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Notes on “Black Panthers & Revolution: The Art of Stephen James
An exhibition not to be missed
A giant, floor-to-ceiling portrait of Angela Davis greets the visitor. Spread around the gallery similar-size images are found. Add to this the cavernous feel of this lower ground (what one would commonly call basement) and you feel as if you have been granted entry to a private club.
Welcome to Amar Gallery’s exhibition, Black Panthers & Revolution: The Art of Stephen James.
Stephen James had a ringside seat at the height of the civil rights and anti-war movements. His photos of Martin Luther King Jr, the aforementioned Davis, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton (founders of the Black Panthers), James Baldwin, and Maya Angelou, amongst others, show not only strength and determination but also reveal the kind of intimacy and tenderness that is often overlooked when analysing this era.
Iconic, poignant, and mould-breaking images like these ones are a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together under one banner. One could argue that the Panthers blazed a trail for other…
