This exhibition explores the making of Gordon Parks’ first photographic essay for Life magazine in 1948, “Harlem Gang Leader.” After gaining the trust of one particular group of gang members and their leader, Leonard “Red” Jackson, Parks produced a series of photographs that are artful, poignant, and, at times, shocking. From this large body of work (Parks made hundreds of negatives) the editors at Life selected twenty-one pictures to print in the magazine, often cropping or enhancing details in the pictures in the process. Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument traces this editorial process and parses out the various voices and motives behind the production of the picture essay.
The exhibition considers Parks’ photographic practice within a larger discussion about photography as a narrative device. Featuring vintage photographs, original issues of Life magazine, contact sheets, and proof prints, the exhibition raises important questions about the role of photography in addressing social concerns, its use as a documentary tool, and its function in the world of publishing.
Untitled
1948, Printed Later
Gordon Parks
Gelatin Silver Print
Untitled
1948
Gordon Parks
Gelatin Silver Print
Courtesy The Gordon Parks Foundation
Untitled
1948
Gordon Parks
Gelatin Silver Print
Courtesy The Gordon Parks Foundation
Untitled
1948
Gordon Parks
Gelatin Silver Print
Courtesy The Gordon Parks Foundation
Untitled
1948
Gordon Parks
Gelatin Silver Print
Courtesy The Gordon Parks Foundation
GORDON PARKS: THE MAKING OF AN ARGUMENT
Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument Photography Exhibition Will Explore the Production of Gordon Parks’ First Photographic Essay for LIFEmagazine On View September 12, 2013 – January 19, 2014 NEW ORLEANS, LA – The New Orleans Museum of Art presents Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument, an exhibition that explores the production of… Read More
Gordon Parks Shot Photos, But LIFE Shaped Landmark Essay, In Exhibit At NOMA
BY JOHN D’ADDARIO American documentary photographer Gordon Parks began his career shooting portraits and fashion in Chicago and Washington, D.C., eventually landing a position with the Farm Security Administration alongside such notable fellow photographers as Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange. But it was his 1948 LIFE magazine photo essay on youth gang culture in Harlem… Read More
Gordon Parks: “The Making Of An Argument,” New Orleans Museum Of Art
By: John Edwin Mason You can read the full article here It’s the season of Gordon Parks. Still. Over the last year or so, Parks’ photography has been more visible and more appreciated than at perhaps any time since the 1960s and ’70s. In 2012, he was the subject of several major exhibitions in New… Read More
‘Gordon Parks: The Making Of An Argument’ Featured By The Google Cultural Institute
CLICK HERE to view NOMA’s exhibition Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument on Google’s Cultural Institute. Read More
Review: The Making Of An Argument
Posted By D. Eric Bookhardt “I still don’t know exactly who I am,” Gordon Parks wrote in a 1979 memoir. Despite being one of the biggest names in 20th century photography, he remains a paradoxical figure because he was so accomplished in many different fields. He was a noted writer and composer, and he also… Read More
Slide Show: ‘Gordon Parks: The Making Of An Argument’
Posted by Genevieve Fussell | The New Yorker View the slide show and article here On November 1, 1948, Life magazine published the photo essay “Harlem Gang Leader,” introducing their readers to the photography of Gordon Parks and to his subject, the seventeen-year-old Leonard (Red) Jackson, leader of the Harlem gang the Midtowners. “Gordon Parks:… Read More
Sponsors / Partners
Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument is organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art in collaboration with The Gordon Parks Foundation. Support for the exhibition is provided by Blaine Butler.