Denver Art Museum presents Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits

First museum show explores transformational phase of photographer’s work

November 17, 2024–May 11, 2025

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is proud to present Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits, featuring 38 portraits by celebrated photographer and 2017 MacArthur Fellow Dawoud Bey (American, born 1953).

From 1988 to 1991, Bey 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.

“We’re pleased to present the first standalone museum show of this important work,” said Eric Paddock, Curator of Photography for DAM. “Dawoud Bey’s Street Portraits mark a turning point where the deliberate, closely observed portraits he had been making with a handheld camera began to contain what he has called ‘the kind of lush physical description’ he wanted his pictures to convey—and that is a consistent part of all the work he has made since. The slower process of working with a camera on a tripod invited collaboration between the artist and his subjects, making each picture both an experiment and a discovery.”

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.

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, Chicago. © 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

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

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

The exhibition is organized by the community the photographs were taken in: Brooklyn; Washington, D.C.; Rochester; Amityville; and Harlem. Defying racial stereotypes, the resulting photographs reveal the Black subjects in all of their psychologically rich complexity, presenting themselves openly and intimately to the camera, the viewer, and the world.

Dawoud Bey will engage in conversation with Curator of Photography Eric Paddock in the DAM’s Sharp Auditorium on Tues., Nov. 19, 6-7PM. The presentation is part of the ongoing Anderman Photography Lecture Series.

Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits will be on view at the DAM from Nov. 17, 2024, to May 11, 2025, in the Photography gallery on level 6 of the museum’s Martin Building and will be included with general admission.

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.

About the Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro residents support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations.

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

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 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

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

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An incredible book that we highly recommend! All About Photo

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Denver Art Museum presents Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits

First museum show explores transformational phase of photographer’s work

November 17, 2024–May 11, 2025

More information about the exhibition

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