Dawoud Bey

~Ashley Holder~Photo 2

The Bey Basics• Originally born as David Edward

Smickle• Born in 1953 in New York City’s

Jamaica, Queens area• Attended the School of Visual Arts

(1977-78)• Received his BFA in Photography

from Empire State College (1990)• Received his MFA from Yale

University School of Art (1993)• Had a style of street photography,

but just tries to capture the veracity of people

The Beyspiration• Bey received his first 35-millimeter camera at the age of 15; yet, his

photography career did not begin until 1975.• “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”

This philosophy influenced Bey’s art and how he works.

• He believes that photography can capture the true essences and identities of people by changing social stereotypes.

• Photographing high school students across the country is his way of “reaching across the lines of presumed differences.”

• “I always wanted my photographs to challenge the status quo, to contest the kinds of images that existed in popular culture, that staked out my own sense of who and what the subject mater was and why they’re important,” stated Bey.

The Beyspiration• Bey wanted to change society’s general view of modern American youth;

therefore, he manifested a book titled, Class Pictures: Photographs.• “Photographs are everywhere and photography has an immediacy and

familiarity that no other medium has. This is both photography’s blessing and it’s curse. Its very familiarity keeps people from engaging with it critically even as they consume photographs almost effortlessly. Because it was a broadly accessible medium I think it has the ability to viscerally describe the experience of one human being to another.”

• Photography can exceed cultural boundaries and stereotypes because it is truly universal.

Larry, David, Jason. 1993. Internal diffusion dye print. Each: 22 x 20 in.

Antoine. 2006. Size not found.

Omar. 2005. Size not found.

A Man in a Bowler Hat. 1976. Carbon pigment print. 6 ½ x 9 ½ in.

Barack Obama. 2006. Archival pigment print. 25 ½ x 20 in.

A Woman with Hanging Overalls. 1978. Carbon pigment print. 6 ½ x 9 ½ in.

Deas McNeil, The Barber. 1976. Carbon pigment print. 6 ½ x 9 ½ in.

Sharmaine, Vincente, Joseph, Andre, and Charlie. 1993. Internal dye diffusion transfer prints. Each: 26 ½ x 22 in.

A Boy Eating a Foxy Pop. 1998. Gelatin Silver Print. 12 x 9 ¼ in.

A Woman and Child in a Doorway. 1975. Carbon Pigment Print. 9 ½ x 6 3/8 in.

Art Criticism

A Woman and Two Boys Passing. 1978. Carbon Pigment Print. 6 ½ x 9 ½ in.

Description• Two boys and a woman• The boys’ shadows• A building with a steel,

decorated fence• Black and white• The woman has one hand on

her hip and the other on the fence

• The boys seem to be walking• Half of the photo has light

and the other half is in a shadow

Analysis• Movement displayed by the boys• Their shadows create a leading line to

the woman• The large, cast shadow in the

background fills the space• The boys have a different form than

the woman• Wide range of values• Emphasis on the woman’s white shirt• Balance is created by the people being

on opposite sides• Proportion, even though the boys are

closer, the woman is still larger because she is the adult

Interpretation• Part of Dawoud Bey’s Harlem

portfolio• He just wanted to convey the

everyday life in Harlem

Judgment• I like this photograph because the

leading line and emphasis on the white shirt really captured my eye.

• It seems to me that the woman is in deep thought, but the young boys are walking by, enjoying life

Beytrospective• Where was Dawoud Bey born?

a. New York city’s China Townb. New York City’s Sewerc. New York City’s Jamaica, Queensd. New York City’s Little Italy

Beytrospective

b. New York City’s Jamaica, Queens

Beytrospective• What was Bey’s original first name?

a. Damoundb. Drewc. Ditchardd. David

Beytrospective

– David

Beytrospective• Which quote did Bey live by?

a. “Get rich or die trying.”b. “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of

the problem.”c. “To be or not to be.”d. “We encounter many defeats, but we must not be

defeated.”

Beytrospective

– “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”

Citations• "Biography." Dawoudbey.net. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. <http://www.dawoudbey.net/>.• "Dawoud Bey." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawoud_Bey>.• "Mobius - Searching Objects." Mobius - Objects. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.

<http://collections.mocp.org/info.php?page=0&v=1&s=Bey, Dawoud&type=browse&t=objects&f=maker&d=>.

• "The HistoryMakers." The HistoryMakers.com - African American History Archive. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. <http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=60>.