Photographer Dawoud Bey Shines A Light On America’s Underrepresented Communities

Photographer Dawoud Bey once said, “I’ve come to believe that the best works tend to result not from the imposition of an idea on a situation, but to be responsive to what’s going on once you get there.” For more than four decades, Bey has been creating art that explores African American history and shines a light on America’s underrepresented communities.

In 2017, Bey received the MacArthur “Genius” fellowship for showcasing diverse people and places in a creative way. Now, The High Museum of Art is hosting a retrospective of his works called “Dawoud Bey: An American Project.” “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with Bey and with High Museum of Art curator of photography Sarah Kennel about the exhibit.

“The exhibit is an overview of many of the key projects of Dawoud’s career since the 1970s. It’s organized almost chronologically with one exception. Each series really does give you a hint into what’s to come in the next,” said Kennel.