There have been numerous compelling features about visual artists: Martin Parr. It could be the documentary format particularly shines when displaying particularly vivid photographs. Here arrives another exceptional instance, directed by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, artist and African American activist who represented a special politico-aesthetic perspective.
In partnership with his family member Elombe, he effectively created the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: youthful Black women who became the sensational standard for aesthetics, abandoning conventional cosmetic products and the predominant Eurocentric ideal of womanhood.
The Power of Three Words
The iconic phrase transformed into a powerful rallying cry, an brilliant three-word manifesto for transformation. Merely declaring that African Americans possessed beauty proved to be a liberating force in art, politics and culture. The photographer emerged as a key figure in the social justice global Black movement by documenting the legendary boxer leading up to his historic Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the primary photographer for the musical group's international performances, and subsequently assumed the role of the house photographer for the iconic cultural institution, creating an amazing portfolio of African American artists. Alongside his sibling, he became the driving force behind bringing Nelson Mandela to appear in the community.
Family Legacy
Brathwaite's son the younger Brathwaite recounts the family's mission to achieve proper recognition for his parent's achievements after he was unjustly excluded in the nation's capital's Smithsonian institution, opened by the former president in recent years.
The film also recounts the profoundly sorrowful origin of the artist's interest in photography: the shocking pictures of the young victim, the young civil rights lynching victim whose grieving mother boldly demanded an public viewing so the violent nature of racist violence could not be concealed.
Amidst Sorrow to Hope
In this representation of horror, the artist found a form of profound understanding that guided him toward visual representations of community. His work were eloquent of celebratory strength and often nuanced in approach: he curated a innovative visual language of strength upon which social causes could mobilize.
This represents an exhilarating testament of creative genius that still inspire across generations.