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Prospect Park:
My Oasis in Brooklyn

Jamel Shabazz

At the early stage of my photographic development, I wanted to improve my skills as a photographer and Prospect Park with its five hundred and eighty-five acres, became the ideal place for me to practice. So, for the past 41 years I have devoted a substantial amount of time photographing various aspects of the park. Armed with my Canon AE1 35 mm, loaded with black & white film, I started photographing the vast landscape and as my skills improved, I started making environmental portraits of people I would meet along the way, using a combination of color & black & white film.

 

To date, I have photographed a number of locations during my career as a phtographer, but I can honestly say that my work centered on Prospect Park is both my largest and one of my very favorite series.

 

— Jamel Shabazz

In celebration of the start of restoration of the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park, Photoville is proud to partner with the Prospect Park Alliance to present legendary photographer Jamel Shabazz’s vision of his oasis in Brooklyn. Across 41 years of photographing in Prospect Park, Shabazz has captured reunion picnics, musicians, races, dog walks, and so much more in the beloved park he calls his “Oasis in Brooklyn”. Exhibited along the construction fence surrounding the historic house, the community of Brooklyn will be able to discover new stories, and recognize old friends.

 

We will be planning various public programs throughout the summer & fall so please watch this space.

About Jamel Shabazz

Jamel Shabazz is best known for his iconic photographs of New York City during the 1980’s. He has authored 10 monographs, and contributed to over three dozen other photography related books. His photographs have been exhibited worldwide and his work is housed within the permanent collections of The Whitney Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Fashion Institute of Technology, The Gordon Parks Foundation and the Getty Museum. Over the years, Shabazz has instructed young students at the Studio Museum in Harlem’s “Expanding the Walls” project, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture “Teen Curators” program, and the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. He is also the 2018 recipient of the Gordon Parks award for his commitment to documentary photography. Shabazz is a member of the photo collective Kamoinge. As an artist his goal is to contribute to the preservation of world history and culture.
Photos by

Exhibition Dates

June 19 – December 1, 2021

Located at

Presented by

In partnership with

Prospect Park Zoo, NYC Parks

Category