Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parkswas a noted American photographer, musician, writer and film director, who became prominent in U.S. documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particularly in issues of civil rights, poverty and African-Americans—and in glamour photography. As the first famous pioneer among black filmmakers, he was the first African-American to produce and direct major motion pictures—developing films relating the experience of slaves and struggling black Americans, and creating the "blaxploitation" genre. He is best remembered for his iconic photos of poor Americans...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPhotographer
Date of Birth30 November 1912
CityFort Scott, KS
CountryUnited States of America
Enthusiasm is the electricity of life
I have always felt as though I needed a weapon against evil.
Many times I wondered whether my achievement was worth the loneliness I experienced, but now I realize the price was small.
I have never known anyone important enough to consume me in anger beyond a few hours. Better to depart their existence before they poison your own.
And now, I feel at 85, I really feel that I'm just ready to start.
I bought my first camera in Seattle, Washington. Only paid about seven dollars and fifty cents for it.
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.
I had known poverty firsthand, but there I learned how to fight its evil - along with the evil of racism - with a camera.
Success can be wracking and reproachful, to you and those close to you. It can entangle you with legends that are consuming and all but impossible to live up to.
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.
Washington, D.C. in 1942 was not the easiest place in the world for a Negro to get along.
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.
But I was very disappointed that I didn't get a chance to go overseas with that group, might not have gotten back but I wanted very much to go because there's not much of a record of the exploits of the first Negro fighter group.
You know, the camera is not meant just to show misery.