Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

Renowned photographer and social documentarian Gordon Parks dedicated his life to creating images chronicling American life. Spanning the 1940s to the 2000s, Parks's body of work showcases his passion for social justice, with photographs that illuminate experiences of poverty, racism, and urban living. Parks, who was born into poverty and segregation in Kansas, first became inspired to become a photographer after seeing pictures in a magazine of migrant workers taken by Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographers. He bought his first camera at a pawnshop and, teaching himself the discipline, was eventually awarded a role with the FSA’s photography department. As the Gordon Parks Foundation puts it, “His extraordinary pictures allowed him to break the color line in professional photography while he created remarkably expressive images that consistently explored the social and economic impact of poverty, racism, and other forms of discrimination.”