He Told Our Stories

By Keith Boykin, in pop culture
Wednesday, March 8 2006, 1:08AM

He was the most famous African American photographer of the 20th century. He captured images of black America that few other photographers would ever see, and in the process of developing his craft he told our stories. His name was Gordon Parks. After a long career, he died yesterday. He was 93.

Gordon Parks influenced so many young black photographers that the only way to pay tribute to him is to speak to the photographers themselves. Last night I spoke to three well-known black photographers and asked them for their thoughts on Gordon Parks. The photographers are Charzette Torrence (Charlie T) in New York, Israel Wright in Chicago and Duane Cramer in San Francisco. This is what they had to say.

Charlie T: "He was a larger than life person. He was somebody that showed us the truth about life...He showed us that we can do so many things, in his own pioneering way of his with his pictures and movies and books...He was the only African American photographer that I looked up to in college and high school. He was the only one that I could relate to because he was the only one that history showed. He was one of those icons that you never thought would die...When he came to Detroit, I spent some time with him. They selected three schools in Detroit to do a photo exhibit...and they knew nothing about Gordon Parks, these were the troubled kids who came to school with drugs and guns, so I had them photograph what they knew...And he took out a lot of time with the kids. He had such a grace about himself when it came to people of color. He will truly be missed.

I did [a special] series after 9/11 in honor of Gordon . It was my second test shoot after coming to New York...A new generation of photgraphers have to step up to the plate now. It is time that we start coming together as a human beings. Gordan Parks will be greatly missed." (Charlie T Photography)

Israel Wright: "I thought he was wonderful. He was inspirational for a project that [I worked on] with a group of photographers called The Journey, African American photographers looking at the new century. A lot of it was modeled after how Gordon Parks did his imagery with regular folks. I'm really sorry to hear that he passed away. His contribution to black photographers was wonderful and it got lots of other photographers a chance to be exposed like that and actually in print in major publications." (Israel Wright Photography)

Duane Cramer: "He was a renaissance man and first at so many things. Among those, the first black man to direct a major Hollywood film 'The Learning Tree,' and the first black man to be on staff at Life Magazine. He chronicled our (black American) experience like no image maker before. While Gordon Parks has passed his photographic and cinematic images will live on forever.

He was clearly someone, probably one of the foremost photographers that inspired me, someone I admired. I was interviewed by Q Television yesterday and I actually said that on the show yesterday. The social commentary type of photography that I do...I'm just very upset. It just seems kind of unexpected and too soon...And I can't think of any other African American photographers that have made their mark in contemporary times, there's no one else that comes to my mind [in the same way that he has]... Some of my works are going to be traveling this summer in a show called Elegant. We were hoping to take the show to New York and having him participate at the New York showing...Maybe we can do something to really honor him as we showcase some of the photography along the way....He was unquestionably one of the most influential photographers to me, along with James VanDerZee." (Duane Cramer Photography)

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