Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks: A Pioneer in Photography and Storytelling
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was an American photographer, musician, composer, poet, novelist, journalist, and filmmaker. He is often referred to as the first African American staff photographer at a major magazine.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: November 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas
Died: March 7, 2006, in New York City
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Parks was an American national and excelled as a photographer. He is widely recognized for his work across various mediums, including photography, music, writing, and filmmaking.
Early Life and Background
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Gordon Parks grew up in a poor African American family in Kansas. His mother, Sarah, worked multiple jobs to support the family, while his father abandoned them when Gordon was young. Despite these challenges, Parks showed an early talent for music and began playing the saxophone at age 8.
In high school, he won a scholarship to attend the Kansas State Industrial College (now Kansas State University), where he studied music composition and performance. However, after graduating in 1933, Parks turned his attention to photography, recognizing its potential as a tool for storytelling and social commentary.
Major Accomplishments
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Parks's early career involved working as a photographer for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) under Roy Stryker. During this period, he traveled extensively throughout the United States, capturing images of rural poverty and the Great Migration. These photographs not only highlighted the struggles faced by African Americans but also drew attention to the need for social reform.
In 1948, Parks joined _Life_ magazine as its first African American staff photographer. Over the next several years, he produced numerous iconic photographs that captured the spirit of America during a time of great change and turmoil.
Some of his most notable works include:
"American Gothic" (1942): A portrait of a poor Alabama sharecropper's family, which served as a commentary on the struggles faced by African Americans in rural areas.
"The Resting Place" (1950): A series of photographs documenting the living conditions and treatment of Native American veterans at Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana.
Parks also pursued a career in music, composing symphonies, operas, and concertos. He wrote several books of poetry and published two novels, "The Learning Tree" (1963) and "Voice in the Night" (1966).
Notable Works or Actions
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In addition to his photography, Parks was a talented musician who composed music for film and television. Some of his notable works include:
"Young Man with a Horn" (1950): A biographical drama about jazz trumpeter Rick Martin, which Parks co-composed the score.
"The Learning Tree" (1969): An autobiographical novel that explores the challenges faced by African Americans in small-town Kansas.
Impact and Legacy
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Gordon Parks's contributions to American art and culture are immeasurable. As a photographer, he brought attention to social injustices, shedding light on issues such as poverty, racism, and inequality. Through his music, he expressed the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in a way that transcended words.
Parks received numerous awards during his lifetime, including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1947) and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama (1969). He was also appointed as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Gordon Parks is widely quoted and remembered due to his groundbreaking work across multiple mediums. His photography continues to inspire artists, activists, and social justice advocates today. As a composer and musician, he left an indelible mark on American classical music. His commitment to storytelling through various forms of art has made him an icon in the world of arts and humanities.
Parks's legacy serves as a testament to his unyielding dedication to creating art that sparks change and promotes understanding.
Quotes by Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks's insights on:
I’ve been with Life now for seventeen years and I have written several articles for them and will be doing more writing and do at least two assignments a year besides my writing.
So I went to Chicago in 1940, I think, ’41, and the photographs that I made there, aside from fashion, were things that I was trying to express in a social conscious way.
The photographer begins to feel big and bloated and so big he can’t walk through one of these doors because he gets a good byline; he gets notices all over the world and so forth; but they’re really – the important people are the people he photographs.
I was there less than a year before I was assigned to the Paris bureau. I spent two years there and, in fact, before I even went on the staff I was sent to Europe to do assignments which they wouldn’t normally do for a young photographer just starting out.
Use anger to emotionalize whatever thing you intend to do in life – being a painter, a poet or a photographer.
I had known poverty firsthand, but there I learned how to fight its evil – along with the evil of racism – with a camera.
But I do feel a little teeny right now that I’m just about ready to start, and winter is entering. Half past autumn has arrived.
At first I wasn’t sure that I had the talent, but I did know I had a fear of failure, and that fear compelled me to fight off anything that might abet it.
I’ve been asked if I think there will ever come a time when all people come together. I would like to think there will. All we can do is hope and dream and work toward that end. And that’s what I’ve tried to do all my life.