Personal Vision: Photographs

About Adger Cowans

Adger Cowans studied photography at Ohio State University under Clarence H. White Jr. then served as a military photographer in the United States Navy before moving to New York City where he worked with Life magazine photographer Gordon Parks and fashion photographers Henri Clarke Ben Somoroff Lillian Bassman Steve Manville among others. Adger was has received the John Hay Whitney Fellowship as well as the Lorenzo il Magnifico alla Carriera in recognition of his distinguished career at the 2001 Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art. His travels have led him to Morocco Brazil Paris London Rome Florence Switzerland Bali Mexico and all over the United States. Among the numerous museums Adger has exhibited at are MoMa the Metropolitan Museum of Art George Eastman House Harvard University Chicago School of Design International School of Photography and the Studio Museum of Harlem. He Lives in Bridgeport Connecticut. Gordon Parks was a prominent African-American photographer musician writer and film director. Parks is best remembered for his iconic photos of poor Americans during the 1950s for his photographic essays for Life magazine and as the director of the 1972 film Shaft. Romare Bearden was an American artist and writer who depicted African-American life. He experimented with many types of mediums and even designed costumes and sets for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Bearden had a prolific career with two of his collages appearing on the covers of Fortune and Time magazines in 1968. His work can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Studio Museum in Harlem among others. Dòwòti Désir is a social curator activist faith leader photojournalist designer and author. She lives in New York City. Anthony Barboza is an African-American photographer artist historian and writer. He is best known for his photographic work of Jazz musicians from the 70s and 80s. He lives in Westbury New York.