Booth-Clibborn Editions and Abrams Books. The book is a chronicle of his decade-long project on the rapidly vanishing motels of Wildwood, New Jersey and has been the subject of more than 70 features worldwide. The New York Times described the work as “a decade-long elegy” and Wallpaper Magazine declared it “a revolutionary architectural diary”.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography – Rochester, NY
The Museum of Modern Art: Furnace Artist Book Collection – New York, NY
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – Edinburgh, Scotland
The University of Hong Kong Museum of Art – Hong Kong, China
The Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs Collection – Washington, DC
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Thomas J. Watson Library – New York, NY
The Getty Research Institute - Los Angeles, CA
The New York Public Library Photography Collection – New York, NY
The Free Library of Philadelphia Print & Picture Collection – Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Athenaeum – Philadelphia, PA
Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art – Paris, France
Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte - Munich, Germany
Centro de Arte Faro Cabo Mayor – Santander, Spain
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
The National Galleries of Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland 2024 Curator: Louise Pearson
Gravy Gallery (with Billy Kress) Philadelphia, PA 2018 Curator: Emma Stern
Centro de Arte Faro Cabo Mayor Santander, Spain 2018 Curator: Andrea Juan
Moonlight Mile (Solo) Brooklyn, NY 2018 Curator: Garry Embry
Gravy Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2018 Curator: Albert Yee
Satellite Art Fair Miami, FL 2017 Curator: Katie Tackman
Gallery 1401 – The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA 2017
(2017 Photo Review International Competition Winners) Curator: Yancey Richardson
Stockbridge Fine Art Philadelphia, PA 2017 Curator: Jeffrey Stockbridge
Treat Gallery New York, NY 2016 Curator: Sherri Littlefield
Moonlight Mile (Solo) Brooklyn, NY 2015 Curator: John Levitties
Galerie Metanoia Paris, France 2015 Curator: Marc Higonnet
The Tokyo Art Book Fair Tokyo, Japan 2015 Curator: Hiroshi Eguchi
Filter Space Chicago, IL 2015 Curator: Debra Klomp Ching
LACDA: Los Angeles Center for Digital Art Los Angeles, CA 2015 Curator: Rex Bruce
James Oliver Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2015 Curator: James Oliver
The Griffin Museum of Photography Winchester, MA 2015 Curator: Paula Tognarelli
Gravy Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2015 Curator: KT Butterfield
Second International Biennial of Contemporary Art Buenos Aires, Argentina 2014 Curator: Maria Elena Beneito
Crane Arts (Solo) Philadelphia, PA 2014 Curator: Mat Tomezsko
Continental Gallery (Solo) Austin, TX 2013 Curator: Steve Wertheimer
Johalla Projects Chicago, IL 2013 Curator: James Pepper Kelly
Candela Gallery Richmond, VA 2013 Curator: Gordon Stettinius
The Center for Fine Art Photography Fort Collins, CO 2013 Curator: Charles Guice
Champions of Empty Rooms Pop-Up Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2013 Curator: Jessica Clark
Black Box Gallery Portland, OR 2012 Curator: Katherine Ware
Gravy Gallery (Solo) Philadelphia, PA 2012 Curator: Katie Tackman
Studio Christensen Philadelphia, PA 2012 Curator: Rick DeCoyte
Sasha Wolf/Michael Foley Gallery New York, NY 2011 Curator: Sasha Wolf & Michael Foley
Samson Gallery Boston, MA 2011 Curator: Gabriel Martinez
Brooklyn Art Library Brooklyn, NY 2011 Curator: Shane Zucker
ArtSpace Gallery Richmond, VA 2011 Curator: Santa Sergio De Haven
Slingluff Gallery (Solo) Philadelphia, PA 2011 Curator: Jonathan Slingluff
Jagr Projects (Solo) Philadelphia, PA 2011 Curators: John Levitties & Michael Gruber
AxD Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2011 Curator: Crystal Usoro
Part Time Studios Philadelphia, PA 2010 Curator: Seth Shimkonis
Artspace Liberti (with Seth Shimkonis) Philadelphia, PA 2010 Curator: Rob Matthews
Daniel Cooney Fine Art New York, NY 2009 Curator: Daniel Cooney
BOOKS & CATALOGUES
Out of Season (Monograph) 2016
Publisher: Booth-Clibborn Editions/Abrams Books
ISBN-10: 1861543786
ISBN-13: 978-1861543783
Color: The Revolution 2012
Editor: Todd Johnson
Publisher: Black Box Gallery
LECTURES & SYMPOSIA
2019
“The Work of Mark Havens”
Saint Joseph’s University
Philadelphia, PA
2018
“Mark Havens: Out of Season”
Modern Richmond Design Week
Richmond, VA
“Out of the Shadows”
The William A. Kern Conference on Visual Communication
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
“American Assemblies”
Gravy Gallery
Philadelphia, PA
2017
“The Photography of Mark Havens”
The University Gallery at Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
2016
“Not What I Pictured: Mark Havens on Out of Season”
The Center for Architecture & Design
Philadelphia, PA
Sponsored by The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
“DOCOMOMO Modern Conversations Series: Mark Havens”
The Knoll Showroom
New York, NY
Sponsored by DOCOMOMO & Knoll
2013
“Snap Happy: Digital Technology, Social Media and Their Effect on Photography”
A live remote panel discussion about the future of fine art photography.
