Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 63 (1998) Lifetime Achievement Award
Gordon Parks
ゴードン・パークス
Gordon Parks
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1912-11-30 （Fort Scott, Kansas, U.S.）
- Died
- 2006-03-07 （New York City, U.S.） age 93
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Fort Scott, Kansas → St. Paul, Minnesota → Chicago, Illinois → Harlem, New York City → Greenburgh, New York
Career
- Occupations
- Photographer, Author, Film director, Composer, Poet, Photojournalist
- Active Years
- 1930-2006
- Influenced By
- Roy Stryker, Henry Brant
- Influenced
- Spike Lee, Generation of filmmakers and photojournalists (inspired by Parks)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University (honorary) | — | — | 名誉文学博士 | 1970（名誉学位） | United States |
| Thiel College (honorary) | — | — | 名誉人文学博士 | 1976（名誉学位） | United States |
Kansas State University (honorary)
Degree:
名誉文学博士
Period:
1970（名誉学位）
Year of Graduation:
1970
Country:
United States
Awarded an honorary degree in 1970
Thiel College (honorary)
Degree:
名誉人文学博士
Period:
1976（名誉学位）
Year of Graduation:
1976
Country:
United States
Awarded an honorary degree in 1976
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Rosenwald Fellowship (photography) | — | — | Rosenwald Fund | 受賞 |
| 1960 | Magazine Photographer of the Year | — | — | American Society of Magazine Photographers | 受賞 |
| 1972 | Spingarn Medal | — | — | NAACP | 受賞 |
| 1988 | National Medal of Arts | — | — | United States (National Endowment for the Arts / Presidential award) | 受賞 |
| 2000 | Library of Congress Living Legend | The Learning Tree, among works | — | Library of Congress | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement | — | — | Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Royal Photographic Society Special 150th Anniversary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS) | — | — | Royal Photographic Society | 受賞 |
| 2003 | NAACP Image Award | — | — | NAACP | 受賞 |
Rosenwald Fellowship (photography)
1941
Organization:
Rosenwald Fund
Result:
受賞
Magazine Photographer of the Year
1960
Organization:
American Society of Magazine Photographers
Result:
受賞
Spingarn Medal
1972
Organization:
NAACP
Result:
受賞
National Medal of Arts
1988
Organization:
United States (National Endowment for the Arts / Presidential award)
Result:
受賞
Library of Congress Living Legend
2000
Work:
The Learning Tree, among works
Organization:
Library of Congress
Result:
受賞
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement
1998
Organization:
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result:
受賞
Royal Photographic Society Special 150th Anniversary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS)
2003
Organization:
Royal Photographic Society
Result:
受賞
NAACP Image Award
2003
Organization:
NAACP
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
American Gothic, Washington, D.C.
1942 PhotographyAn iconic photograph of Ella Watson, a cleaning woman, standing before an American flag. The image poignantly critiques racism and social inequality in the U.S.
RacismPovertySocial critique
The Learning Tree
1963 Semi-autobiographical novel / Film 288 pagesA semi-autobiographical novel based on Parks's youth; later adapted into a film he directed. It is noted as among the first feature films by a Black director financed by a major Hollywood studio.
Coming of ageRace and societyMemory
Adaptations
- [Film] The Learning Tree / Gordon Parks (1969)
Shaft
1971 Film (action/detective)A 1971 hit film featuring Black private detective John Shaft. The movie was influential in the emergence of the blaxploitation genre and in changing Hollywood perceptions of Black protagonists.
Urban cultureBlack representationAction
Bibliography
- Flash Photography (1947)
- Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture (1948)
- The Learning Tree (1963)
- A Choice of Weapons (1967)
- Born Black (1970)
- Flavio (1978)
- Voices in the Mirror (1990)
- A Hungry Heart (2005)
Adaptations
- The Learning Tree → 1969 film (dir. Gordon Parks)
- Shaft → 1971 film (dir. Gordon Parks)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Documentary realismLyrical, memoir-like proseVisually rich essays
- Recurring Motifs
- RacismPoverty and laborEveryday detailsIdentity and dignity
Legacy
Gordon Parks is one of the foremost American photographers and filmmakers of the 20th century, known for using his camera as a 'weapon' to expose racism and poverty. As director of works such as The Learning Tree and Shaft, his influence spans photography, film and music; his archives are held by the Library of Congress and numerous museums and universities.
Museums
- Gordon Parks Foundation (exhibition space) Pleasantville, New York, U.S.
- Gordon Parks Museum/Center Fort Scott, Kansas, U.S.
- Library of Congress (holds Parks archives) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Academic Societies
- American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP)
Archives
- Library of Congress (personal collection of Parks)
- Gordon Parks Foundation archives
- Kansas State University (Gordon Parks Collection)
- Wichita State University (Ulrich Museum holdings)
In Popular Culture
- The Sesame Street character Gordon was named after Parks
- One of Parks's photographs was used on the cover of Common's album Like Water for Chocolate
- Parks's iconic photographs are referenced in Kendrick Lamar's ELEMENT. music video
Quotes
-
I used my camera as a weapon — against poverty, against racism, against all kinds of social injustice.
Source: A Choice of Weapons (memoir) and various interviews (1967)
Trivia
- As a teenager he worked as a piano player in brothels.
- He was chosen as godfather to Malcolm X's daughter Qubilah Shabazz.
- He made a cameo appearance in the 2000 Shaft film as Mr. P.
- He received more than 20 honorary doctorates in his lifetime.