Black and white photograph of a young black man resting on the handles of his bike
Image Credit

Dawoud Bey, A Young Man Resting on an Exercise Bike, Amityville, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. © Dawoud Bey

Dawoud Bey

Street Portraits
Ahora a la vista

Dawoud Bey, A Young Man Resting on an Exercise Bike, Amityville, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. © Dawoud Bey

Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits is the first standalone museum show to explore a transformational phase of the celebrated photographer and 2017 MacArthur Fellow Dawoud Bey's work. The show features 37 portraits he made between 1988 and 1991, when he collaborated with Black Americans of all ages whom he met on the streets of various American cities. He asked a cross section of people in 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. Bey considers photography an ethical practice that requires collaboration with his subjects. As part of every encounter, he gave each person a small black-and-white Polaroid print as a way of reciprocating and returning something to the people who allowed him to make their portrait.

Street Portraits is organized by the community the photographs were made in: Brooklyn; Washington, D.C.; Rochester; Amityville; and Harlem. Bey defies racial stereotypes by encouraging Black people to present themselves openly and intimately to the camera, the viewer, and the world.

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An older black woman wearing a fashionable hat

Dawoud Bey, A Woman at Fulton Street and Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

A young black couple embracing

Dawoud Bey, A Couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1990. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

An older black woman in glasses standing in a doorway

Dawoud Bey, Mrs. Bracey, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

Two young black girls sitting on a stoop

Dawoud Bey, Sunshine Bracey and a Friend, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1990. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

A girl wearing school medals leaning on a fence

Dawoud Bey, A Girl with School Medals, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

Young black boy posing near a stoop

Dawoud Bey, Peg’s Grandson, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

Older Black service worker posing for the camera

Dawoud Bey, Peg, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

A young man resting on a bike

Dawoud Bey, A Young Man Resting on an Exercise Bike, Amityville, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery. ©Dawoud Bey

A young black girl striking a slightly bent over pose

Dawoud Bey, A Young Girl Striking a Pose, Brooklyn, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

Two young black men, one shirtless and one clothed

Dawoud Bey, Two Boys Carrollsburg Place, Washington, DC, from the series Street Portraits, 1989. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

Two young Black girls in their marching band school uniforms

Dawoud Bey, Two Girls from a Marching Band, Harlem, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1990. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

A young black couple embracing at a bus stop station

Dawoud Bey, A Couple at a Main Street Bus Stop, Rochester, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1989. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

A young Black woman looking at the camera while a young Black girl looks off to the side

Dawoud Bey, A Young Woman and a Girl, Amityville, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. ©Dawoud Bey

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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.