Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers
Barbara Head Millstein (Editor)

Publisher: Brooklyn Museum of Art in Association with Merrel Publishers, 2001
Language: English
Hardcover; 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1858941237
ISBN-13: 9781858941233
Weight: 4.12 lb
Size: 9.75” x 1” x 11.75”

Published on the occasion of the exhibition Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, February 16-April 29, 2001.

The ninety-five African American contemporary photographers represented in this volume have used their cameras as tools of social commentary and personal and artistic exploration, bearing witness to changes in the American experience over the past fifty years. These uncompromising, thought-provoking, often highly politicized images cover subjects such as the daily life of African Americans; the struggle of the Civil Rights movement; the history of Black musicianship; and the influence of African American art, literature, and ideals of beauty on American society at large. Black artists, philosophers, writers, poets, musicians, politicians, and sports heroes are featured throughout. Some of the images address the most personal issues of philosophy and identity. The photographers featured, all working today and most of them at the height of their productivity, come from every region of the United States; together, their work represents a far-ranging exploration of contemporary African American identity.
Preceding the catalog of images are several short essays that provide some historical background to black photography and underscore the unambiguously assertive content of the photographs. Short biographies of the 94 photographers are also provided.