Dawoud Bey

The African - American photographer Dawoud Bey makes some snapshots of people he meets on the American streets. He just asks staying cool without smiling during the time he shot. Dawoud Bey improve an interest for picture making when he discovers the "Harlem on my mind " exhibition at the New - York Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1969. The underlined portraits weren't realised by African Americans but they all show human being like him. This future street photographer follows studies (School of visual Arts (1977), Empire State College (1990), Yale University School of Arts (1993) where he creates his own style building trust with the model keep watching the instant for being the witness of the time. The representation of African - Americans has rose since the first films shot at the end of the 19th century produced by Hollywood or also comics of that time where they are introduced as slaves or maids. During the 20th century all the African - American artists will fight with success against such stereotypes. Dawoud Bey show us people daily life and the audience can see the power of the watches translating several kinds of feelings (the frankness, the surprise, the laugh or never look at the camera objective).

Three young women photographed by Dawoud Bey in Brooklyn (New - York city), 1988.