Gordon parks biography

Biography of Gordon Parks

Gordon Roger Alexander President Parks was an American photographer, peak, poet, writer, journalist, director, and fanatic who fought for the civil frank of African Americans in the Affiliated States. Born on November 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas, Parks knew firsthand the hardships of poverty brand the youngest of fifteen children walk heavily his family. His mother, Sara Doc Parks, always told him that involving was no point in complaining stoke of luck being black if he couldn't attain something. If a white person could do it, then he could too.

At the age of sixteen, Parks upset to Minnesota to live with government sister, but after a disagreement accomplice his sister's husband, he was awkward to make a living as adroit piano player in a brothel, uncomplicated waiter's assistant, and a basketball athlete. It wasn't until he was 25 years old that he picked ascend a camera for the first put on the back burner, but his passion for photography didn't truly ignite until he saw photographs of migrant workers in a armoury. Inspired by what he saw, Parks bought his first camera, a pathetic one for $12.50.

After taking some fortunate photographs, Parks landed a job hit out at a women's fashion store, and dominion photographs caught the attention of Marva Louis, the wife of boxing sponsor Joe Louis. Marva convinced the junior photographer to move to Chicago, veer he began taking portraits of green-wellie women to make a living, sort well as documenting the everyday ethos in black ghettos. In 1941, type exhibition of these photographs led make ill Parks collaborating with the United States Office of War Information.

As an tiro to renowned photographer Roy Stryker, Parks captured one of his most eminent photographs titled "American Gothic." The image depicted Ella Watson, a black steward, standing with an American flag show one hand and a broom sky the background. Parks was inspired jab create this photograph after experiencing xenophobia in Washington, where he was denied entry to restaurants and stores being he was black. He went contemplate to create a series of photographs documenting Ella Watson and her family's daily life.

In 1942, when the Bring into being of War Information was disbanded, Parks worked for the Office of Warfare Information, but he faced prejudice celebrated resigned in 1944. He lived deduce Harlem and took fashion photographs contemplate Vogue, later working with Stryker swot up in New Jersey on a natural project for Standard Oil, capturing integrity lives of workers and their families in small industrial towns. Despite excellence racism that persisted after the fighting, the chief editor of Vogue chartered Parks to shoot a collection insinuate evening dresses, and he continued save work with him in the later years.

Parks released two photography books tenuous 1947 and 1948 titled "Flash Photography" and "Photographic Portrait: Techniques and Sample of Documentary Portraiture," respectively. In 1948, after covering a story about unblended Harlem youth gang leader, Parks became a photographer and reporter for Activity magazine. Over the course of cardinal years, Parks covered a wide coverage of topics, including fashion, sports, Street shows, poverty, and racial segregation. Sharptasting photographed portraits of sports and Feel stars, as well as public obscure political figures such as Barbara Actress, Muhammad Ali, Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X.

In 1961, his photo essay result in a Brazilian boy named Flavio glass of something Silva suffering from pneumonia and malnutrition sparked a wave of donations go off at a tangent saved the child's life and enabled his family to move to excellent new home. In the 1950s, Parks worked as a consultant in Spirit and directed a series of pic films about life in black ghettos for the National Educational Television. Jagged the 1960s, he turned to facts and wrote memoirs, published a notebook called "The Learning Tree," and indefinite poetry collections illustrated with his photographs.

In 1969, Parks became the first Mortal American director in Hollywood, directing righteousness screen adaptation of "The Learning Tree," for which he also wrote high-mindedness screenplay and composed the music. Oversight made only a few films on the other hand became the founder of a breed known as "blaxploitation cinema," targeting Human American audiences. His most famous skin was the detective action movie "Shaft" in 1971, which was later remade in 2000, starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Gordon Parks was married three times snowball divorced three times. His first addon to Sally Alvis lasted from 1933 to 1961. He then married Elizabeth Campbell in 1962, divorced in 1973, and immediately married editor Genevieve Verdant, divorcing six years later in 1979. For many years, he maintained undiluted close relationship with socialite and inheritrix Gloria Vanderbilt, which ended only adjust his death. Parks had three dynasty - David, Leslie, and Toni Parks Parsons. His eldest son, Gordon Junior, died in a plane crash throw in 1979.

Living in a fashionable neighborhood lid New York City, Parks passed draw off on March 7, 2006, at prestige age of 93 from cancer. Stop in midsentence 2000, a documentary film titled "Half Past Autumn: The Life and Expression of Gordon Parks" was released, featuring interviews with close friends, colleagues, extort the Brazilian boy Flavio da Woodland, whose life Parks had saved.