The Flickr Gordonparksexhibition Image Generatr

“This monumental close-up portrait of a fiercely determined, focused, and undaunted Muhammad Ali shows him dripping with sweat after a training session. Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, had become one of the most celebrated athletes of the 20th century. Yet his reputation was tarnished after announcing in 1966 that he would refuse to serve in the US military. Ali, who had converted to Islam in 1964, filed for conscientious objector status, indicating his opposition to the war in Vietnam on religious and ethical grounds. Although he had once been nicknamed ‘the Greatest’ and was beloved by many, critics in the American press now condemned him as a ‘shameless traitor.’ Parks presents him as invincible.” [Accompanying text]

“Parks first photographed the internationally renowned musician and conductor Leonard Bernstein for a ‘Life’ story on celebrated American composers. Bernstein is shown at Carnegie Hall, encircled by the auditorium lights, with a musical score tucked under one arm and a cigarette in the opposite hand. He looks down at the camera with a confidence befitting the 36-year-old maestro, whose career was skyrocketing. The 1950s were among Bernstein’s most prolific years. He composed several original symphonic works and film scores as well as four Broadway musicals, including ‘West Side Story’ in 1957. That same year he was appointed the first American-born music director of the New York Philharmonic.” [Accompanying text]

“Parks made this self-portrait in Chicago soon after leaving his job as a railroad porter to work as a photographer. Alert to objects that helped describe a person’s character, profession, and values, Parks positioned himself next to his Graflex Speed Graphic camera, proudly proclaiming his new calling. . . At the time of this photograph, he supported himself and his young family by taking pictures of African-American intellectuals, artists, and socialites who congregated at Chicago’s vibrant South Side Community Art Center, dubbed the incubator of the Chicago Black Renaissance.

“In 1942 he moved to Washington, DC, where he worked as a photographer for various federal agencies, including the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and the Office of War Information (OWI). He then worked for Standard Oil Company as well as ‘Vogue,’ ‘Glamour,’ ‘Ebony,’ and other magazines. In 1949, ‘Life’ magazine hired Parks as the first African American photographer on the staff. He held this position there until 1972.

“Gordon Parks developed a powerful style that drew on his sophisticated melding of documentary, portrait, and fashion photography. His commanding portraits of people in their natural environments humanize them, inspire empathy, and enable us to see beyond racial and cultural stereotypes.” [Accompanying text]