The Never-Before-Seen Photographs of Barkley L. Hendricks
Untitled (Self-Portrait) c. 1975, gelatin silver print, 24 inches x 16 inches
Courtesy of the Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Most people know the artist for his paintings gracefully embodying the Black experience in America. In an upcoming exhibition, his photographs take center stage.
Barkley L. Hendricks was known to wear his camera around his neck like an extension of himself. Most people associate the artist with his paintings that gracefully embody the Black experience in America. But in an upcoming exhibition titled Myself When I Am Real, opening at Jack Shainman Gallery on April 13, his photographs will take center stage.
His widow, Susan Hendricks, knew about the painter’s vast inventory of slides, negatives, and prints, but in formally editing and scanning the images since late 2018, she uncovered a vast cache of never-before-seen photos by the artist.