10 Photos
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph of Muhammed Ali by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A Self Portrait by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
A photograph by Gordon Parks. COURTESY PARRISH ART MUSEUM
On two consecutive Fridays, February 11 and 18, in recognition of Black History Month and in collaboration with Eastville Community Historical Society, the Parrish Art Museum is presenting a pair of programs on Gordon Parks (1912-2006), the first African American photographer to shoot for LIFE and Vogue magazines.
The February 11 program is a free screening of the HBO film “A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks.” The following Friday, February 18, Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, executive director and chief curator of the Eastville Community Historical Society, will be joined by two photographers, Donnamarie Barnes, director of history and heritage at Sylvester Manor Educational Farm in Shelter Island, and Steven John Irby (a.k.a. Steve Sweatpants), co-founder and director of Street Dreams magazine, to discuss Parks’s significant contributions and achievements in the field of photography and his lasting influence on a generation of practitioners. Both programs are in-person at the museum. The talk is also livestreamed.
“A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks”
In his extensive career, Gordon Parks shot everything from fashion to Malcolm X, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Muhammed Ali — always capturing the deep humanity of his subjects. But he is best known for his iconic portraits of everyday Black Americans in all their pain, ordinariness, and glory. “A Choice of Weapons” (2021, 89 min.) explores the power of Parks’s images, and the generation of young photographers, filmmakers, and activists he inspired. Directed by John Maggio, the film follows the trailblazing artist’s stellar career from staff photographer at LIFE magazine, through the artistic development of his own work, and his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker. The film features conversations about Parks’s legacy between Maggio and Ava Duvernay, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Anderson Cooper and many others.
“A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks” is a co-production of Kunhardt Films and HBO. Registration required, donations welcome.
“Beyond the Lens: Capturing Culture and Conscience” a talk moderated by Dr. Georgette Grier-Key with Donnamarie Barnes and Steven John Irby
Gordon Parks’s unique style of photography and filmmaking is an enduring body of work that consistently informs. The panel discussion on his legacy will cover Parks’s use of photography to amplify social, cultural, racial, and political issues of the day. The panelists — artists and photographers in their own right — will reexamine Parks’s work and talk about various techniques of photography and strategies for storytelling.
$12 (free for members). Advance ticket purchase with pre-event registration is recommended. Limited tickets will be available at the door.
The Parrish Art Museum is at 279 Montauk Highway, Water Mill. Visit parrishart.org for details,
Staff Writer on Jan 31, 2022