For Chicago-based artist Dawoud Bey, Class Pictures is the culmination of 15 years of youth-centered work. Twenty-five large-scale color portraits present teens from diverse social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. With simple first-name titles, such as Kevin and Odalys, each formal portrait, marked by the sitter’s arrestingly direct gaze, depicts its young subject within his or her school environment. Short, subject-written autobiographies accompany each photograph, adding depth and complexity that extend beyond the photographic frame. In his Four Stories video installation, Bey furthers his interest in image and narrative. Shot in extreme close-up, Bey's video roams over the faces of four students as they tell their life stories. Viewed collectively, Class Pictures is a compelling anthology of coming-of-age experiences in modern America.

-Lisa L. Powell

A catalogue, published by Aperture, accompanies the traveling exhibition.