In 1963, a trend-setting team of Black photographers, known as the Kamoinge Workshop, was established in New York City. The name, derived from the Kikuyu people of Kenya’s language, symbolizes “a group of individuals collaborating,” a principle that steered pioneering members Earl James, James Ray Francis, Louis Draper, and Roy DeCarava. They fostered a nurturing atmosphere for Black photographers to genuinely depict African American experiences during the Civil Rights era and onwards. Ming Smith, born in 1950, was the first woman to be welcomed into the collective after a decade.
Now, Smith, who hails from Detroit, is the focus of Projects: Ming Smith at MoMA, a significant retrospective introducing her work in a new light. Her early pictures portray neighbourhoods she discovered after relocating to New York. Her piece, Mother and Child, Harlem, NY (1976), pictures a mother and child standing next to a phone booth, with the mother’s cheek glistening silver under a street lamp. In addition, her extensive, exploratory opus records famous landmarks, urban landscapes, and Black cultural figures. Capturing transient moments within the routine of daily life, all through her distinct black-and-white street photography style.
Smith’s artistic method resonates with a rhythmic quality reflecting her personal passion for music and dance. She likens the act of taking each photograph to composing a musical score, explaining: “I’m interacting with light and various elements to capture that exact moment. To distil the emotion – to put it simply, these works resonate with the essence of the blues.” For instance, Sun Ra Space II (1978) illustrates the jazz composer mid-play, radiant and energetic. Light particles dancing across the shot transform Ra into a celestial-like figure. “For Ming Smith, photography is a space where senses and spirit intersect. This exhibition underscores the synesthetic breadth of her photographic technique, revealing how her images interweave the senses,” says Oluremi C. Onabanjo, Associate Curator at MoMA.
Smith’s innovative approach designated her as a trailblazer: Not only within the Kamoinge Workshop, but also in MoMA. In 1979, she became the first Black woman to have her artwork included in the institution’s collection after responding to an open call. Pieces like David Murray in the Wings (1978) and Christmas Constellation, Brussels, Belgium (1978), which the institution acquired for less than their printing costs, contribute to her vast and influential legacy. Her influence is unmistakable in the subsequent generation of artists who harness photography to accentuate African American experiences. For example, the Chrysalis series by Tyler Mitchell (b. 1995) illuminates the contemporary New York scene by reflecting on Black beauty, longing, and a sense of belonging. This artistic expression reverberates in her work, both in her subjects and through the lens. Projects: Ming Smith offers a fresh acknowledgment and admiration for the artist’s previously overlooked contributions to the medium.
MoMA | Open until 29 May
Acknowledgments:
1. Ming Smith, Sun Ra Space II, (1978). Courtesy and copyright of the artist, Ming Smith.
2. Ming Smith. Womb, (1992). Courtesy and copyright of the artist, Ming Smith.
3. Ming Smith, African Burial Ground, Sacred Space, from “Invisible Man” (1991). Courtesy and copyright of the artist, Ming Smith.
