Doug Muir

Portals of public transportation, lobbies of skyscrapers, grand stone stairways, parks, and city sidewalks—places of transition—figure prominently in the work of photographer Doug Muir, who infuses images of public spaces with a sense of intimacy. In taking such settings as his subjects, Muir is extremely precise, and he focuses on ensuring that his familiar settings do not swing toward the mundane. He thus aspires to crafting pictures wherein, long after the moment has passed, the captured image continues to prompt viewers to to consider and delight in the visual choreography of everyday environments.

Muir lives in Berkeley, California, where he works as a union steamfitter for the University of California. His photography is included in important collections including those of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the International Center for Photography in New York, and the Bibliotheque National in Paris, among others. Muir has been included in notable exhibitions at institutions such as the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, the California Museum of Photography in Riverside, the Museum of California in Oakland, and the San Diego Museum of Art. In 1981, Muir participated in Light Work’s artist-in-residence program, and he returned to program again in 2002.