GORDON PARKS: HALF AND THE WHOLE @ JACK SHAINMAN GALLERY 7 JANUARY- 20 FEBUARY 2021

Gordon Parks, Malcolm X at Rally, Chicago, Illinois, 1963

Jack Shainman Gallery presents a new exhibition of photographs in both Chelsea locations. Gordon Parks is a renowned photographer, writer, director, and social justice activist widely known for directing 1971’s Shaft.

The photographs date as far back as 1942 and include a mix of color and black and white images. Iconic images like, Department Store and portraits of Malcolm X at a Harlem rally reflect and engage the legacy of Black America in 2021.

There is joy in the photographs, struggle, beauty, and intimacy. The past meets the present in the black and white photograph, Untitled, NY,NY 1963. A man is captured holding a sign with the words, “We Are Living In A Police State”.

Gordon Parks, Untitled, New York, New York, 1963

Gordon Parks, American Gothic, Washington, D.C., 1942

Gordon Parks, Untitled, Mobile, Alabama, 1956

Gordon Parks, Untitled, Harlem, New York, 1948

Gordon Parks, Drinking Fountains, Mobile, Alabama, 1956

Gordon Parks, Department Store, Mobile, Alabama, 1953

Gordon Parks, Untitled, Nashville, Tennessee, 1956

This was my first opportunity to see Gordon Parks’ images in person. I’ve been familiar with the images via tumblr and instagram for years, but seeing the large photograph prints in person connected cultural stories and United States history, particularly the civil rights movement. These are not just ideas anymore. Not just images. A wise woman once said, “hatred is like taking poison and waiting for those you hate to die.”

Jack Shainman

513 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011

524 West 24th Street New York, NY 10011

https://jackshainman.com