I say renaissance man because Gordon Parks had many interests; and he used them all toward his goals in life. What struck me the most was the power of simplicity with the use of his camera as a weapon.
“I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs. I knew at that point I had to have a camera.” — Gordon parks
The Gordon Parks Foundation houses a historical archive of the works and events that Parks captured during his life. Many topics there speak on capturing life, from fashion to politics, to musicians, and even abstract art. Of the many collections there — in which all are my favorite — what struck out to me was his abstraction gallery. I’m a dear lover and friend of abstract art; and seeing Gordon Parks’s work gave me a thrill that I hadn’t felt since I viewed artist Sissh’s abstract work. They’re all absolutely gorgeous.
His abstract work, however, shouldn’t cloud the enormity of responsibility he had in capturing important moments of history. His work serves as a historical record of events by becoming the visual history by which we understand life and those times. He was a visual storyteller not only for his photography but for having the ability to engage with his community and to create unspoken moments of dialogue — as contradictory as that may read. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and so in this instance, it certainly is.
It takes only a few moments to browse through the Foundation’s collection of his works; only a few moments of your time to value an iconic artist who used his camera to capture important moments of history.
