Invisible Man

Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison in Harlem

Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison are both recognised as major figures in American art and literature: Parks, a renowned photographer and filmmaker, was best known for his poignant and humanising photo-essays for Life magazine. Ellison authored one of the most acclaimed – and debated – novels of the 20th century, Invisible Man (1952). What is less known about these two esteemed artists is that their friendship, coupled with a shared vision of racial injustices and a belief in the communicative power of photography, inspired collaboration on two projects, one in 1948 and another in 1952. Read more.

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