Roy DeCarava

“I want to photograph Harlem through the Negro people. Morning, noon, night, at work, going to work, coming home from work, at play, in the streets, talking, kidding, laughing, in the home, in the playgrounds, in the schools, bars, stores, libraries, beauty parlors, churches, etc.”  -Roy DeCarava quoted in Roy DeCarava: a retrospective, Museum of Modern Art, 1996

In 1947, DeCarava made the official transition from painter to photographer. DeCarava was interested in creating photographs with symbolic and metaphorical elements that allow a viewer to reflect on the image using their own memory and imagination. His unique way of printing his photographs allowed him to transition away from stark black and white photography and experiment with lighting. DeCarava subtly contrasts black, white and gray in his imagery to enhance complex and contemplative compositions.

Title: Catsup bottles, table and coat
Artist: Roy DeCarava (1919 – 2009)
Date: 1952-1953
Medium: silver gelatin on paper
Dimensions: Image size: 11 x 14 inches; Framed: 16 ½ x 21 ½ inches
Accession Number: H77.23.1

Title: 7^th Avenue Express
Artist: Roy DeCarava (1919 – 2009)
Date: 1952-1953
Medium: silver gelatin on paper
Dimensions: Image size: 11 x 14 inches; Framed: 16 3/8 x 20 5/8 inches
Accession Number: H77.23.2

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