Black Is Beautiful
Black History 2024
Fabiola Jean-Louis | Sòsyè
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AFRICAN AMERICANS & THE ARTS
Sometimes we forget Black History Month is not about educating others, it’s about celebrating Blackness in this country. And because Blackness is vast and diasporic, every year for Black History Month a theme is chosen. This year, the theme is African Americans & the Arts.
Photography is not only an art medium, it’s also a tool of resistance – especially for Black people.
One of the most effective tactics for the civil rights movement was the capturing of the unpatrotic, unconsitutional and racist violence that Black people suffered in photographs.
Because America as a whole was racially segregated, prior to seeing photos of the brutality of police officers and White citizens against peaceful Black protesters in newspapers and on TV, most White americans had no idea how intense the terror was. Dr. King knew that it would be very hard for the average American to dispute what they saw with their own eyes and so he welcomed photos being taken.
I believe that one of the reasons the institution of slavery endured was because, without the invention of photography and film, the evil deeds of enslavers largely remained unknown to most Americans. The myths of Blackness were able to persist because we were unable to show who we were through our own art. It was easy to dehumanize us and whitewash historical facts.
Think about it like this: without cameras and the endless photos posted on social media, most Americans would not know the name George Floyd.
That being said, y’all – we are so much more than the pictures of our traumas. We are a whole archive of every human emotion. Above and below are photos that hold just a fraction of our experiences.
Legendary photographer Gordon Parks said, “You know, the camera is not meant just to show misery.” How right he was. We are so much more than our misery.
Fabiola Jean-Louis
Haitian-born, New York-raised artist Fabiola Jean-Louis is already making strong statements with her fine art photography. Her series Rewriting History is a powerful set of painterly photographs that sees the artist explore the Black experience through the manipulation of imagery typically associated with White European nobility of the 15th to 19th centuries. While her images have been described as "magical, moody, and mysterious", Fabiola's body of work is also that of visual activism as she challenges the hegemony of society. Simultaneously, her goal is always to capture something that is not necessarily tangible in our world…Something that is beyond our humanity, and perhaps even pure.
Nate Palmer
Nate Palmer is an American documentary and fine art photographer born and raised in Washington, DC. Through his practice in imagemaking, Nate examines the collective understanding of masculinity in the United States, specifically within Black American communities.
Andre Perry
Andre Perry is a prolific lifestyle photographer/ director whose imagery represents a passion for storytelling and adventure. His images feel completely organic, as if he was just snapping photos of people he's known for years. The light is usually natural and unproduced. Nothing is exaggerated or feels staged, yet every frame is considered. There’s a story he’s telling, an emotional connection he seeks to make with his viewers. In Andre's work, you’ll see individuals celebrated as heroes and reflected as a pinnacle of happiness. It’s all life, and it’s all in his photographs.
Carrie Mae Weems
Considered one of the most influential contemporary American artists, Carrie Mae Weems has investigated family relationships, cultural identity, sexism, class, political systems, and the consequences of power. Determined as ever to enter the picture—both literally and metaphorically—Weems has sustained an on-going dialogue within contemporary discourse for over thirty years.
Braylen Dion
Developing upon his interest in photography that began at 11 years old, Braylen Dion is a 21 year old filmmaker and photographer whose work aims to renew the representation of Black people in media by personifying intimacy, and softness.
Sarahbeth Maney
Sarahbeth Maney’s work focuses on housing insecurity, the life-altering impact of gun violence and social issues that disproportionately impact Black and brown communities. As a journalist, her goal is to further representation within the industry and portray each story as honestly as it exists.
Texas Isaiah
Texas Isaiah (he/they) is a first-generation Black Indigenous. turn a married Christian woman with a different opinion than your husband’s. In 2020, Texas Isaiah became one of the first trans photographers to photograph a Vogue edition cover (Janet Mock, Patrisse Cullors, Jesse Williams, and Janaya Future Khan) and a TIME cover (Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union-Wade).
Alexis Hunley
Alexis Hunley is a freelance photographer whose work focuses on utilizing storytelling to celebrate the beauty and complexity of living as a human. She specializes in portraiture and documentary projects that explore authenticity and emotions. “I get asked often, ‘What’s it feel like documenting the protests?’ And more times than not, I don’t have much of an answer beyond, ‘Heavy.’ It feels like a daily cycle of rage, joy, despair, and hope. The images I create are the physical representation of me processing everything in real time. This is personal.”
Kai Tsehay
With a keen eye for detail and a passion for capturing captivating moments, Kai Tsehay has become an expert in the world of event photography, specializing in live events, concerts, festivals, behind-the-scenes experiences, and the electrifying underground nightlife across major cities worldwide.
Anthony Geathers
Anthony Geathers began documenting streetball as part of an ongoing series. “I just shoot what I love and streetball happens to be one of those things,” he says. Geathers developed an interest in photography in high school, learning different film formats and darkroom techniques.
Beautiful!
Thanks so much for sharing the beautiful work of these artists!