Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Wednesday, February 2, 2000 |
| Emory
to exhibit the work of an ultimate artist By MICHAEL
BOYLAN The pen is mightier than the sword, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Humans can communicate better when they can relate to something visually. “Don't just tell me — show me,” is a common refrain. Gordon Parks communicated with Americans visually, starting as the first African American photographer for Life magazine. Parks examined the contrasting relationships that existed, such as rich and poor, black and white, journalism and art. The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University will showcase the enormous talent of the artist with Half Past Autumn: The Art of Gordon Parks Feb. 5-April 30. The exhibit will be presented at 15 venues as part of a national touring program. The show will highlight Parks' achievements as a filmmaker, photographer, novelist, musician, poet and humanist. The retrospective brings together for the first time more than 200 of his photographs along with his work as a filmmaker (he directed numerous documentaries plus popular action flicks such as “Shaft”), his books (he has written five on is life), his numerous volumes of poetry and his music, which includes a symphony, sonatas, concertos and a ballet. “The Carlos Museum is delighted to be able to present to the Atlanta-area audience a compelling overview of one of the great figures of 20th-century American cultural life,” said museum director Anthony Hirschel. Parks overcame a background of racism and poverty to become an influential photographer for both Vogue and Life magazines. One of his more famous works is a series called “American Gothic, Washington D.C.” The series of 85 photographs depicts a government-employed African-American cleaning woman. The series is in sharp contrast to his fashion work “Parks' work echoes the tension of modern society,” said Phillip Brookman, exhibit co-curator and curator of media and photography arts at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. “In one frame, the art presses social issues, such as poverty, race, segregation and crime, while it also enhances our understanding of beauty, nature, childhood, music, fashion and memory.” The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission to the exhibit is free, but a $3 donation is suggested. For information, phone 404-727-4282. Other information about the Parks exhibit and the Michael C. Carlos Museum can be found at www.emory.edu/CARLOS
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