Bare Witness

Yesterday we journeyed to nearby Wilmington for Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks (1912 - 2006) at The Delaware Art Museum.

I first became a fan of Parks' works as a youngster who always looked forward to the arrival of Life magazine with its wonderful photographs.

The great thing about this current exhibition is that Parks selected all of the photos shown and they were printed specifically for this show not long before he died. parks felt that these works represented a retrospective of his life and work - the way he wanted to be remembered.

This extraordinary exhibition features 73 works as examples Parks' most potent imagery.

After rising as a portrait and fashion photographer, Parks also began documenting social ills as part of the Farm Security Administration. In 1948, he became the first African American staff photographer for Life magazine and established an international reputation for his photo essays chronicling the lives of the poor and the Civil Rights movement. He was also an author (The Learning Tree), filmmaker (Shaft), poet, and musician, a renaissance man whose career embodies the American ideal of equality.

This exhibition runs through January 4.

It is an absolute "must see!"

BTW: The Delaware Art Museum's delightful museum store is a real gem and a perfect place to buy unusual (and affordable) holiday gifts.