Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits

Exhibition Guide

From 1988 to 1991, Dawoud Bey (American, born 1953) photographed African Americans in the streets of various American cities. He asked a cross section of these communities to pose for him, creating a space of self-presentation and performance in their urban environments. Bey used a large format tripod-mounted camera and a unique positive/negative Polaroid film that created both an instant print and a reusable negative. As part of every encounter, Bey gave each person the small black-and-white print as a way of reciprocating and returning something to the people who allowed him to make their portraits. The resulting photographs reveal the Black subjects in their psychological complexity, presenting themselves openly and intimately to the camera, the viewer, and the world.

All works in the exhibition are pigment prints and are courtesy the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago.

Closely cropped black and white photograph of an African American girl wearing a nose ring in the shape of knife. She looks directly at the viewer and wears a white collared shirt, long beaded necklace, and headscarf.

Girl with a Knife Nosepin, Brooklyn, NY
1990

Black and white portrait of a young African American man standing in front of a tent with rows of fold-out, metal chairs. He wears black slacks, a gray and white plaid shirt, and a skinny black tie tucked into his pants. He leans slightly to the left with his hands in his pockets.

A Young Man at a Tent Revival Meeting, Brooklyn, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of an older African American woman wearing a quirky black and white hat, sunglasses, and a floral-patterned shirt. She stands before a brick wall and closed garage doors with unreadable graffiti.

A Woman at Fulton Street and Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of an older African American man wearing a brimmed hat and button-down shirt. His left hand reaches out to hold the gated entry that he stands in front of.

A Man at Fulton Street and Cambridge Place, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white portrait of an older African American man who looks at the viewer. He wears a hat and polka dotted tie while he holds his suit jacket under his left arm. He stands in front of an apartment building with an embellished gate.

A Man on the Way to the Cleaners, Brooklyn, NY
1990

A black and white photograph of a young African American boy who chews on a Foxy Pop wrapper he holds in front of his chest. His short-sleeved shirt is left unbuttoned. He stands in front of closed garage doors with unreadable graffiti.

A Boy Eating a Foxy Pop, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a young African American couple embracing in Prospect Park. She lightly rests her hands on his shoulders while he holds her around the waist. They both look directly at the viewer. They are positioned on the left side of the image, and we see out-of-focus bikers in the distance on the right.

A Cute Couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
1990

A black and white photograph of a young African American woman wearing a white tank top. She leans against the doorway of a store, looking out at the viewer.

A Young Woman in a Deli Doorway, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white portrait of an African American woman standing in the doorway of an apartment building with embellished metal doors. She wears large glasses and a button-down shirt with a bow at the collar. She looks at the viewer and smiles gently with her mouth closed.

Mrs. Bracey, Brooklyn, NY
1988

Black and white photograph of a young African American girl wearing denim overalls and multiple pigtails in her hair. She poses in akimbo with her hands on her hips and smiles warmly at the viewer. We see brick stairs behind her.

A Girl with Pigtails, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of two young African American girls sitting on stairs. The girl on the right is in the foreground with light dappling her face as she rests her elbows on her knees and looks directly at the viewer. The girl on the left is in shadow in the background and she looks off into the distance.

Sunshine Bracey and Friend, Brooklyn, NY
1990

A black and white portrait of a young African American man wearing a black jacket with pins, fingerless gloves, round sunglasses, and a baseball cap high on his head so the brim stands up. He also has a microphone attached to his right ear. He stands in front of an embellished fence and an out-of-focus residential building. His left hand extends outside of the image.

A Young MC with Buttons, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of two African American explorer scouts wearing uniforms with harnesses for carrying flags. The boy on the left is significantly larger than the boy on the right and he wears a sash with badges. We see hints of their flags on the right. Behind them we see another scout who appears out of focus.

Two Explorer Scouts, Brooklyn, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of an African American female who stands with her hands in her jean pockets, looking directly at the viewer. She wears a sweatshirt and embellished hoop earrings.

Nailah Bracey, Brooklyn, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of a stylish African American woman with hands in pockets standing in front of a brick wall and chain-link fence. She wears white pants, a long white duster, and a black vest. Her hair is pulled back and she wears glasses both on her face and has a pair hanging around her neck. She wears large, tear-drop earrings and multiple chain necklaces.

Poppy, Brooklyn, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of an older African American woman who leans against a fence in front of a residence. She wears large glasses, a headscarf, and a cardigan sweater. She rests her right hand on the fence and has her left hand in her sweater pocket. She smiles slightly as she looks out at the viewer.

Juana, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a young African American girl with short, curly hair wearing a cropped white t-shirt with three medals pinned to the front. She stands in front of a painted brick wall. Her right elbow extends upward to rest on the top of a chain-link fence while her left hand rests on her hip.

A Girl with School Medals, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of two older African American gentlemen who both wear brimmed hats, dark sunglasses, button-down shirts, and slacks. On the left, one man sits on an office chair with his elbows resting on his knees. On the right, the other man stands with his right hand on the seated man’s shoulder and left hand in his pocket, leaning slightly to the right. There is a third man who appears out of focus on the far right of the image.

Two Men at Cambridge Place and Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of a young African American boy who stands on the left side of this image in front of a residence. He wears a black and white striped shirt and has his right hand in his pants pocket. His left hand extends to the right and grasps a stair railing which has a rolled newspaper wedged into it.

Peg's Grandson, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a young African American girl who holds a half-eaten hotdog in her right hand. She wears a patterned, button-down shirt and a purse that rests on her upper thighs. The sidewalk she stands on extends into the distance on her left and a chain-link fence appears on her right.

