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Official Bio

Paul O'Connor

An undergraduate course in photography at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, turned into a life-long pursuit for Paul O’Connor. After a graduate stint at Pasadena Art Center, he focused on portraits of artists in California and New Mexico.

Paul moved to Taos, New Mexico, in 1989 while on honeymoon with his wife Tizia. They rented an adobe in the historic district, adopted a dog, and soon had a baby. Paul began making a living photographing art for artists, galleries, and museums. As he became immersed in the arts community, he recognized an aging group of artists referred to as the Taos Moderns as an important subject to document. He soon established what would become an ongoing project of black and white portraits of artists. 

The Taos Portraits Project represents the life work of Paul O’Connor. The collection of black and white photographs features members of the Taos art community. The series has filled six solo exhibits and two books, documenting more than 35 years of light and action in the Taos art community.

In 1990, Paul did his first solo exhibit of Taos Portraits at the Bareiss Gallery. In August 2023, the 6th exhibition of this ongoing series was shown, again at Bareiss Gallery in Taos..

Under the Hondo Mesa Press label, the Taos Portraits Project has been archived in two large format books. Taos Portraits: Photos by Paul O'Connor, published in 2012, was the recipient of the New Mexico–Arizona Book Awards in four catagories: Best Art Book, Best Cover Design large format, Best New Mexico Book, and Best Book. The sequel, Taos Portraits II: Photos by Paul O'Connor published in December 2024, is now available.

When not in Taos, Paul, along with his wife Tizia and their Chihuahua Chili Puni, can be found on the Greek Island of Crete. He's picking olives, making friends, and taking photos. You can follow him on Instagram to see for yourself.

Previous Press

Taos News Tempo

Nov 25, 2024 Updated Nov 27, 2024

Taos Portraits II: Photos by Paul / Sixty lives, one town
By Ekin Balcioglu

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