In bringing this event to a close. EAOC Member Robert Trujillo remembers James Van Der Zee.
"I don’ t remember exactly which library I was in the first time I came across his work. But I do remember wanting to take the “ Harlem book of dead” home. It was a series of photographs about people who had passed away. He captured time, space, and energy so well that I copied many of the photos and pasted them into my sketchbook, which Istill have somewhere. His body of work is incredible. While living in New York I had a chance to see some more of his work at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Wow, I was blown away again. The sepia tones and contrast in his pieces are of great interest to me. I conjure up a bit of him in my work as a great inspiration."
"James Van Der Zee is a well known African American photographer who’ s subjects included the Dead as I mentioned, The Harlem Renaissance, Jazz, religion, and everyday people; black people. He was born in 1886 and lived to be nearly 100 years old. His work in New York is well known, as is his depiction of a people, in that time."
This is a quick sketch I did of him. One day I’ ll find that “ Book of the dead” again!
-Robert Trujillo
