Jesse Kalisher (June 22, 1962 – July 20, 2017) was an American art photographer.

Background

Jesse Kalisher was barely six years old when he received his first camera. It was a birthday gift from his father, the photographer

Simpson Kalisher Simpson Kalisher (July 27, 1926 – June 13, 2023) was an American professional photojournalist and street photographer whose independent project ''Railroad Men'' attracted critical attention and is regarded as historically significant. Earl ...

. Although Jesse was raised by his mother Ilse, he worked with Simpson in the darkroom and later served as his assistant. Despite his early interest in photography, Kalisher embarked on a decade long career in marketing and advertising, working for companies including BBDO, Grey Advertising, The Clorox Company, and

J. Walter Thompson J. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson. The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merge ...

. Unfulfilled, he decided to leave the industry and spend a few months traveling. During a trip to Vietnam, Kalisher rediscovered his passion for photography, propelling him down the path to a new career as a fine art photographer.

Career and work

Kalisher's photography is included in the permanent collections of American museums including the George Eastman Museum, the

M. H. de Young Memorial Museum ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of resp ...

, the

Ackland Art Museum The Ackland Art Museum is a museum and academic unit of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was founded through the bequest of William Hayes Ackland (1855–1940) to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is located a ...

, and the

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Build ...

. The first photographs of Barack Obama acquired by the Smithsonian were Kalisher's. Additionally, his photography has been exhibited in numerous galleries and several museums, including the Oakland Museum of California and Chicago's Field Museum. His work can also be found in hotels across the globe, including Hyatt, Hilton, and Sheraton. Prints of his fine art photography are sold at popular American travel destinations including the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

, the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

, and the

Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...

. Kalisher's photos have been published in periodicals including ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''Art Business News'', ''Black and White magazine'', ''Art & Living Magazine'' and ''Interior Design Magazine''. His book ''If You Find the Buddha'', published by Chronicle Books in 2006, includes 93 images captured in Thailand and the US that depict Buddha as part of everyday life. Kalisher was a faculty member at Maine Media Workshops, teaching an advanced course in black and white photography. He has dispensed photography tips through YouTube videos and shares the stories behind some of his favorite shots on his blog. He has made TV appearances and radio broadcasts. He has been a frequent guest on National Public Radio, serving as a commentator for Marketplace and telling stories for Day to Day, Weekend America, The Savvy Traveler, and the State of Things. He has also led photography expeditions for Regent Seven Sea Cruises and Paul Gauguin Cruises. Kalisher was the founder and President of Kalisher, an eponymous art gallery. Based in

Carrboro, North Carolina Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 census.Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalisher, Jesse 1962 births 2017 deaths American photographers People from Carrboro, North Carolina Fine art photographers Jewish American artists 21st-century American Jews