George Tice, a renowned photographer celebrated for his evocative black-and-white depictions of urban and rural landscapes, passed away at 86 on January 16, 2024, at his Middletown, New Jersey home. His daughter attributed his death to complications arising from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Even in his final days, Tice remained committed to his craft, expressing a desire to refine his career retrospective book, “Lifework” (2022). This dedication to perfection characterized his darkroom practice, where he tirelessly pursued the ideal print through meticulous adjustments and reevaluations. His enduring legacy rests on his ability to discover beauty in the ordinary, transforming everyday scenes into timeless works of art.
Tice’s journey into photography began in his youth, sparked by his father’s photo albums, which chronicled his life in vivid detail. Trading his Kodak Brownie for a 35mm Kodak Pony, he honed his skills in a Carteret, New Jersey camera club, impressing older members with his talent. He transformed his family’s trailer into a makeshift darkroom, documenting the lives of marginalized individuals on Manhattan’s Bowery and gaining experience as a darkroom assistant. At 17, he enlisted in the Navy, serving as a photographer’s mate third class. A pivotal moment occurred in 1959 aboard the USS Wasp, where he captured the dramatic aftermath of a helicopter explosion, an image that landed on the front page of The New York Times and caught the eye of renowned photographer Edward Steichen.
While the Wasp photograph captured a moment of high drama, Tice’s mature work focused on the quieter aspects of life. After his naval service, he initially pursued portrait photography, but his true artistic calling emerged during his explorations of Paterson, New Jersey, a declining industrial city. Viewing the city from Garret Mountain, he perceived it as a “miniature model,” a self-contained world offering a wealth of photographic subjects. He found beauty in the mundane: a lone figure in a barbershop, the cascading Passaic Falls, a car for sale, and the rooftops of the city. These images, imbued with a sense of quiet dignity and poetic realism, resonated with critics and audiences alike.
Tice’s artistic breakthrough came in 1970, when the Witkin Gallery in Manhattan, which he helped establish, began showcasing his prints of Paterson and the Amish communities of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His reputation soared, leading to exhibitions at prestigious institutions like the New Jersey Historical Society and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The publication of his book “Paterson” in 1972 cemented his status as a significant photographic voice. He expanded his focus to other parts of New Jersey, capturing the state’s diverse urban and suburban landscapes with his 8×10 view camera. His photographs often featured solitary structures, like a brightly lit phone booth in Rahway enveloped by darkness or a lonely White Castle, also in Rahway, resembling a desolate outpost. His iconic image of a Mobil station in Cherry Hill, with a looming water tower resembling a spacecraft, showcased his ability to imbue familiar scenes with a sense of otherworldly wonder.
Tice’s work extended beyond New Jersey, capturing the serene landscapes of the Pennsylvania Amish and Mennonite communities in “Fields of Peace: A Pennsylvania German Album” (1970). He also explored themes related to Abraham Lincoln in his book “Lincoln” (1984), documenting statues, motels, and other objects bearing the president’s name. His travels took him to Yorkshire, England, where he documented the region’s stone walls and grey skies in “Stone Walls, Grey Skies: A Vision of Yorkshire” (1993). These projects demonstrate Tice’s wide-ranging interests and his consistent ability to find meaning and beauty in diverse environments.
George Andrew Tice’s life, marked by both personal challenges and artistic triumphs, reflects his resilience and dedication to his craft. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938, he experienced his parents’ divorce at a young age and was raised by his mother, who sold Irish linens. He spent his formative years in trailer parks across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida. From age 6 to 16, he contributed to the family income by selling crepe paper roses. These early experiences instilled in him a strong work ethic and a keen eye for observing the nuances of everyday life. He received recognition for his artistic contributions through prestigious fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts in 1973. His work is featured in the collections of numerous museums, and his legacy is further preserved in the documentary “George Tice: Seeing Beyond the Moment” (2013). Tice’s photographs stand as a testament to his ability to find poetry in the ordinary, transforming fleeting moments into enduring works of art. He leaves behind a rich body of work that continues to inspire and resonate with viewers.
