1. Photography
Gordon Parks

2. Gordon Parks
Was a Photographer

3. Biography
Gordon Parks was born the youngest in 1912 in Kansas to a poor, African-American family of 15 children.
His mom never let him use his race as an excuse because she had very high expectations for him.
She always believed that Black people were equal to White People.

4. A Hard Life
His mom passed away when he was young, so he went to live with his older sister.
His sister’s husband kicked him out because they didn’t like each other.
He slept in trolley cars, hung around pool halls, worked as a piano player, and was a waiter on a luxury train.

5. Gordon Parks
He bought his first camera when he was 26, when he saw some pictures in a magazine about poor workers.
Photo by Dorthea Lange

6. Time Line
1912
1930s
1950s
1960s
1970s
2006

7. Gordon Parks He is most famous for his portraits.
This one is his most famous.
Does it remind you of another art work?
American Gothic, 1943

8. American Gothic by Gordon Parks, 1942
American Gothic by Grant Wood, 1930

9. Gordon Parks
He endured much racism, but he never forgot what his mom told him.
He got a job doing fashion photography for Vogue magazine
Paris, 1950

10. Gordon Parks
He liked photographing beautiful models in beautiful places, but he wanted to tell stories with his camera.
Ingrid Bergman, 1949

11. Gordon Parks
One of the stories he wanted to tell was that of the poor.
Beggar Woman and Child, Estoril, Portugal, 1950

12. Department Store Birmingham, Alabama, 1956
Gordon Parks
He also wanted to show racial discrimination and injustice during the Civil Rights Movement.
Department Store Birmingham, Alabama, 1956

13. Malcolm X Addressing Black Muslim Family Rally in Chicago, 1963
Malcolm X was a leader during the Civil Rights Movement. They became great friends.
Malcolm X Addressing Black Muslim Family Rally in Chicago, 1963

14. Time Line
1912
1930s
1950s
1960s
1970s
2006

15. Gordon Parks
He also told stories of other African-Americans during a America’s cultural revolution.
Muhammad Ali, 1970

16. Gordon Parks
He did everything from photography to writing, music, and making movies.
Shaft, 1971

17. When he was old, he started making abstract photography and paintings.
Gordon Parks
When he was old, he started making abstract photography and paintings.
He passed away in March 2006.
A Memory, 1993

18. It’s Art using a camera and film.
What is Photography?
It’s Art using a camera and film.

19. Photography
In photography, the camera is like the paintbrush, and the film is like the paper

20. Photography
When the camera put the picture on the film, it makes a negative.
The real picture shows up when you print it on paper.

21. Composition
In Art, it’s important to think about where to put everything in a picture.
Artists use the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design to compose an image.

22. Elements of Art
Photography has:
Line
Form
Space
Value
Color

23. Photography has Lines
Line is a dot that moves from one point to another

24. What kind of lines do you see here?
Photography has Lines
What kind of lines do you see here?
Photo by Gordon Parks

25. Photography has Form
Form is a 3D closed area.

26. What kind of form do you see?
Photography has Form
What kind of form do you see?

27. Space is the area around
Photography has Space
Space is the area around
Photo by Andy Goldsworthy

28. Photography has Value Value is light and dark.
The Fontanelle Family Bessie and Kenneth, Little Richard, Norman Jr. and Ellen at the Poverty Board in New York City, 1967

29. Photography has Color

30. Photo by Gordon Parks, 1962

31. Principles of Design
Photography uses:
Emphasis
Movement

32. Photography uses Emphasis
Emphasis is the strongest area of the composition where all the attention goes
Ethel Shariff in Chicago, 1963

33. Photography uses Movement
How can a photographer create Movement?
Photo By Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932

34. Conclusion Photography is a new Art form
Gordon Parks was a Photographer who “painted” important stories during important times during American History
He used the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design to create is Photographs