“All too often my work is misinterpreted, they look at it and they just see urban culture and hip hop in the African American community. But it’s more broad than that, its a universal body of work about compassion, empathy, bringing out the beauty within people and the love that bridges the gaps between us”
(Jamel Shabazz)
On March 6th the Hardhitta Gallery is proud to open its premier exhibition of the American photographer Jamel Shabazz in the Limburger Straße in Cologne. The exhibition Reflections from the 80’s will showcase eighteen honest and spirited photographs of New York City’s street vibes over the course of the decade. Here we see first-hand photography as a form of social therapy: In the 80and his camera took to the streets, attracting young people for whom he became a mentor and inspiration regarding life and making choices and keeping a positive outlook for the future. His images reflect these personal relationships, while speaking to universal sentiments of hope, dreams, self-discovery and living-the-moment shared by all adolescence.
Born in 1960 and raised on the tough streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn in the midst of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, Jamel grew up exposed to violent and war-torn visual imagery that fermented his deep sense of empathy. Instilled with the urge to speak out and show a different perspective, he first found self-expression through Graffiti Art and photography with the emergence of the Hip-Hop movement in the 70’s. At seventeen and unsure of what to do with his life, Jamel served as an American soldier in Germany for three years. After returning home in 1980, he spent the next 20 years working as a correctional officer. Driven to helping people in his community stay out of the system in his free time as a pro-active street photographer in search of and spreading hope.
New York in the 80’s was rough around the edges: violent rivalling street gangs, drugs, and arrests were part of the city’s dark-sided fabric that interlaced with the artistic expression of social and political injustices of the African-American community. Many young people found themselves at a difficult crossroads or facing challenging and often violent day-to-day realities. It inspired him to immortalize his community visually and to help young people, Jamel wanted to do what he could to ease the tension of his community and help kids stay out of trouble. There were wars going on and a lot of youth were dying and I felt that I can help to avoid that by traveling through the streets and just talking to young people about life and choices. They were very receptive towards me and I built a lot bridges that way and I helped ease a lot of tension that existed in the communities.”
From a young age photography had a cathartic power for Jamel: Delving through photography magazines and books in the library as a young boy gave him a sense of rootedness. It laid the foundations for his commitment to passing on visual depictions of his culture for generations to follow through donating several pieces of his work to institutions, museums and libraries around the world. His other trusted tool to help teach, inspire and motivate is his chessboard: “When ever I go out with my camera I will often have my chess board with me. I like showing people the relationship between photography, chess and life in terms of having a plan, strategy, being prepared for opposition, sacrifice.”
From fifteen onwards, picking up camera gave Jamel a sense of purpose: “It allowed me an opportunity to have a voice and use my voice in a way that can inspire love and unity.” His photographs reveal his daily search for hope, promise and beauty: “We constantly see images of pain and suffering and I hope to use my work as positive visual medicine to make people feel good.” Today, passing on photography as a skill and form of self-expression is central in Jamel’s commitment to the art: for the past ten years he has been teaching several photography workshops for young people at risk and who are going through problems at home.
His photographs are Jamel’s visual diary - a collection of memories, moments, conversations, people and details. His portraits are eternal glimpses of individuals that capture the charm and the uniqueness of their existence in the four frozen frames of the photograph. The click of the shutter lets us take part in the intimate and trusting relation between Jamel and the people and the people he meets. Each photograph carries with it a profound sense of familiarity and makes us almost feel like we too are experiencing New York’s summer sun and sidewalk moments. The images speak to appreciating the time we have, connecting with the people we meet and living life by being exactly who you want to be. This celebration of individually in the fleeting moment and the interplay between vitality and intimacy distinctly define Jamal’s work and make him to this day one of the most important street photography artists.
Coming back to Germany for the ‘Reflections from the 80’s’ exhibition “Its coming full circle for me” he reflects. “To return some 37 years later to the place that shaped, moulded and helped me discover my vision - with images of the decade full of love and discovery immediately proceeding that part my journey - that means a lot.”
This year marks Jamel’s 40th anniversary as a photographer, come celebrate with him at the ‘Reflections from the 80’s’ Vernissage on Friday, 6 March 2015, 6 – 9 p.m. Location: Hardhitta Gallery, Limburger Strasse 21, 50672 Cologne.