Dawoud Bey’s photography project was really unique. He has done something really unique. Throughout his photographs he has portrayed the minor groups of our society but I can’t help but recognize how bias the was. His portraits includes children of color and their stories are some stereotypical stories that you’ll find in most of the colored people in that group. Even though the project started of as a very unique project, it took a very drastic turn and became cliche very fast. I feel like the project would’ve been much more unbiased if he photographed middle classes families of all color and race and break out of the cliche and stereotypical stories.
COMD 3530 Advanced Photography Studio Spring 2018
A City Tech OpenLab Course Site
I appreciate that your opinion about Bey’s series Class Pictures. Bey did travel around the country and go to quite a number of high schools of varied backgrounds. The six or seven photos in this gallery are only a representative sample selected by the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Bey’s agenda was to break negative stereotypes of young people. I think he is successful in that he lets the students speak for themselves. In your opinion, he is just adding to those stereotypes. You state he should have photographed more middle class students. Should he not include a subject like Antoine? I think the stereotype of his having a father in jail is tempered by his interest in comedy.
Do you like Joseph Rodriguez’s Series Ron Brown Scholars better?
http://www.josephrodriguezphotography.com/ron-brown-scholars-2005