Off on My Own (Harlem, New York), from the series "Harlem is Nowhere"

Gordon ParksWW-1948-032373

1948·Gelatin silver print·Image/paper: 33.8 × 24.8 cm (13 5/16 × 9 13/16 in.)

<p>Harlem is Nowhere paired photographs by Gordon Parks with an essay by writer Ralph Ellison to explore Black life in Harlem. Ellison wrote, “Many of [Harlem’s] ordinary aspects (its crimes, its casual violence, its crumbling buildings with littered areaways, ill-smelling halls, and vermin-invaded rooms) are indistinguishable from the distorted images that appear in dreams.” Here, the large black bands that sweep across the composition render the scene surreal. Street pole, doorway, and facade become indiscernible except in relation to each other, and the silhouetted figure is cast as the average Harlemite, “off on one’s own.”</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1948
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image/paper: 33.8 × 24.8 cm (13 5/16 × 9 13/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Gordon Parks

Artist

Gordon Parks

Photography

Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a pioneering African American photographer, filmmaker, musician, and writer, best known for his profound work documenting the American civil rights movement and the experiences of African Americans. Born into poverty, Parks was self-taught, using his camera as a tool for social change. His photo essays for Life magazine, notably on racial segregation, poverty, and urban life, broke new ground in photojournalism. Parks also made history as the first African American to direct a major Hollywood film, "The Learning Tree," based on his own semiautobiographical book, and the iconic film "Shaft." His legacy endures through his multifaceted contributions to art and culture, showcasing the power of art as a vehicle for justice and understanding.

Fort Scott, KS, USA

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