Introduction

The Photography Program allows participants to take a hands-on approach to learning about the various styles and methods of photography used by African-American artists.

Background

Since the birth of photography in 1827, African American photographers understood its power to create a broad visual legacy. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many African American photographers were pioneers in the field, developing and practicing techniques including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, stereographs, composite printing, and flash photography.

While early photography was devoted to precise techniques, or reproducing exact images of reality, later processes began to include socio-political contexts, as well as artistic interpretations of the world. In doing so, photography was elevated to a level comparable with traditionally sought after modes of art. Deborah Willis noted some of these trends in her celebrated exhibition Reflections in Black: Smithsonian African American Photography. She said, ”Some photographers moved beyond the traditional goal of objective reportage, using the power of narrative and metaphor to expand the awareness of the public and combat the negative stereotyping found in mainstream media culture. Photographers sought to be "graphic historians," creating a collective biography of African American people that would empower them in their struggle for civil rights, while at the same time providing evidence of the diversity of their individual histories, values and goals.”

Many African American photographers have excelled and become leading figures in the field expanding America’s reflections of beauty, art and history. Well known artists and journalists who have made contributions in the field of photography include:

James Van Der Zee, born in 1886 was known for his portraits and images documenting the Harlem Renaissance and is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Countee Cullen, dancer Bill (“Bojangles”) Robinson, and black-nationalist leader Marcus Garvey were subjects photographed by Mr. Van Der Zee.

Romare Bearden was born in 1911 and is best known for his work in Collage. He achieved great success in a wide array of media, which included watercolor, gouache, oil, drawing, monotype and limited edition prints. His early works were composed of magazine and newspaper cuttings that he sometimes enlarged to works called Projections. Projections were photostatic reproductions of his collages. Bearden is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and was one of the founders of the Studio Museum of Harlem.

Gordon Parks, born in 1912 is an award winning photographer, filmmaker, and author. He was the first African American to work at Life and Vogue magazines, and the first African American to work for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration. His film “The Learning Tree” is a coming-of-age autobiographical drama based on the photographer’s 1963 novel.

Moneta Sleet Jr. was born in 1926 and became the first African American photographer to win the Pulitzer Prize. Mr. Sleet spent the bulk of his career documenting America’s Civil Rights Movement and later traveled worldwide photographing famous politicians, royalty and entertainers. A resident of Baldwin, NY, he worked for the Amsterdam News and Johnson Publishing.

Famous 19^th Century Photographers

Jules Lion (1810-1866) was an African American photographer who began producing daguerreotypes in New Orleans in 1840, one year after the invention of the process; while James Presley Ball (1825-1905), a free black abolitionist photographed the construction of the Montana state capitol building and produced thousands of highly prized photographs for an emerging black middle class in the same area. Other early photographers included:

Daniel Freeman (1868-?), a painter and society photographer whose first studio opened in Washington, D.C.

Arthur P. Bedou (1881-1966), a New Orleans native who rose to fame through his portraits of jazz musicians, and for documenting the life of Booker T. Washington, and

Florestine Perrault Collins, a studio owner in New Orleans from 1920 to 1949 and photographed World War II soldiers visiting the city.

Objectives:

Introduce participants to styles and methods of photography used by African-American artists.

Teach why it’s important culturally to create and present images of one’s self.

Methodology

Photography workshop - with instructor Norma Hill

Take pictures in wonderful locations and develop the pictures immediately on site with instant slide film or digital media. We then create beautiful impressionistic images through various Polaroid transfer techniques. We will use Polaroid transfers, emulsion lifts and SX70 manipulations. The process is simple and inexpensive. You then can enhance the images using pastels, watercolors, stamps, decoupage, etc. Instructors present easy-to-learn lessons in artistic expression. You come away with beautiful images worth framing. For the longer workshops you create a photo journal made from your images.

For one-day workshops, we begin with prints (approx. 4x5) or slides. Please bring slides or prints of easily recognizable images that are strong graphically and have a lot of contrast. If you don’t have slides you can use the instructor’s to learn the process. You don't need a Polaroid camera to do these techniques. No experience in art or photography is necessary.

Willis, Deborah. Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the Present, W.W. Norton & Company: New York. 2000

http://www.nga.gov/pdf/bearden-tchpk.pdf.

http://www.africanamericans.com/GordonParks.htm

http://www.photogrpahy-museum.com/faceof.html

http://search.eb.com/Blackhistory/article.do?nKeyValue=2986