Gordon Parks Quotes

Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was an American photographer, musician, writer and film director, who became prominent in U.S. documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particularly in issues of civil rights, poverty and African-Americans—and in glamour photography.As the first famous pioneer among black filmmakers, he was the first African American to produce and direct major motion pictures—developing films relating the experience of slaves and struggling black Americans, and creating the "blaxploitation" genre. He is best remembered for his iconic photos of poor Americans during the 1940s (taken for a federal government project), for his photographic essays for Life magazine, and as the director of the 1971 film Shaft. ...more

Birth: November 30, 1912 - Death: March 07, 2006

The camera could be a very powerful instrument against discrimination, against poverty, against racism.

Topic(s): Powerful , Poverty , Cameras

Enthusiasm is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit.

Topic(s): Life , Acting , Habit

The photographer begins to feel big and bloated and so big he can’t walk through one of these doors because he gets a good byline; he gets notices all over the world and so forth; but they’re really – the important people are the people he photographs.

Topic(s): People , World , Feels

I do find a certain fascination with the unpredictable. The transitory years we wade through are what they are- what we make of them.

Topic(s): Years , Certain , Unpredictable

So I went to Chicago in 1940, I think, ’41, and the photographs that I made there, aside from fashion, were things that I was trying to express in a social conscious way.

Topic(s): Thinking , Way , Trying

And now, I feel at 85, I really feel that I’m just ready to start.

Topic(s): Feels , Ready , Mastery

People in millenniums ahead will know what we were like in the 1930’s and the thing that, the important major things that shaped our history at that time. This is as important for historic reasons as any other.

Topic(s): People , Knows , Important

I’ve been asked if I think there will ever come a time when all people come together. I would like to think there will. All we can do is hope and dream and work toward that end. And that’s what I’ve tried to do all my life.

Topic(s): People , Thinking , Ifs

I’ve known both misery and happiness, lived in so many different skins it is impossible for one skin to claim me. And I have felt like a wayfarer on an alien planet at times – walking, running, wondering about what brought me to this particular place, and why. But once I was here the dreams started moving in, and I went about devouring them as they devoured me.

Topic(s): Different , Running , Dream

I’ve been with Life now for seventeen years and I have written several articles for them and will be doing more writing and do at least two assignments a year besides my writing.

Topic(s): Writing , Years , Two

But I do feel a little teeny right now that I’m just about ready to start, and winter is entering. Half past autumn has arrived.

Topic(s): Feels , Littles , Past

I have never known anyone important enough to consume me in anger beyond a few hours. Better to depart their existence before they poison your own.

Topic(s): Important , Enough , Hours

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Gordon Parks Quotes