Dawoud Bey (Finding Aid)

Dawoud Bey

1953 -

Favorite Color: Blue or Purple

Favorite Time of Year: Summer

Favorite Vacation Spot: London, England

Interview Length: 170 minutes

Interview Date(s): January 12, 2001

Interview Location(s): Chicago, Illinois

Abstract

Dawoud Bey shares his family history and background in the opening segments. He continues with the various hardships his parents faced in the 1920s and 1930s and their courtship. Bey describes his childhood in Jamaica, Queens and the rapid acceleration of 'white flight' in his neighborhood. A bright and calm place in this storm of change was his second grade teacher, Hortense Jones. Her kind manner and encouraging philosophy played a major role in Bey's life. Dawoud Bey recalls his contentious secondary school years where busing and integration had a decided impact on his worldview. The encouragement he found with his second grade teacher was supplanted by suspicion and accusations of white teachers who questioned young Bey's intellectual ability. Bey recalls a serendipitous bequest from his late godfather of a camera turned his life around. He also notes the pivotal influence of the controversial Metropolitan Museum exhibit, Harlem on My Mind, on his philosophy and photography. Dawoud Bey charts his movement from a musician to a professional phtographer. After attending the Queensbourough Community College, Bey decided to invest in his education and attend the School of Visual Arts in New York City. After 2 years, his professors encouraged him to make the leap into a professional career. Several small exhibits later, Bey landed a plum solo exhibition at the Studio Museum of Harlem with his works entitled, 'Harlem, USA'. The Studio Museum plays a pivotal role in Bey's artistic growth and career he explains.As a new artist, Bey details the influence of noted photographers like James VanDerZee or Walker Evans on his work. Dawoud Bey shares insider details of life as an artist and photographer in New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s. HE describes the influence of noted photographer, Roy DeCarava and Gordon Parks on his work. In particular, he credits DeCarava's blunt style and critiques of Bey's photography in sharpening his work. Bey also speaks at length about the strong ties forged among other black artists in New York in the 1970s and 1980s. He found no line of demarcation between painters, sculptors and photographers. Rather, the fertile creative soil helped bonds of friendship grow. Bey remembers his first major solo exhibit, 'Harlem, USA' and the creative process behind his work. Dawoud Bey gives great detail on his creative process and the forces which motivate his photography. From his travels to the work of other artists and photographers, Bey draws inspiration. He also recalls his courtship and marriage to painter, Candida Alvarez. Dawoud Bey gives a great deal of insight into his creative process and philosophy of art. Although he was a successful artist in the early 1990s, Bey decided to attend Yale for a graduate degree in photography. Not long after, he moved to Chicago, Illinois to accept a position as a professor of photography after his wife landed a position at the School of the Art Institute. Bey continues to offer his assessment of the future of black artists and the influence of politics on art. He describes the impact of the Studio Museum of Harlem on black artists and on his career as well. He isn't ready to contemplate his legacy; Bey says there are a few more chapters left to write. The segment closes with several photos.

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