Philadelphia, PA Moderator: Jessica Clark Sponsored by Manifesto-Ish
PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS
The Sundance Institute New York, NY 2016 Curator: Mat Tomezsko
The Biddle Building Philadelphia, PA 2015 Curator: Tim Evans
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Philadelphia, PA 2014 Curator: Will Nathanson
Commerce Square Philadelphia, PA 2014 Curator: Ryan McManus
PUBLICATIONS
Karpinski, Christy, “Vacation”, F-Stop Magazine, 8.1.21
Coon, Joshua, “Out of Season with Photographer Mark Havens” (Interview), Kodak.com, 11.7.18
Miller, Abigail, “Stunning Images of the Doo-Wop Era”, The Daily Mail, 9.17.17
O’Mahony, Claire, “The Great American Roadside Motel”, Lonely Planet, 7.14.17
Attanasio, Joseph, “Mid-Century Modern Motels”, Airows, 3.7.17
Kale, Neha, “Saving New Jersey’s Lost Motels”, VICE Australia, 1.27.17
Menikou, Alexia, “Moteles, Las Vacaciones Del Ayer”, El Pais (Spain), 12.12.16
Polzer, Lydia, “Motels im Winterschlaf”, Airberlin Magazine (Germany), 12.1.16
Panés, Maximo, “Out of Season becomes a Book”, Dodho Magazine (Spain), 10.25.16
Pascual, Ivy, “Into The Wild”, DuJour Magazine, 10.13.16
Jackson, Vincent, “Wildwood Motels”, The Press of Atlantic City, 10.8.16
Dijkstra, Jorrit, “Out of Season”, Silvershotz (Australia), 9.6.16
Kail, Ellyn, “The Irresistable Time-Warp Motels of Wildwood”, Feature Shoot, 9.13.16
Rizzacasa D’orsogna, Costanza, “Motel Sogno Di Un Altra America“, Corriere Della Sera (Italy), 9.11.16
Schonauer, David, “Atomic-Age Motels of the Jersey Shore”, American Photography, 9.7.16
Phillips, Meghan, “The Jersey Shore’s Vanishing Architecture”, The Daily Beast, 9.3.16
Crowley, Alex, “Review: Out of Season”, Publisher’s Weekly, 9.1.16
Edwards, Valerie, “Motels from a Bygone Era”, iEYE News (Cayman Islands), 8.30.16
Heller, Billy, “This Week’s Must-Read Books”, The New York Post, 8.28.16
Edwards, Valerie, “Pure Americana”, The Daily Mail, 8.27.16
Hester, Jessica Lee, “The Lonely Grandeur of Beachfront Motels”, CityLab, 8.26.16
Romano, Andrea, “I Motel Di Wildwood, Sempre Uguali”, Il Post (Italy), 8.23.16
Billings, Megan, Interview: “Mark Havens” (Podcast), Monocle (UK), 8.23.16
Epstein, Emily Ann, “Mesmerizing Motels of the Atomic Age”, The Atlantic, 8.21.16
Bower, Ric, “Out of Season”, CCQ Magazine, Vol.1, Issue 10, 8.16.16
Zuccaro, Alexandra, “A Glimpse into Wildwood’s Vanishing Architecture”, Modern Magazine, 8.9.16
Ivie, Devon, “Coffee Table Curator”, Interview Magazine, 8.4.16
Kilani, Jaclyn, “The Vanishing Motels of the Wildwoods”, Modernica, 8.1.16
Nebbs, Adam, “The Weird & Wonderful Motels of The Wildwoods”, South China Morning Post (China), 7.28.16
Romero, Melissa, “The Lost Mid-Century Motels of Wildwood”, Curbed, 7.26.16
McCarthy, Fionnuala, “The Abandoned Motels of New Jersey”, Lonely Planet (UK), 7.15.16
Burgess, Anika, “New Jersey’s Deserted Mid-Century Motels, by Night”, Atlas Obscura, 7.8.16
Zhukova, Dasha, “Mark Havens’ Vanishing Architecture”, Garage Magazine (Russia), 6.29.16
Munoz, Fran, “Recuerdo de Vacaciones”, Architectural Digest (Spain), 6.28.16
Howarth, Dan, “Frozen In Time”, Dezeen (UK), 6.25.16
Brito, Gustavo, “Mark Havens”, Paris-Sete (Portugal), 6.25.16
Jones, Jonathan, “Trouble In Paradise”, The Guardian (UK), 6.22.16
Dimitrova, Atina, Interview: “Nighttime Neon – The Photographer Capturing America’s Vanishing
Motels”, Hero Magazine (UK), 6.21.16
Burman, Sujata, “Motel Life: A Cinematic Exploration of Wildwood’s Mid-Century Masterpieces”,
Wallpaper Magazine (UK), 6.16.16
Seymour, Tom, “The Vanishing Architecture of Wildwood”, The British Journal of Photography, 4.26.16
Mishra, Nishant, Interview: “The Photography of Mark Havens”, PhotoArtMag (India), 1.12.16
Anderson, Phil, “Out of Season”, Of The Afternoon Magazine (UK), 1.11.16
