Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument[戈登公园]

GordonParks(November30,1912–March7,2006)wasanAmericanphotographer,musician,writerandfilmdirector.HeisbestrememberedforhisphotographicessaysforLifemagazineandasthedirectorofthe1971film,Shaft.Itisthemostextensivepublicationtodocumenthislegendarycareer.WidelyrecognizedasthemostimportantandinfluentialAfrican-Americanphotographerofthetwentiethcentury,Parkscombinedauniquedocumentaryandartisticstylewithaprofoundcommitmenttosocialjustice.WorkingfirstfortheFarmSecurityAdministrationandlaterforLifemagazine,hespecializedinextendednarrativepicturestoriesondifficultsubjectmatter.Coveringcrime,poverty,segregation,thepoliticsofraceandclass,andcontroversialpersonalities,Parksbecamelegendaryforhisabilitytomeldpenetratinginsightwithalyricalaesthetic.Hewasthusabletointroduceabroadanddiversepublictopeople,issuesandideastheymightotherwisehaveignored.Parkswasremarkablyversatile,travellingtheworldtophotographnewseventsandfashion,aswellastheworldsofart,literature,music,theatreandfilm.Laterinlife,hereconceivedhisvisioninfundamentallypersonalandpoeticterms,producingcolourphotographsthatwereallusiveratherthandescriptive,symbolicratherthanliteral.GordonParkswasbornintopovertyandsegregationinFortScott,Kansas,in1912.Anitinerantlabourer,heworkedasabrothelpianistandrailcarporter,amongotherjobs,beforebuyingacameraatapawnshop,traininghimself,andbecomingaphotographer.InadditiontohisstoriedtenuresattheFarmSecurityAdministrationandtheOfficeofWarInformation(19411945)andLifemagazine(19481972),Parkswasamodern-dayRenaissanceman,whofoundsuccessasafilmdirector,authorandcomposer.ThefirstAfrican-Americandirectortohelmamajormotionpicture,hepopularisedtheBlaxploitationgenrethroughhisfilmShaft(1971).Hewrotenumerousmemoirs,novelsandbooksofpoetry,andreceivedmanyawards,includingtheNationalMedalofArts,andmorethanfiftyhonorarydegrees.In1997theCorcoranGalleryofArtinWashington,D.C.,mountedhisretrospectiveexhibitionHalfPastAutumn:TheArtofGordonParks.Parksdiedin2006.