Ryan McGinley - Whistle for the Wind - 2012

The Kids Are Alright: the title of Ryan McGinley's first book, still in hand, which accompanied his first photography exhibition in a vacant SoHo gallery in 2000, could represent all of his work to date. Born in 1977, the shooting star of the New York photography scene has moved among his peers from the beginning: the kids from downtown New York, young people on trips to the countryside - his now legendary road trips - and he also works with non-models young and professionals in the studio. It is about the lifestyle of young people of their generation, who have fun, let themselves go, enjoy the summer in a hedonistic way and frolic naked. The dark sides remain intact, apart from the scratches and abrasions that can hardly be avoided when jumping off rocks or through the treetops. The Whitney Museum of American Art already displayed McGinley's photographs in 2003; therefore, he was the youngest artist to have a solo exhibition at this institution. Since then, he has been in international demand and exhibits in galleries and museums around the world. In this first full-length monograph, three leading authors explore the McGinley phenomenon: writer Chris Kraus, artist and author John Kelsey, and independent filmmaker Gus Van Sant, director of Drugstore Cowboy and My Private Idaho, among others.