During the 1950s, shortly after the victory of World War II, the United States saw sweeping changes to its social, economic, and cultural fabrics. From manufacturing home appliances to passing the G.I bill for veterans of the war, the US developed to be one of the great powers of the world with a booming economy and outstanding standards of living. While most changes seemed to show a country glimmering in its golden era (especially after the Great Depression), some were left at the fringes of society. It was then that a sensitive Black American decided to document the stark bifurcation between white Americans and African Americans, thus, etching his name in the history of the greatest photographers of the 20th century: Gordon Parks.
The lead image is sent by The Gordon Parks Foundation, courtesy Pace Gallery.
For the unversed, Parks’ work is not only educational for those wanting to understand the racial segregation and civil rights struggle from the 1940s to the 2000s but also an excellent way to learn how to capture the essence of a person in a portrait. (A quality that was mastered by Yousuf Karsh during his time.) For example, some of his most celebrated projects such as American Gothic, Segregation in the South, and Crime, went on to paint a searing portrait of America and how major communities were deliberately left out from the living the ‘American Dream’ story.
But that is not all. Parks—who was Life magazine’s first African American photographer, filmmaker, composer, and writer—captured his subjects with utmost dignity and grace, an attribute that is not learned but inherited. For instance, Parks, born in segregated Fort Scott, Kansas, said how suffering from “discrimination, poverty” naturally allowed him to “use my camera to speak for people who are unable to speak for themselves.” In 1948, the photographer explained this in one of his writings, stating that the “significance” of individuals should be shown “about the era [they] represent.” (A fact that is elusive to some Instagram photographs of this generation.)
So, why are we focusing on Parks today? Well, we have some good news. Two galleries—National Gallery of Art, Washington, and Pace, Los Angeles—are hosting exhibitions of the late photographer. The former has hosted a show titled Gordon Parks: Camera Portraits from the Corcoran Collection, which will showcase approximately 25 photographs that Parks created between 1941 and the 1970s. The exhibit began on July 14 and will continue until January 12, 2025, in the West Building. Similarly, Pace’s showcase has also put the 40 photographs from his exhaustive body of works on display from July 12 to August 24.
Emphasizing why this is a great opportunity, let us remind you that Parks’ series’ are more relevant in today’s time. Not only does he craft nuanced stories with empathy and care for the marginalized, but also with utmost precision and style. His compositions still draw viewers in, subjects and the colours let one’s gaze linger while the narrative pushes you to ponder the social injustices. One could say that the world he documented may have changed in some ways, but social evils continue to prevail even today.
Thus, during such a politically, socially, and culturally charged time today, photographers must step back and relearn from great masters like Parks. Sure, we have a plethora of “styles” and “ways of seeing”, but due to the boom of AI, it becomes more imperative to go back to the roots of photography and enjoy it in its purest form. By that, we don’t mean take out your film cameras, but rather slow down, observe, and document stories around you for a better, more equal tomorrow.