Gordon Parks
African American, 1912-2006
Untitled
Photography— 20th C. A.D.
3072 x 2105 pixels
ARTstor Slide Gallery
Data from: University of California, San Diego
This intimate portrait by Gordon Parks is of five-year-old Ellen Fontenelle. The photograph was part of a photo collection Parks created called, “A Harlem Family 1967.” The child was photographed while wailing with her eyes closed and her mouth open as a tear drop rolled down her face. His use of light brings special attention to her tear which magnifies her desperation. The photograph of the crying child heightens the impact of the theme of his photo collection which he used to shed light on the plight of African American families who were trapped in urban ghettos.
Destinee Burch