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Friday, July 16, 2010

Incredible Photo

My Mom called yesteday and we began talking about photography, specifically Gordon Park's photography. Since high school I've loved everything about photography, mostly the magical time spent in the dark room. Lately, I've really missed the "process" of photography as I've pretty much switched over to digital. When I was in high school it was nearly impossible to get me out of the darkroom or away from a photography book. My senior year I had the opportunity to meet Gordon Parks at the Cincinnati Art Museum. It will forever be a favorite memory. Not only is his work amazing, but he was an incredible man. He died several years ago but his work will stand the test of time. I've always thought his village voice obituary captured his spirit. "Talk about flipping the script: Gordon Parks was born dead and damn near buried alive. Then went on to live to the ripe young age of 93. Fortunately, two doctors were attendant that November 30 in 1912. The thinking one had the brainstorm of immersing the stillborn infant in ice water to jump-start his heart and gave him a fully operational third eye in the process. Total immersion of head and heart would become his lifelong m.o. Given his staggering output as photographer, filmmaker, writer, painter, choreographer, and composer, he seems to have not slept much after his rebirth. Orphaned by his mother's death and sent to live with an aunt, he was thrown out into a subzero Minnesota winter at 14 by her model-of-man's-inhumanity husband. So take a memo: the mark of a visionary is being a young Black man in the Depression and blowing $7.50—a month of meals back then—on a camera. Only lo and behold the fledgling shutterbug begins showing at the local Eastman Kodak shop by impressing the manager's wife." To read more visit this link