Austin Irving (b. 1984, New York, NY) is an internationally award-winning visual artist working primarily with large-format analog photography. She received her BFA cum laude from the Department of Photography and Imaging at New York University’s TISCH School of the Arts in 2006.
Working with 4×5 color negative film, Irving investigates architecture and the built environment through a rigorously composed process shaped by the properties of analog photography. Her work emphasizes form, surface, spatial relationships, and scale, distilling complex landscapes into images that hover between representation and abstraction. Her practice reflects a contemplative engagement with time, precision, and the physical and material dimensions of photography.
Irving has been exhibited internationally in museums, galleries, and festivals throughout Hong Kong, India, Germany, Lithuania, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Indonesia, and across the United States. She has participated in exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Irvine Fine Arts Center, The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Virginia Tech, The International Photography Symposium, and The Katonah Museum of Art.
Her work has received numerous honors, including the Architecture Master Prize, Aesthetica Art Prize, MonoAwards, AI-AP, Budapest International Foto Awards, International Photography Awards, PX3 Paris Photography Prize, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Analog Sparks, and the International Photography Competition at the New York Center for Photographic Arts. Her images have been featured in The Los Angeles Times, Wired, Slate, Architectural Digest, Aesthetica Magazine, LA Weekly, PDN, Art Ltd., Artillery, TimeOut New York, The Herald Tribune, Maize, The Huffington Post, Artsy, Voyage LA, Yatzer, and Artweek LA, among others.
Irving lives and works in Los Angeles, where she is represented by Wilding Cran Gallery.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025
• NIGHT LIGHTS, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2022
• OPEN STUDIO, The Clay Factory, Los Angeles, CA
2018
• CORNERED, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017
• NOT AN EXIT, Photo LA, Wilding Cran Booth 412, The Reef/LA Mart, Los Angeles, CA
2015
• NOT AN EXIT, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2014
• WORK IN PROGRESS, Curio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2013
• CAVES, The Silverlake Art Company, Los Angeles, CA
2012
• PORTALS, Curio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
• AND THEN THERE WAS NOTHING, Harkawik Gallery, New York, NY
• BROKEN GROUND, Photographic Arts Council LA, Los Angeles, CA
2024
• 10 YEARS, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
• FRESH, Klompching Gallery, Brooklyn, CA
2023
• VERZASCA FOTO, Canton of Ticino, Switzerland
• THE JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL, Jakarta, Indonesia
• PHMUSEUM DAYS, Bologna, Italy
• ANALOG SPARKS, Best Of Show Exhibition, Ostuni, Italy
• ANALOG SPARKS, Best Of Show Exhibition, Athens, Greece
• ANALOG SPARKS, House of Lucie, Budapest
• FELIX ART FAIR, The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
• MODERN ANALOG, The Dallas Center for Photography, Dallas, TX
• LANDSCAPE: CONSTRUCTED & WILD, Site:Brooklyn Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2022
• ETERNITY: The Holy Art, London, England
2021
• MINIMALISM: Decode Gallery, Tucson, AZ
• PHOTOSHOOT 2021: Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
• NEW BORDERS: International Photography Symposium, Nida, Lithuania
• NATURE: LANDSCAPE SERENE AND SAVAGE, MVA Gallery, Bethlehem, PA
• 8TH ANNUAL ABSTRACT CATALYST, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR
• INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (WINNER)
• SELECTED WORKS, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
• PHOTOGRAPHY A SENSE OF PLACE, Site:Brooklyn Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
• “ONE YEAR ON: DON’T GO BACK TO SLEEP” – Chelsea Productions: A Film by Nadav Kander and Johan Kramer
2020
• A CURIOUS HORIZON, The Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
• THE NEXT BIG THING, Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
2019
• PHOTOVILLE, New Works from NYU’s Department of Photography & Imaging Alumni, Brooklyn, NY
• ALL MEDIA, The Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
• WINNERS EXHIBITION, PX3 Paris Photography Gold Prize, Espace Beaurepaire, Paris
• TREES, The New York Center for Photographic Arts, NY
• THE EDGE EFFECT, The Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
• EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL, The Bendix Building, Los Angeles, CA
• NEW WOKS, Gulf & Western Gallery, TISCH, New York University, NY
2018
• PHOTOKINA, Felix Schoeller Photo Award, Cologne, Germany
2017
• RE-IMAGINING A SAFE SPACE, Gulf & Western Gallery, TISCH, New York University, NY
• EXTREME APPALACHIA, Armory Gallery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
2016
• HONG KONG: IDENTITY & ILLUSION, LightStage Gallery, Hong Kong, China
• FOCUS: PHOTO LA FINALISTS, Berlin Art Week, Abury Collection, Berlin Germany
2015
• INTERIORS COLLECTION, See/Me, Exposure Awards, Musé du Louvre, Paris
• SUMMER GROUP SHOW, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2014
• NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, FotoFocus, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
• KING Co. METRO + PHOTO CENTER NW PHOTOMURAL/PUBLIC ART, Seattle, WA
