The photography exhibition at the Jack Shainman Gallery will quietly wow you…
Gordon Parks self-portrait at Jack Shainman
Gordon Parks, the prolific American photographer who is best known for his unflinching look at the nation’s poorest social conditions from the 1940s – 1970s, leaves behind a legacy of spectacular images – a series of which is currently on display at the Jack Shainman Gallery – which show a subtle photographic magic signature of a master.
Gordon Parks at Jack Shainman
Each image, whether it’s an ungentrified mid-century Harlem or a high-fashion photo shoot, immediately sets its own unique tone with a sense of ironic colorful playfulness, the delicacy of a spontaneous excellence, or a steady view of a marginalized part of society. No photo repeats its method or style – each has its own distinct narrative power that engulfs you into worlds so removed from our own yet surprisingly familiar.
“What you force me to be is what you are. For I am you staring back from a mirror of poverty and despair, of revolt and freedom. Look at me and know that to destroy me is to destroy yourself.” -Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks at Jack Shainman
The selected shots in the show are treasures in and of themselves that transcend their time and reveal a universal commonality that only a shrewd photographer might notice in the sea of ordinary triviality. This is Gordon Parks’ greatest ability – his eye to discern an iconic and monumental image through an otherwise forgettable sight. It arrests us as viewers and puts us back in tune with the quotidian beauty that constantly surrounds us.
The show opened on January 11 to a full house of exquisitely dressed New York art enthusiasts – which juxtaposed many of Gordon Parks’ penniless subjects. For those still in need of a break from the bourgie and overly-lavish standards of the holiday season, there is plenty of time drop in for a dose of the wonderfully simple yet beautifully charming images by Gordon Parks. The show closes February 10, 2018.
Gordon Parks at Jack Shainman
