'

'' (born May 25, 1953) is an American photographer and academic. His work explores the intersection of black hair and

critical analysis Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgement. The subject is complex; several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, and unbiased analy ...

of the

portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...

ure in the 21st century. In his book ''Good And Bad Hair: Photographs'', Gaskins tackles the role of

hairstyling A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal groomin ...

and the representation in

African American culture African-American culture refers to the contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential on Ameri ...

and he also examines the transcultural role of hair, adornment of ornaments and personal identity with the body.

Life and education

Gaskins received his

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

degree from the

Tyler School of Art The Tyler School of Art and Architecture is based at Temple University, a large, urban, public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tyler currently enrolls about 1,350 undergraduate students and about 200 graduate students in a wid ...

, a Master of Arts Degree from The Ohio State University, and a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

Degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He was a 2008 Artist-in-Residence at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation.

Academic work

Bill Gaskins has previously taught in the American Studies Program and the Department of Art at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. He has also taught at Parsons the New School, and the graduate program in Media Studies in The New School for Public Engagement. His lectures focus on an examination of race and visual representation of the black portraiture and black women. He also has conducted workshops on the history of photography.

Photography

Gaskins has exhibited his photography including a group exhibition at the Jersey City Museum that also included work by

Renée Green Renée Green (born October 25, 1959) is an American artist, writer, and filmmaker. Her pluralistic practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, architecture, photography, prints, video, film, websites, and sound, which normally conv ...

Chitra Ganesh Chitra Ganesh (born 1975) is a visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Ganesh's work across media includes: charcoal drawings, digital collages, films, web projects, photographs, and wall murals. Ganesh draws from mythology, literature, and popu ...

Simone Leigh Simone Leigh (born 1967) is an American artist from Chicago who works in New York City in the United States. She works in various media including sculpture, installations, video, performance, and social practice. Leigh has described her work as au ...

and

Sharon Louden Sharon Louden (born 1964) is an American visual artist, known for her abstract and whimsical use of the line. Her minimalist paintings and drawings have subsequently transformed over the years into other media (animation, sculpture, and installa ...

, and a screening of his short film, ''The Meaning of Hope'' at Detroit Institute of Arts. His series of photographs ''The Cadillac Chronicles'' depicts black men with their

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

s. It was inspired by a

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

tradition, the Cadillac Parade, and explores the symbolism of the

as an emblem of male power and

middle-class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Comm ...

status. His book ''Good and Bad Hair'' (1997) depicts African American hairstyles, and was based on a 1996 exhibition at Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery. His work was also shown in the 2003 group show ''HairStories'' at

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) in the state of Arizona is a museum in the Old Town district of downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. The museum is dedicated to exhibiting modern works of art, design and architecture. The Museum has four ...

: the '' Phoenix New Times'' called his "Tireka and Tamana, Easter Sunday,

, Maryland", a photograph of two women against the landscape of industrial Baltimore, and his photographs of African-American hair shows "the most fascinating photos of all" in the exhibition. "Tamara and Tireka" also featured in a

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

exhibition ''Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present'' in Los Angeles. In 2017, Gaskins spent time researching "The Black Photographers Annual," a four volume anthology published between 1973 and 1980.

Books

Selected essays

* “

Anthony Barboza Anthony Barboza (born 1944 in New Bedford, Massachusetts) is a photographer, historian, artist and writer. With roots originating from Cape Verde, and work that began in commercial art more than forty years ago, Barboza's artistic talents and ...

in Conversation with Bill Gaskins.” Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, vol. 2015, no. 37, Nov. 2015, pp. 16–27. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1215/10757163-3339827. * Gaskins, Bill. “

Sonya Clark Sonya Clark (born 1967, Washington, D.C.) is an American artist of Afro-Caribbean heritage. Clark is a fiber artist known for using a variety of materials including human hair and combs to address race, culture, class, and history. Her beaded hea ...

.” New Art Examiner 24 (March 1997): 46. * Gaskins, Bill. “ Richard Hunt.” New Art Examiner, vol. 24, May 1997, pp. 50–51.

Exhibitions

Gaskins photography has been included in several exhibitions.

Collections

* Sprint Corporation Art Collection. Acquired ''Exercising Benefits'' (2002), three triptychs surrounded by photographs of Sprint employees using the company's fitness center.

Footnotes

External links

*
Bill Gaskins
on the African American Visual Artists Database. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaskins, Bill African-American photographers 20th-century American photographers 21st-century American photographers Living people 1953 births 20th-century African-American artists 21st-century African-American artists