A full member of the international photography collective Magnum Photos, American photographer Alec Soth has been widely acclaimed for his narrative, storytelling approach in photography. A large scope of his photographs centers on rural scenes of America’s Midwest region, landscapes and people he encounters during his travels. Additionally, he delves into human stories and interpersonal relationships. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, and has exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Science Museum in London, and others. He has photographed for the New York Times Magazine, Fortune, and Newsweek.

Running until January 19th, 2025, “Alec Soth: A Room of Rooms” is being presented at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. In conjunction with the exhibition title, the show focuses on interiors, portraits, personal belongings, and intimate spaces occupied by Soth’s subjects. The photographer remarks, “While I regularly take photograph portraits, landscapes and still life, the genre I feel most connected to is the interior.”

Alec Soth, Crystal, Easter, New Orleans, Louisiana from the series Sleeping by the Mississippi, 2002, Collection of the artist © Alec Soth

In Room 1, we discover Soth’s early color photos, predominantly taken from his first 2004 published series Sleeping by the Mississippi, shot between 1992 and 2002. The photo travelogue took Soth along the Mississippi River in his car, driving from place to place, and connecting with people along the way. In Crystal, Easter, New Orleans, Louisiana (2002), Soth met Crystal at a gay Easter parade in New Orleans, who allowed him to shoot her in her room. His honest portrayal of people’s lives brings viewers closer to the unspoiled reality. The same result is transpired in Sugar’s, Davenport, Iowa (2002) and Jimmie’s Apartment, Memphis, Tennessee (2002) where the upholstery, wall and curtain details give viewers a suggestive impression of the occupants. Sugar’s is a brothel in Davenport where Soth met prostitutes and clients who were open about his photographing.

Alec Soth, Two Towels from the series Niagara, 2004, Collection of the artist © Alec Soth

Niagara, Soth’s second book published in 2006, is documented in Room 2. The series illustrates sceneries surrounding Niagara Falls, motel facades, and couples and families on vacation. Two Towels (2004) is a provocative shot inside a motel room, zooming in two towels on the bed curved like a heart and swan. Niagara is reputed as a honeymooners’ haven, and Soth’s technique in adjusting the depth of field so that the symbolic towels emerge boldly against the subdued background makes the picture appear almost like a romantic dollhouse.

Alec Soth, Bill, Sandusky, Ohio from the series Songbook, 2012, Collection of Tokyo Photographic Art Museum © Alec Soth

Also in this room is the monochrome series Looking for Love taken around 1996. Shots, such as Soth’s own Self-Portrait on My Wedding Night, Saint Paul, Minnesota (1996), reminisce episodes in the Midwest — factories, buildings, couples and other locals loitering in the streets and restaurants, or playing poker games. It was a time when Soth unraveled his profound curiosity about people and their in-depth stories.