KOS DUAB
Ming Smith
Lo lus los ntawm txoj kev ntseeg Cummings
Cov duab los ntawm Ackime daus
Thaum nws tau ncaim ntawm cawv photography thiab daim duab ntiaj teb nyob loj nrog nws indelible tsis pom kev zoo uas tseem zoo li cas peb yeej pom lub ntiaj teb nyob ib ncig ntawm peb, Ming Smith tus thawj thiab tseem xaus hlub yuav nco ntsoov seev cev. Tab sis thaum pib, Tias romance yog riddled nrog complexity-- ua Smith paub txog dab tsi nws Blackness meant rau lwm tus ua ib tug hluas nkauj. Nws innocent menyuam ntawm tus "tippy-toe hluas nkauj" Thiab nug koom lawv nyob rau hauv hoob kawm yog sai confronted nrog nws unvirtuous exclusion los ntawm ib lub studio xib fwb thiab Smith tus tom sadness. Tab sis nws yuav khiav up against seev cev dua xyoo lawm tom qab, Muaj ib tug ntau inviting thiab txhawb encounter uas yuav ntev qhia nws txoj kev ntawm Katherine Dunham thiab ntau lwm choreographers dub choreographers uas yog ib extension ntawm cov diaspora-cultivating ua hauj lwm nws tau ua nws tus kheej.
Ntev ua ntej nws los ua tus thawj dub poj niam yees duab hauv lub MoMA sau, Smith yog ib tug me nyuam uas muaj borrowed nws niam Kodak Brownie, Noj cov duab ntawm nws kindergarten classmate--yuav luag instantly los ua enamored nrog tsim dluab. Uas admiration txuas ntxiv mus txog nws lub sij hawm thaum Howard University, Qhov twg nws muab ib daim duab elective photography thaum kawg, thiab thaum nws qauv hnub, Thaum nws pib ponder lub tswv yim ntawm photography ua ib daim duab daim duab thaum lub ntiaj teb no daim duab kev lag luam yog muaj ntawd tib sib tham.
Qhov twg nws nrhiav tau nws lub tsev raws li ib tug artist yog nrog lub Kamoinge Workshop: Ib influential collective ntawm cov kws yees duab dub nyob New York City uas ua nyob rau hauv 1963, Smith nkaus cov pab pawg neeg hauv lub 70s tom qab craving nws qhov chaw nyob rau hauv cov concurrent dub arts thiab Civil Rights taw noj chaw thaum lub sij hawm. "Lub collective yog yam nyob rau hauv sim txav peb cov neeg pem hauv ntej thaum lub sij hawm tshwj xeeb heev," Nws hais tias. "Roy DeCarava pib lub workshop muaj ib co autonomy thiab hais-ces txog cov dluab ntawm cov neeg dub uas tau tawm hauv lub mainstream. Ntau zaus, Muaj tsis zoo stereotypes hauv xov xwm, Li ntawd, peb xav ua dluab uas tuaj ntawm peb lub zej zog thiab peb tus kheej pom."
Thiab ua nws puas tau xyoo ua ntej MoMA tuaj hu rau 1979. "Yog tus thawj dub poj niam yees duab hauv lub tsev khaws puav pheej muab kuv affirmation, Tab sis kuv ib txwm piav nws li koj zoo li kuv tau txais ib qho puav pheej Academy, Tab sis tsis muaj leej twg paub txog nws," Nws hais tias. Tsuas ob peb tus neeg paub txog nws accomplishment thaum lub sij hawm, Thiab nws yog khees tias carving tawm qhov chaw nws tsim rau ces tom qab nws tau nyuaj thiab kho siab thaum lub sij hawm. "Muaj tug tsis muaj txoj kev uas tau mus rau hauv cov duab ua hauj lwm vim hais tias nws tsis yog ib lub lag luam ces," Nws reveals. "Tsuas cov kws yees duab xwb thaum lub sij hawm ntawd zam thiab advertising, Thiab tsis muaj lawv uas tau dub tau kom lawv studios." Li ntawd, Smith likens nws cov hauj lwm rau ntawd ib tug sib xyaw tawm artist los yog painter--txoj kev ntseeg Ringgold yog ib lub npe uas yooj yim tuaj rau nws lub siab vim nws protests tiv thaiv daim duab hauv tsev muaj dub nyuab showcased nyob rau hauv lawv collections.
Tab sis ntau li rhuav av thiab defying qhov yuav muaj integral rau Smith cov lus, Li ntawd, yog txoj moments ntawm kev kaj siab lug nyob capturing moments nrog tej lub ntiaj teb no iconic nyuab. Thaum ruminating rau nws nyiam duab, Nws instantly theem mus mloog shooting tus poj American sculptor thiab nraaj artist Elizabeth Catlett thiab cov "Godmother ntawm african American kos duab" Dr. Samella S. Lewis. Ob visionaries tau kuj zoo phooj ywg, Thiab Lewis sau tau ib phau ntawv rau Catlett lub chaw ua hauj lwm hauv 1984—txog nees nkaum xyoo rau hauv Catlett exile ntawm Teb Chaws Asmeskas. nyob Mexico. "Kuv twb yeej tshiab thaum peb xub tau ntsib, Tab sis thaum kuv nyob hauv Los Angeles, Thiab lawv nyob rau hauv lawv lub xyoos tom qab ntawd, Kuv muab cov duab ntawm lawv ua ke thiab nws yog ib lub caij zoo nkauj," Nws txiav ntaqwm. Tus inimitable Gordon Dam txog Parks kuj yog ib tug phooj ywg nyob deb ntawm Smith tus, Thiab nws hais fondly ntawm tus Yees duab dai rau nws phab ntsa tam sim no uas nws tau noj ntawm nws lub xeem Christmas. "Txhua xyoo tshiab hnub, Ib tug phooj ywg zoo tshaj plaws thiab kuv yuav mus rau kuv tus kws lij choj lub tsev thiab Gordon Dam txog Parks lub tsev yog txoj kev nyob ib ncig ntawm lub ces kaum, Li ntawd, peb yuav taug kev dua," Nws reminisces. "Kuv nco ntsoov Gordon Dam txog yuav tseem muaj nws tsob ntoo Christmas ntoo rau New xyoo hnub."
Smith thaum kawg xav tawm ib txojsia ntawm vam cia rau cov kws yees duab dub thiab ib txog kev ntawm sorts rau dab tsi tau nyob rau hauv lawv cov hauj lwm kav ntev. Nws yog thov nej tsam ces yog tag nrho cov insight aspiring thiab ua hauj lwm nyuab tau los ntawm hais lus thiab sib tham, Thiab nws yog ecstatic tias muaj coob tus hluas xav nyob rau hauv photography--txaus mus rau ib lub tsev kawm ntawv photography uas tsis nyob ua ib ke thaum nws tau los txog.
Tam sim no, Smith yog tseem capturing lub ntiaj teb nyob ib ncig ntawm nws, Nrog tag nrho nws txoj kev zoo nkauj thiab complexity. Nws thawj solo exhibition, Tej yaam num: Ming Smith, Yog uas qhia ntawm lub MoMA mus txog rau thaum kawg ntawm ntuj, Thiab nws tseem nyob hauv ib fulfilling thiab hlub kev sib raug zoo nrog seev cev, Tsiv mus nyob rau Sabar thiab Afro-Cuban seev cev hoob kawm li feem ntau nws tau. Dab tsi nws yav tom ntej tuas yog nkaus rau nws; Peb nyob nraum cia li thrilled yuav raws li lub caij.