Tue, October 14, 2008 - 12:00pm
Ticket Pricing: Free; no ticket required
Charles "Teenie" Harris: Rhapsody in Black and White; Photos that inspired Ronald K. Brown's dance, One Shot
Location: Other
Charles “Teenie” Harris: Rhapsody in Black and White; Photos that inspired Ronald K. Brown's dance One Shot
at DIVA, Broadway & Olive. Free.
Presented by Hult Presents
Click here to read Bob Keefer's article Photochoreography -- Art forms intersect in a series of events that will come to Eugene this month.
Self-portrate of "Teenie" Harris
VIEW two-minute excerpt from One Shot on YouTube
From 1936 to 1975 Charles “Teenie” Harris was the staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s oldest and most influential Black newspapers. From children playing in the stream of an open fire hydrant on a hot day to celebrities like Louis Armstrong and Jackie Robinson, Harris captured more than 80,000 images of urban African American life during a time of significant change. His remarkable ability to capture the essence of a story with a single photograph earned him the nickname “One Shot,” and the intimacy of his photos are evidence of the trust he engendered in his subjects. Harris’ photographs reflect African American urban life in the mid-20th century from the Depression to the Civil Rights Movement.
The touring exhibit of 31 of Teenie Harris’ silver gelatin photographs will be in Eugene from October 14 to November 22 at Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA). The photographs appear again in the public dance performance of One Shot, at the Hult Center on Sunday, Oct. 26, performed by Ronald K. Brown and his Evidence dance company. The company will also perform Grace, choreographed by Brown for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and now considered a masterpiece in the Ailey repertory.
Harris’ photographs are drawn from the Teenie Harris Archives of Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, PA. The exhibition is owned and organized by the August Wilson Center for African American Culture. Professor Deborah Willis, one of the nation’s leading historians of African American photography is the exhibit co-curator (with Ronald K. Brown) and will provide a public lecture about the work of Charles “Teenie” Harris on Friday, Oct. 17 at 5:30 pm at DIVA.
The project is funded in part by the NEA’s American Masterpieces program and the exhibit is open to the public with free admission.
Charles “Teenie” Harris: Rhapsody in Black and White is part of a collaborative project coordinated by Hult Presents, which includes a dance performance on Oct. 26 by Ronald K. Brown and his Evidence dance company inspired by the work of Teenie Harris, master classes in contemporary dance, a photography series for middle school students, lectures supporting the exhibit, and more.
If you only had "one shot," what would you do? See the dance performance inspired by these photos - ONE NIGHT ONLY - Sunday, October 26, 2008
Hult Presents Evidence, A Dance Company, at the Hult Center
Praised by The New York Times as “One of the most profound choreographers of his generation,” Ronald K. Brown tells important stories about the human experience, blending African, Caribbean, modern, ballet and social dance styles. Performed by Brown and his company Evidence, this unique afternoon includes One Shot, combining contemporary dance and the work of photojournalist Charles “Teenie” Harris. Harris’ photos are incorporated into Brown’s choreography on stage in this fascinating and unusual performance. Also included is Grace, a journey of the spirit choreographed by Ronald K. Brown for Alvin Ailey and considered a masterpiece of contemporary dance. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes
Includes a post-performance discussion with Ronald K. Brown and dancers.
Evidence, A Dance Company performance: Info & Video & Tickets