• METAMORPHOSIS, b/G Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
• AFTER DARK II, Greg Moon Gallery, Taos, NM
• PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE SPECTACULAR, b/G Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
• THE ORGONE ACCUMULATORS, b/G Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• LIGHT & MEMORY, A/NT Gallery, Seattle, WA
• WOMEN’S WORKS, North West Arts Council, Woodstock, IL
• EQUATIONS, Gloria Delson Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
2013
• AFTER DARK, Greg Moon Gallery, Taos, NM
• HAPPENING 2013, LACE Benefit Art Auction, LA Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA
2012
• MOCA: FRESH AUCTION, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
• SHOW CAVES, LOOK3, Charlottesville, VA
• THE SERIES XII, The Standard Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
2011
• UNDEREXPOSED, Curio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007
• 12TH ANNUAL JURIED NATIONAL PHOTO COMPETITION, SoHo Photo Gallery, New York, NY
COLLECTIONS
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA), Aileen Getty, Beth DeWoody, Helene Winer, Alan Mandell
AWARDS
SILVER: Tokyo International Foto Awards: Analog/Film – Nature/Landscape, 2024
SILVER: Annual Photo Awards, Nature: Natural Landscapes, 2024
WINNER: Analog Sparks International Competition, Architectural Photographer of the Year, 2023
GOLD: Tokyo International Foto Awards, Architecture / Interiors, 2023
WINNER: Architecture MasterPrize, 2023
SILVER: Annual Photography Awards, Architecture / Interiors, 2023
SHORT LIST: PhMuseum 2023 Photography Grant, 2023
HONORABLE MENTION: PX3 Prix De La Photographie, 2023
SHORTLIST: PhMuseum Photography Grant, 2023
FINALIST: FRESH, Klompching Gallery, 2023
WINNER: Annual Photography Awards, Architectural Photographer of the Year, 2022
WINNER: The Annual Photography Awards, Architectural Photographer of the Year, 2022
WINNER: Architecture Master Prize, Domestic Interiors, 2022
WINNER: Aesthetica Art Prize, 2022
BEST IN SHOW: International Photography Competition, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Nature/Science, 2021
BRONZE: Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Book/Nature, 2021
HONORABLE MENTION: Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Fine Art/Architecture, 2021
2nd PLACE: International Photography Competition, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts – Places/Landscape, 2021
CHOSEN WINNER: American Photography 37, American Illustration and American Photography (AI-AP), 2021
1st PLACE: Budapest International Foto Awards – Architecture, 2020
1st PLACE: Budapest International Foto Awards – Science, 2020
1st PLACE: International Photo Grant – Landscape, 2019
GOLD: PX3 Prix De La Photographie – Fine Art/Architecture, 2019
GOLD: PX3 Prix De La Photographie – Nature/Trees, 2019
SHORT LIST: Felix Scholler Photo Award, 2019
3rd PLACE: International Competition, The New York Center for Photographic Arts 2019
NOMINEE: United States Artists (USA) Fellowship, 2016
FINALIST: Felix Schoeller Photo Award – Architecture and Landscape, Germany, 2015
JURY AWARD: 4th ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA, 2014
ARTIST TALKS
NYU
VIRGINIA TECH
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATORS
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
RESIDENCIES
2019 – Varda Artist Residency Program: Historic SS Vallejo, Sausalito, California
2017 – Artist-In-Residence: The National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY / FEATURES
LA TIMES: Austin Irving Photographs Spaces With No Exit – Leah Ollman
ARCHITECTURE MASTER PRIZE: 9 Female Architectural Photographers You Should Know In 2023
LA WEEKLY: Meet An Artist Mondays – Shana Nys Dambrot
MAIZE: Inner Faces – Paolo Basso
AESTHETICA MAGAZINE : Future Now 2022: Aesthetica Art Prize
SLATE: Get Lost in These Escher-Esque Doorways – Jordan Teicher
ART FORUM: Cornered at Wilding Cran Gallery
VOYAGE LA: Interview With The Artist Austin Irving
YATZER: Light In the Dark: Show Caves by Photographer, Austin Irving – Sara Panagiotopoulou
WIRED: Descend Into The Surreal World of Tourist-Friendly Caves – Jordan Teicher
ART Ltd.: Austin Irving at Wilding Cran Gallery – Molly Enholm
ARTILLERY: Photographs Evoke Disquieting Feelings of Being Trapped – Annabel Osberg
CANVAS REBEL: Meet Austin Irving
SHOUT OUT LA: Meet Austin Irving: Artist – Alex Wilson
HUFFINGTON POST: Photo LA and MOPLA Unite – Kathy Leonardo
FRONTRUNNER MAGAZINE: Austin Irving: Not An Exit, Interview with the Artist
THE WEATHER CHANNEL: Show Caves: A Look Inside Surreal Caves Modified for Tourists – Camille Mann
ART WEEK LA: Austin Irving – NOT AN EXIT
IGNANT: Austin Irving Explores the Show Caves – Monika Mróz
IT’S NICE THAT: Austin Irving Explores the Anthropocentric Tendencies of Modern Tourism – Lucy Bourton
THE STRANGER: Austin Irving’s Show Caves Flaunt It – Jen Graves
PURPLE – “CAVES” By Austin Irving – Brad Elterman
THE MORNING NEWS: Austin Irving – SHOW CAVES – Nozlee Samadzadeh
FINE LINE MAGAZINE – Beautiful and Well Thought Out Photos from NYC Born Artist Austin Irving
ND MAGAZINE: Austin Irving’s Photography
ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE – Show Caves by Los Angeles Based Photographer Austin Irving – Lucy Bourton
THE OSPREY OBSERVER: Florida Museum Of Photographic Arts Announces Winners Of The 2021 International Photography Competition – Libby Hopkins
RACONTEUR: One Night Only! Silverlake Art Co. Presents Austin Irving’s CAVES
WETRANSFER: Featured Wallpaper