Jamel Shabazz

Jamel Shabazz, Picture Man, Brooklyn, NYC, 1982, 76 x 61 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, Watch the Closing Doors, Brooklyn, NYC, 1980, 36 x 28 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, Trio, Brooklyn, NYC, 1980, 36 x 28 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, A Perfect Match, Manhattan, NYC, 1980, 36 x 28 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, Soros for Life, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NYC, 1981, 36 x 28 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, A Time Before Starbucks, Brooklyn, NYC, early 1980, ´s 36 x 28 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, Rush Hour, NYC, 1988, 61 x 76 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, Rolling Partners, Downtown, Brooklyn, NYC, 1982, 61 x 76 cm, c-print
Jamel Shabazz, Radio Man, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NYC, 1980, 76 x 61 cm, c-print

The borough of Brooklyn has only officially been part of New York City since 1898. Before that, it was a separate municipality. This vast metropolitan area on the eastern side of the East River has always been an important hub for immigrants, earning it the reputation of a ghetto. But just as in the Bronx, the ethnic diversity of the people living in the community also brought an extremely vibrant and mixed culture to public life. This included hip-hop, which, from the early 1980s, spread from here throughout the world.

For American photographer Jamel Shabazz, Brooklyn is familiar territory, after all he has lived here since his birth in 1960. Even before he reached the age of 20, he frequently wandered the streets with his 35 mm camera in his hand or around his neck, looking for scenes of everyday life in the predominantly African-American neighbourhood. His forays also took him to other boroughs like the Bronx, Queens or Manhattan. He was given his first camera when he was a teenager, using it to shoot portraits – a subject that fascinated him from then on. As soon as a person or scene caught his eye, the street became the backdrop and the sidewalk his studio. Shabazz liked to establish personal contact with his protagonists, and if someone was hesitant, he would retrieve an album with photos from his bag and show them how he worked.

His photographs reveal the vibrant, hectic everyday life of the city. They capture moments filled with zest for life, and sometimes also intimacy in the midst of the incessant stream of people on the streets and in the subways. They also demonstrate how he deals with the social situation of the inhabitants, especially African Americans, Latinos and adolescents. Having their portrait taken by Shabazz becomes an act of self-determination and self-portrayal: Almost all his subjects look directly into the camera, presenting themselves as proud and self-confident. Shabazz’s pictures put them in control, allowing them to be seen and show themselves as they want to be perceived. They break with the stereotype prevalent at the time of a poverty-stricken, sometimes violent group of the population, instead focusing on the colourful, dynamic lifestyle and community of African Americans. His images are testimonies to the era, but also a means of self-empowerment.

Jamel Shabazz usually took his films to be developed in a photo store in Chinatown. He made two copies of each print, one for himself and one for the person he had photographed. This personal connection and familiarity with the subjects of his portraits is tangible in each of his pictures, lending them a special aura that gives viewers the impression of having met these people themselves.

Biographical information

1960

born in Brooklyn, New York, USA

1985 to 1987

studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York

lives in New York City, USA