The Time is Now: Take In ‘Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985’

Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985,’ currently on view at the Getty in Los Angeles, is a seriously powerful collection of work.

Curated by Philip Brookman and Deborah Willis, it brings together “150 examples tracing the Black Arts Movement from its roots to its lingering impacts, from 1955 to 1985.”

We spoke with Mazie Harris, assistant curator at the Getty, about how this exhibition came to be and why it’s especially resonant right now.

Why do you think this exhibition is especially poignant now?
‘I can’t stop thinking about one of the artworks in the exhibition by Darryl Cowherd titled The Time is Now. It’s a photograph he made in the 1960s of that phrase graffitied onto a door. It strikes me as the perfect sentiment for this show. The time is now to appreciate these generations of artists. The time is now to acknowledge the impact of their important work and to recognize its ongoing relevance in our fraught times. And there is no time like the present to follow in their footsteps and rise to the challenges of our era.’

Do you think photography can have the same impact politically as it did in the 60s and 70s?
‘Absolutely. The images of those decades were consequential because they were reproduced in magazines and newspapers that reached large audiences. The opportunity for seeing and sharing is even greater today, but—now as then—cutting through the noise of mainstream media to capture widespread attention requires powerful visions and strong voices.’

Sun Ra, Space II, New York, New York, 1978, by Ming Smith, is featured prominently in the exhibition. What made you choose this particular image to showcase in this way?
‘The organizers of the exhibition—Philip Brookman, a great photography curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and Deborah Willis, a powerhouse historian, curator, and professor at NYU—brought together an incredibly wide range of work. Ming Smith’s piece is particularly resonant because, though it was made almost 50 years ago, it feels almost timeless. It’s an immersive image, with Sun Ra appearing to float outward towards us, radiating light.  A constellation seems to swirl out behind him. By using an extended exposure, the photographer was able to give a sense of the insistent, liberatory futurism of Sun Ra’s imaginative cosmology.’

Did you know the photographers/artists you wanted to include in the beginning of the curatorial process, or did the images come first?
‘The organizers wanted to include certain key images, to highlight particular makers and trailblazers of the era—like voting rights advocate Fannie Lou Hamer, for example—and were eager to represent some of the many varied roles that photography played in forging and fostering Black empowerment. As a result, the exhibition includes a mix of iconic photographs and lesser-known images, offering a glimpse into the dynamism of lens-based media in the mid-twentieth century. 

‘Some images or photographers were included for their importance in spotlighting Black beauty, others for their vital work in bringing attention to the Black community, and several works in the show weren’t made as art at all but were produced to support political organizing. So even if you’re deeply engaged with photo history, there’ll be something in this show that’ll offer you a new perspective on these decades, and there are lots of different points of entry, whatever your areas of interest.’

What were some of the themes/ideas that you wanted to make sure to include? And were there other criteria that you set for the images/artists to meet? 
‘The exhibition includes many collage artworks and is itself a sort of collage—it brings together works by more than 100 artists and activists to offer varied viewpoints on the tumultuous decades of the mid-twentieth century, when Black liberation movements energized the African diaspora. Images by African, British, Nuyorican, and Caribbean artists are interwoven throughout the installation. 

‘While images documenting the period’s racial violence are included, overall, there’s an emphasis on images that celebrate Black self-fashioning and storytelling.’

What did the actual curation process look like, and how long did it take?
‘Photography is sometimes thought of as peripheral to history—as mere documentation of what happened in the past. But photographs don’t just record social transformations, they play crucial roles in motivating political change—swaying public opinion, focusing attention on important causes, spurring solidarity.

‘Deb Willis and Philip Brookman started working on this exhibition many years ago with the underlying assumption that photographers and photographic images were central in advancing Black art and culture. They set out to look at the ways in which photography contributed to redefining how Black life was visualized and understood. By reframing the Black Arts Movement through the lens of visual culture, they give us the chance to understand the power of images alongside the vibrancy of the period’s paintings, music, poetry, and theatrical productions. 

‘Given the many years that the organizers worked to pull this show together, the powerful range of imagery included, and the timeliness of this material given current and ongoing efforts to challenge civil rights in this country, I’m glad that the exhibition will be on view in LA until mid-June and then at the Mississippi Museum of Art from July 25^th to November 8^th, 2026.’

What do you hope audiences feel or reconsider after seeing the exhibition?
‘I’ll circle back to the Darryl Cowherd photograph I mentioned, which visitors see right as they enter the exhibition: The Time is Now. The time is now to help to make the change you want in the world. The time is now to create the images you want to see or to support artists and activists who are doing work you feel is important. The time is now to photograph the people you hold dear and to represent your communities as you feel they ought to be seen. The time is now to wield the camera as a tool to promote dignity and respect, which are too often being stripped away. The time is now to look up from the glowing screen on which you are reading these words and take action, just as the artists and advocates included in this show did. I find both their compositions and their unflagging commitment to change inspiring, and I hope that you will, too.’

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