Rich Frishman
Artist Bio Artist Work
Born and raised in Chicago, Rich Frishman is a documentary photographer whose work is rooted in the ethics of photojournalism and driven by a deep commitment to storytelling. He received his first camera at the age of five and has been capturing the world through a lens ever since, continually evolving his tools but never his intent: to document reality in all its complexity—its beauty, its decay, and its unvarnished truths.
Shaped by a childhood spent exploring architecture and urban spaces with his father, a builder and would-be architect, he developed a keen eye for overlooked structures and forgotten histories. From witnessing the demolition of the Garrick Theatre to the restoration of the Auditorium Building, his early experiences fostered an enduring respect for the narratives embedded in the built environment. His father’s salvaging of architectural fragments—terra cotta gargoyles, spiral stair treads, and discarded remnants of grandeur—left a lasting impression, teaching him that meaning can be found in what others leave behind.
This perspective is central to his ongoing projects, such as Ghosts of Segregation and American Splendor, which serve as visual records of the social and architectural landscapes of the United States. Through his lens, he captures not only the passage of time but the persistence of memory and culture within everyday American life.
Awards
2020
Discoveries of the Meeting Place; Houston Fotofest 2020
2019
Review Santa Fe Curator's Choice Award; First Place 2019
Edition One Book Prize; First Place 2019
2018
PhotoNOLA Review Award; Grand Prize
Sony World Photography Awards; International First Place, Still Life
Sony World Photography Awards; Grand Prize (USA)
Communication Arts Photography Award
PDN Photo Annual Award
2012 and 2015
Critical Mass Finalist
Pulitzer Prize nominee, feature photography
National Newspaper Photographer of the Year 2nd runner-up
Kellicutt Grand Prize
Grand Prize; Earth Through A Lens
American Photographer Magazine "New Faces in Photojournalism"
NPPA Regional Photographer of the Year (3 times)
Illinois Newspaper Photographer of the Year
Most Improved Skier; Camp Timberlane
Recent Exhibitions
2020
Ten by Ten; The Silos at Sawyer Yards; Houston, TX
New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery (solo)
2019
New Orleans Museum of Art; New Orleans, Louisiana
2018
Ogden Museum of Southern Art; New Orleans, Louisiana
Museum of the Americas; Washington, DC
2017
Clark Gallery; Lincoln, Massachusetts
Museum of Fine Arts|Houston; Houston, Texas
2015
American Splendor; Paul Berlanga Fine Arts; Chicago, Illinois
American Splendor; Minneapolis Photo Center; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Photographic Resource Center; Boston
2014
Amon Carter Museum of American Art; Fort Worth, Texas
Sol Mednick Gallery at the University of the Arts; Philadelphia
Early Works; The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado
2013
Open Wall Gallery; Teplice, Czech Republic
Kellicutt International Exhibition; Half Moon Bay, California
Griesen Gallery; Prague, Czech Republic
Calumet Gallery; San Francisco, California
Early Works; RayKo Gallery; San Francisco, California
2012
Reassembling Reality; iWitness Gallery; Portland, Oregon
Earth Through A Lens Exhibition; Palm Springs Art Museum; Palm Springs, CA
Smithsonian Institution permanent collection; Washington, DC
2010
Earth Through A Lens Exhibition; Palm Springs, CA