Acclaimed photographer and artist Jamel Shabazz is presenting Standing on the Square, his first solo exhibition in Brooklyn, at FiveMyles Gallery from Thursday, September 13 through Sunday, October 14.
The exhibit includes his images documenting hip-hop culture, the Native American community, the Masonic experiences, the Rastafarian Family and Shabazz's iconic subway rides.
"Standing on the Square documents almost forty years of historical moments photographed by Jamel Shabazz," says Dr. Myrah Brown Green, the exhibit's curator. "In each experience, Shabazz has been welcomed into 'the square' of those who he photographs. In that moment, Shabazz becomes an ambassador of the neighborhood, assuring each and every soul who allows him to connect with them, 'I see you.' 'I see you' not only through the lens of this camera, but from his soul to yours."
Brooklyn native Jamel Shabazz picked up his first camera at the age of fifteen and started to document his peers. Inspired by photographers Leonard Freed, James Van Der Zee and Gordon Parks, he was marveled with their documentation of the African American community. In 1980, as a concerned photographer with a clear vision, he embarked on a mission to extensively document various aspects of life in New York City, from youth culture to a wide range of social conditions. Due to its spontaneity and uniqueness, the streets and subway system became backdrops for many of his photographs.
For four decades, Shabazz, through the lens of his camera, has looked at New York and New Yorkers with sympathy and an extraordinary sense of moment. His photographs have been a source of pride to this complicated city, showing its humanity, its many faces, its big city callousness and its humor. Shabazz's ultimate goal: to contribute to the preservation of world history and culture.
His photographs have been shown at ArtBasel Miami, the Brooklyn Museum, the Bronx Museum, the Newark Museum, the Contact Photo Festival, the Victoria Albert Museum, Duke University and the Adidas Photo festival in Ethiopia. In the past ten years, Shabazz has had over two dozen solo exhibitions which have been shown from Argentina to The Netherlands, England, Italy, Germany, France, Japan and throughout the United States.
FiveMyles is celebrating the opening of the exhibition with a special reception on Thursday, September 13 at 5:00pm.
Standing on the Square by Jamel Shabazz
When: Thursday, September 13 - Sunday, October 14
Where: FiveMyles Gallery, 558 St Johns Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
