The Gordon Parks Foundation Presents RALPH ELLISON: PHOTOGRAPHER Exhibition

The Gordon Parks Foundation will present Ralph Ellison: Photographer, an exhibition of photographs shot by Ellison held in The Gordon Parks Foundation's collection.

The photographs, taken in the 1940s in New York City, are shown with a selection of images made by Gordon Parks at the same time, some likely alongside Ellison. Ellison (1913-1994) is widely regarded as one of the foremost figures in American literature. His seminal novel, Invisible Man (1952), is hailed as a breakthrough representation of the American experience and Black everyday life. Lesser known, however, is Ellison's engagement with photography.

Throughout his life, photography played multiple roles for Ellison: a hobby, a source of income, a note taking tool, and a creative outlet. His photographic work from the 1930s through the 1990s reveals an artist steeped in modernist thinking who embraced experimentation as a means to interpret the world around him, particularly the representation of Black life in America. During his formative years in New York City in the 1940s, Ellison experimented with photographic technologies and styles to document his surroundings, with many images serving as field notes for his writing. For a period, he supplemented his author's income with work as a freelance photographer. During this time, his friend and collaborator, Gordon Parks, offered informal training, and the two spent weeks roaming Harlem together, each with a camera in hand, eventually collaborating on two projects that combined image and text. This exhibition features the photographs Ellison made during this formative time.

“Ralph Ellison and Gordon Parks were friends and colleagues of the same generation, born into segregation —Ellison in Oklahoma City and Parks in Fort Scott, Kansas,” said The Gordon Parks Foundation's Executive Director Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr. “They met in Harlem in the 1940s, and while Ellison's writing career was gaining momentum, he briefly turned to photography for a profession, with Parks acting as mentor and shooting partner. While we do not know for certain, we can imagine that Ellison inspired Parks to embrace writing, just as Parks inspired Ellison to embrace photography. Over careers that spanned more than half a century, through their words and pictures, Ellison and Parks shared the goal of representing Black life as integral to, not separate from, the breadth of American culture. In 2020, the Gordon Parks Foundation had the opportunity to acquire for its permanent collection approximately 130 photographs by Ellison dating from the 1940s, many shot alongside Parks, and it's an honor to present this exhibition today.”

Ralph Ellison: Photographer is on view now through February 7, 2025 at The Gordon Parks Foundation Gallery (48 Wheeler Ave., Pleasantville, NY) and is being held in conjunction with the release of the book Ralph Ellison: Photographer, published by The Gordon Parks Foundation, the Ralph and Fanny Ellison Charitable Trust, and Steidl. For more information, please PRESS HERE. 

The Gordon Parks Foundation will host its Annual Awards Dinner & Auction of Gordon Parks' photographs on Tuesday, May 20 at Cipriani 42nd Street. The Foundation celebrates the enduring legacy of the visionary photographer and multidisciplinary artist, by supporting and launching artistic and educational projects that amplify his deep commitment to social justice and the transformative power of creativity, and the gala brings together changemakers across film, music, fashion, art, and philanthropy. This year's event will honor legendary model and activist Bethann Hardison, acclaimed contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue and politician, minister and civil rights leader Ambassador Andrew Young, who was U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mayor of Atlanta and a U.S. Congressman. All proceeds from the evening will support year-round educational programming as well as the fellowships, prizes, and scholarships provided by The Gordon Parks Foundation to the next generation of artists, writers, and students whose work follows in Parks' footsteps. Tickets are available starting at $2,000 and can be purchased on the Gordon Parks Foundation website or by contacting Buckley Hall Events at gpfgala@buckleyhallevents.com or 914-579-1000.

ABOUT THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION

The Gordon Parks Foundation supports and produces artistic and educational initiatives that advance the legacy and vision of Gordon Parks—recognized as the most significant American photographer of the 20th century, as well as a writer, musician, and filmmaker, who used the arts to further “the common search for a better life and a better world.” Through exhibitions, publications, and public programs organized in collaboration with national and international institutions at its exhibition space in Pleasantville, New York, the Foundation provides access to, and supports understanding of, the work and contributions of Gordon Parks for artists, scholars, students, and the public. Through its year-round educational programming and annual grant-making initiatives, the Foundation champions current and future generations of artists and humanitarians whose work carries on Parks' legacy. For more information, please visit https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org.