G.O.A.T.: The Sports Photography of Walter Iooss
July 27, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Walter Iooss, Blue Dunk, Lisle, IL, 1987, archival pigment print. Gift from Andrew King, 2020.151.26.
G.O.A.T.—meaning “greatest of all time”—highlights the Fitchburg Art Museum’s expansive collection of sports photography by Walter Iooss.
Iooss photographed professional sports with the passion and perception of a true fan, capturing iconic moments in sports history for over sixty years. His ability to read a game and identify player strategy allowed him to photograph jump shots, home run swings, and end zone catches with cinematic flair—a skill that earned him over 300 Sports Illustrated covers.
Over his career, Iooss photographed some of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, shaping the visual culture of American sports and with it the celebrity status of players including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and Derek Jeter. G.O.A.T. considers how Iooss captured the joys, devastations, pressures, and anticipations of professional sports using light, movement, and color to craft visual narratives that continue to captivate us.