A Girl Eating a Hotdog, Brooklyn, NY
1991

A black and white photograph of an African American man with a white beard. He leans to the right wearing a beanie, a black and white striped shirt with suspenders, and a black apron with rags attached near his waist. On the left side of the image sits another man wearing white who appears in the background.

Peg, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a young African American girl posing for the camera. She leans to the right of the frame with her left hand on her left knee and her right hand on her right hip. Her hair is pulled back and she wears a white collared shirt with ruffles, and a knee-length skirt with a ruffled hem. She stands in front of a graffitied brick wall.

A Young Girl Striking a Pose, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a young African American man facing the camera with his arms crossed. He wears an unzipped, white hoodie that exposes his bare chest. He looks at the viewer with an expressionless face.

A Young Man in a Hoodie, Brooklyn, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a teenage African American girl on the right and a young African American boy on the left and. The girl stands in the foreground leaning against the stoop. She wears a collared shirt with white stripes, and her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. The boy appears in the background sitting on the corner of the stoop and wears a white graphic t-shirt and white shorts. Trees and cars line the street.

Girl and Boy Sitting on the Stoop, Washington, DC
1989

A black and white photograph of two teenage boys standing at the entrance to a brick residence. In the foreground on the left, one boy stands topless in a doorway and looks back over his shoulder at the viewer. Behind him, the other boy stands outside the door in a striped, collared shirt. He gazes to the right of the frame.

Two Boys on Carrollsburg Place, Washington, DC
1989

A black and white photograph of a young African American woman posing with her right hand on her right hip. She wears her hair pulled back, a sleeveless, calf-length dress, and open-toed sandals. She stands in a brick-lined alley with chain-link fences on the left, a taller, wooden fence on the right, and leafy trees in the background.

A Young Woman between Carrollsburg and Half Street, Washington, DC
1989

A black and white photograph of an African American boy who sits with his arms folded and resting on his knees. He wears a striped, short-sleeved, collared shirt and shorts. He looks toward the viewer with a serious expression.

Alfonso, Washington, DC
1989

A black and white photograph of an African American boy with albinism. He stands in front of a brick residence and outstretches his right hand to lean on a windowsill, while his left hand rests on his left hip. He wears a graphic Batman tee-shirt and has a serious expression on his face.

Buck, Washington, DC
1989

A black and white photograph of two teenage African American girls in their marching band uniforms holding their horn instruments. The text “JRC” runs down the chest of their uniforms. They both wear their hair up in braids. The girl on the left gazes to the left of the frame with a slight smile on her face. The girl on the right looks at the viewer and does not smile.

Two Girls from a Marching Band, Harlem, NY
1990

A black and white photograph of an African American woman standing on a sidewalk behind a barrier that says, “DO NOT CROSS.” She wears a white collared jacket with sleeves pushed up. She has short hair and looks at the viewer with a slight smile. Marble buildings with columned entrances and graffiti line the sidewalk in the background.

A Woman at a Parade, Harlem, NY
1990

A black and white photograph of a young African American man leaning against a chain link fence with his right arm. He holds a hairbrush in his right hand, with a large ring on his right index finger. He wears a striped tank top over a dark t-shirt, and shorts that are striped on his right leg, and a plain dark color on his left side. He looks at the viewer intently. A light colored, two-story house is in the background.

A Young Man with His Hair Brush, Rochester, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of a young African American man sitting on the hitch of a hotdog cart. He gazes at the viewer with a serious expression. His right arm rests on a slightly open door of the silver cart. He wears an athletic jacket, shorts, and high-top white Nike tennis shoes with white crew socks. In the right of the frame, a case of Sunkist soda is on the ground below the hitch, and a cardboard lid with Diet Pepsi soda cans rests on top.

A Young Man with His Hotdog Cart, Rochester, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of a young African American man posing for the camera with his hands resting on the back of his neck. He wears a dark durag on his head, an unbuttoned striped shirt that exposes his bare chest and trim physique, and dark swim trunks with a white, square pattern. He stands on a sidewalk with an urban city setting in the background.

A Young Man in a Bandana and Swimming Trunks, Rochester, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of a stylish, young African American man. He poses against a striped city wall, with his hands clasped at his waist. He wears a short sleeve, double-breasted suit with a square pattern. He gazes, unsmiling, at the viewer, and wears a felt, bowler-shaped hat.

A Young Man Leaning on a Striped Wall, Rochester, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of an African American woman standing on a sidewalk. She has short, coiffed hair and looks at the viewer with a warm smile. She wears a dark, ribbed undershirt, with a denim jacket with the collar up, and high-waisted denim jeans.

A Woman Wearing Denim, Rochester, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of an African American couple facing the viewer with slight smiles on their faces. On the right, a man rests his left arm against a doorframe holding a cigarette between his index and middle fingers. On the left, a woman with a short hairstyle and glasses rests her left arm around his shoulders. They stand in front of floor to ceiling windows that reveal a large building in the background, and a white woman looks on behind a window on the left.

A Couple at a Main Street Bus Stop, Rochester, NY
1989

A black and white photograph of a young African American man resting his arms on the handlebars of an exercise bike. He gazes at the viewer with a tranquil smile. He wears a white, mesh-knit tank top, and dark, denim jeans. Blurred foliage in the background.

A Young Man Resting on an Exercise Bike, Amityville, NY
1988

A black and white photograph of a young African American woman, and a young African American girl. They sit in white, plastic chairs in a wooded setting. On the left, the woman has a short hairstyle, large hoop earrings, and a white sleeveless top and shorts. She looks at the camera with raised eyebrows and a closed-lipped smile. On the right, the girl has a high ponytail, small hoop earrings, and a white sleeveless outfit. She looks to the left at something going on out of the frame.

A Young Woman and a Girl, Amityville, NY
1988

Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits is organized by the Denver Art Museum. Support is provided by the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.