Hrischeva, Julie, “Lost Leisure”, Aesthetica Magazine Issue 67 (UK), 10.1.15
Grieder, Katharina, Five-Part Series: “Foto-Tableau von Mark Havens”, Neue Zürcher Zeitung
(Switzerland), 11.23–27.15
Bathe, Sam, “Mark Havens Shoots The Deserted”, Fan The Fire: The London List Magazine (UK) 11.4.15
Cummer, Wilson, “Mark Havens”, New Landscape Photography, 10.19.15
Sommer, Jack, “Haunting Images of the Jersey Shore”, Business Insider Australia (Australia), 9.30.15
Sommer, Jack, “Disappearing Motels on the Jersey Shore”, Business Insider, 9.29.15
Panés, Maximo, “Out of Season By Mark Havens”, Dodho Magazine (Spain), 9.25.15
Richardson, Philip, “On the Jersey Shore, Las Vegas Meets Coney Island”, LENS: The New York Times Photography Blog, 8.28.15
Fillmore, Steve, “Setting Summers at the Shore”, East Falls Local, 9.7.15
Halsted, Bjorn, “Out of Season”, Somewhere Magazine (Sweden), 8.31.15
Richardson, Philip, “Celebrating Kitschy Motels”, The International New York Times – 8.31.15
Flack, Derek, “The Motel’s Last Stand”, Motel Register, 8.25.15
Baroni, Oliver, “Wenn im Motel die Gäste Ausbleiben”, Watson.ch (Switzerland), 8.15.15
Go, Mark, Interview: “Examining Mark Havens’ Out of Season”, Resource Magazine, 8.10.15
Newhall, Edith, “For Galleries, It’s The Season To Indulge” , The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8.10.15
Piepenbring, Dan, “Disappearing Doo-Wop, and Other News”, The Paris Review, 8.5.15
Kress, Noreen, “Pivotal: Photography at James Oliver Gallery” , Artblog, 8.3.15
Goldberg, Debbie, “Classic Shore Motels”, Philadelphia University Today, 7.29.15
Batista, Frederico, Interview: “Depois do Verão, Wildwood Fica Sozinha” , Publico (Portugal), 7.28.15
Horan, Betsy, “Summer Stills”, The New York Times Sunday Edition, 7.26.15
Horan, Betsy, “Viewfinder: Mark Havens”, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, 7.23.15
Santucci, Mauro, “Un Fuori Stagione Architettonico con Le Foto di Mark Havens”, Tiragraffi (Italy), 7.14.15
Guerra, Ana, “Mark Havens: It’s Not a Set”, La Monda (Spain), 7.10.15
Casper, Jim, “Out of Season”, Lensculture, 7.8.15
Perloff, Stephen, “Review: Pivotal at James Oliver Gallery” , The Photo Review, 7.1.15
Tomezsko, Mat “InLiquid Presents Mark Havens”, Cranearts.com, 7.14.14
Newton, Karen, “Welcome Exposure”, Styleweekly, 7.16.13
Ritchie, Amy, “Peaking at UnBound”, Richmond Arts Review, 7.13.13
Barkey, Douglas, “Summer Announces Itself” Fotonotes, 7.11.13
Weymouth, Monica, “The Good Fight ”, The Philadelphia Metro, 11.12.12
Clark, Jessica Anne, “Monster Factory ”, Read The Things, 11.5.12
Philadelphia City Paper, “Mark Havens”, 9.28.12
Newhall, Edith, “Pale Photographs ”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8.21.11
Truth, Kimberly, “Ten Photos”, BuzzFeed.com, 8.21.11
Clark, Jessica Anne, “So This is Goodbye”, Title Magazine, 8.17.11
Palan, Erica, “So This Is Goodbye: Photos On Wood ”, Philadelphia Weekly, 8.1.11
McQuaid, Cate, “Chain Letter at Samson”, Boston.com, 7.28.11
Hagan, Debbie, “Chain Letter”, Artnewengland.com, 7.20.11
Cochran, Ryan, “Displacement”, Jalopy Journal, 6.17.11
Wilding, Judith, “Displacement – New Work by Mark Havens”, Delicious Industries, 6.13.11
Petoskey, Harlo, “The Art of Mark Havens”, The Chicane, 5.25.11
Newhall, Edith, “Up Close at Jagr ”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5.5.11
Perloff, Stephen, “The Photo Review Newsletter”, 5.1.11
Fischer, David, “Displacement: New Works by Mark Havens”, Curated.com/Highsnobiety.com, 4.20.11
Kantor, Becca, “Inaugural Shows”,The Art Blog, 6.20.10
Palan, Erica, “Two New Collectives”, Philadelphia Weekly, 6.2.10
Huckabay, Carolyn, “First Friday Focus”, Philadelphia City Paper, 6.1.10
Adams, Andy, “The Collection”, Flakphoto.com, 3.19.09