James Van Der Zee, the celebrated African American photographer whose studio was at the crossroads of the Harlem Renaissance, depicted the lives of black New Yorkers for decades. Forty of his influential portraits will be on view at Howard Greenberg Gallery from March 7- April 27, 2019. Spanning the 1920s through the 1950s, James Van Der Zee: Studio marks the photographer’s first exhibition in New York in over 15 years, providing a window into his legendary studio and the vast archive he created of Harlem’s cultural history. Van Der Zee’s inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Harlem on My Mind exhibition in 1969 brought his work to a new audience securing his reputation as one of the great photographers of the 20th century. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 7, from 6 – 8 p.m. James Van Der Zee, "Young Girl with Dog," 1921. Gelatin silver print; printed c.1921, 4 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches ©Donna Mussenden Van Der Zee, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York When James Van Der Zee opened his photography studio on 135th Street in 1918, a new era was beginning in Harlem, a time when jazz, poetry, art, and literature all flourished. Capturing the glamour as well as everyday life, Van Der Zee became known as the eye of the Harlem Renaissance. Unique among portrait photographers, Van Der Zee used painted backdrops and luxurious props, creating elaborate tableaux for his subjects, and bathing them in flattering lighting. After developing his photographs, he would at times take out his paintbrushes, carefully hand coloring his images. Finding and portraying the elegance and refinement of his subjects was his mission be it Marcus Garvey, the noted civil rights activist and politician, or multiple generations celebrating a family event. While known predominantly for his portraits, Van Der Zee also chronicled the streets around him. The exhibition will include his photographs showing Harlem storefronts, parades, and church groups, providing a glimpse of the era’s quotidian elements of life. Together with his portraits, they give viewers the most complete picture available of lives lived in Harlem for over a half a century.…
Exhibitions
