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D. MICHAEL CHEERS (1953- ) Three photographs from the section titled "Survival" from "Songs of My People: African Americans, A Self-Por

D. MICHAEL CHEERS (1953- )
Three photographs from the section titled "Survival" from "Songs of My People: African Americans, A Self-Portrait. Circa 1990-92.
Silver prints, the images measuring 10¼x13¼ inches (26x33.6 cm.), and slightly smaller, the sheets slightly larger, each with Cheers' signature, numeric notations, and a citation in ink and pencil on verso.

The captions of these photographs are: "Washington, D.C., During the day, David looks for work, while his wife, Joyce, and their two-year-old grandson, Jamal, panhandle near the entrance to a subway station two blocks from the White House. A 'good day,' says Joyce, will bring in about $20" and "During the month that this story was photographed, the Knights found shelter in the basement of an apartment building, a friend's home and a van."

WITH--Eric Easter, D. Michael Cheers, and Dudley M. Brooks, editors. Introduction by Gordon Parks. Songs of My People: African Americans: A Self Portrait 4to, photo-pictorial wrappers, lightly worn. FIRST EDITION. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1992.

Launched in 1990, Songs of My People was a book, exhibition, and project created and edited by Eric Easter, Dudley M. Brooks, and D. Michael Cheers. It included the work of fifty African American photographers who were commissioned beginning in 1990 to record African American life in order to create a balanced and moving selection of images of everyday life and culture. About 190,000 photographs were created. The exhibition opened at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and traveled in a variety of iterations from 1992-1994. The 1992 book included an introduction by Gordon Parks and essays by Sylvester Monroe, Paula Giddings, Nelson George, and Joyce Ladner. The photographs in this group were reproduced on pages 172-74.

  • Condition: This impactful trio of photographs by D. Michael Cheers from the section titled "Survival" from "Songs of My People: African Americans, A Self-Portrait, circa 1990-92, is overall in very good condition. The prints are lush and contrasty, with a rich tonal variety and bright highlights, each with Cheers' signature, numeric notations, and a citation in ink and pencil, and their taped negatives on verso.

    Under close examination in raking light, the surface of the prints evidence superficial inconsistencies. While apparent, they remain discreet and do not detract from the overall compositions.

    Print 1 (woman and child on the street). Very good condition. Under close examination (and as visible in our online catalogue), we can notice a small brownish spec on the wall above the child's head. There is also a small spec of professional retouching in the lower left quadrant on the ground, which is noticeable in strong raking light, but otherwise obscured by the graphic qualities of the print. Finally, the wide margins evidence creases on each corner. The crease on the lower left corner slightly enters the image area. This remains discreet and doesn't detract from the overall presentation. The verso evidences scattered specs of stain.

    Print 2 (close up of the image above). The print evidences a few surface inconsistencies. The most visible ones (and as visible in our online catalogue) are the two small areas of emulsion loss in the trousers of the left protagonist. Visible in raking light is also a faint and soft handling mark in the left arm of the woman. Finally, there is a diagonal hard crease in the upper right corner. While apparent, it is not overly distracting. The thin margins also evidence tiny creases. The verso is clean, with a few tiny specs of soil.

    Print 3 (interior scene) The print is in good condition but evidences signs of handling, in particular along its right edge. There is a long diagonal crease in the upper right corner (resulting in some emulsion loss) as well as a soft half-moon crease below it, and also a small brownish spec (next to the bag). Here again, these surface inconsistencies, while apparent, do not detract from the impactful overall composition. The thin margins also evidence tiny creases, the verso is clean.

    The publication is in very good condition, with light shelf wear, and residue remnant from a presumably label or sticker on the upper right corner of its front cover.

    Launched in 1990, Songs of My People was a book, exhibition, and project created and edited by Eric Easter, Dudley M. Brooks, and D. Michael Cheers. It included the work of fifty African American photographers who were commissioned beginning in 1990 to record African American life in order to create a balanced and moving selection of images of everyday life and culture. About 190,000 photographs were created. The exhibition opened at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and traveled in a variety of iterations from 1992-1994. The 1992 book included an introduction by Gordon Parks and essays by Sylvester Monroe, Paula Giddings, Nelson George, and Joyce Ladner. The photographs in this group were reproduced on pages 172-74.


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December 17, 2024 12:00 PM EST
New York, NY, US

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