Gordon Parks

1912 - 2006

About

Gordon Parks, one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, was a humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice. He left behind an exceptional body of work that documents American life and culture from the early 1940s into the 2000s, with a focus on race relations, poverty, civil rights, and urban life. Parks was also a distinguished composer, author, and filmmaker who interacted with many of the leading people of his era—from politicians and artists to athletes and celebrities.

Gordon Parks began his artistic career as a musician, first as a brothel pianist and later playing with a traveling jazz band. He had been playing piano by ear since his childhood and, although he could not read or write music, he started composing his own piano pieces. While Parks would soon take up the camera more seriously and begin his accomplished career as a photographer, he continued to compose music. In 1956, a Vienna orchestra performed his piano concerto. He also scored some of the films he directed, including the first major Hollywood film by a Black American director, "The Learning Tree" (1969). In 1990, he composed the music and libretto for Martin, a ballet honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Related Information

https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/gordon-parks/biography

Works by Gordon Parks