“Born and raised in Harlem, NYC, I see myself as a fine arts photographer with a documentary foundation. I look for the truth within the image, the multi-layers of existence and the ironies in our everyday lives. Working from a Black Aesthetic, my work tries to speak to everyone.” – Shawn Walker, quoted in The Photography Collections Preservation Project
For Shawn Walker, photography was not just a source of artistic inspiration but a way of honestly recording and preserving history. Walker was part of the Kamoinge Workshop, a historically significant workshop intended to act as a space to exhibit, discuss, and educate both the members, and the wider community, on photography by Black artists.
In 2020, the Library of Congress acquired the archives of Shawn Walker.
Title: NYC #8
Artist: Shawn Walker (b. 1940)
Date: 1965-1966
Medium: silver gelatin
Dimensions: 13 ½ x 11 ½ inches
Accession Number: H77.74
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