CHADDS FORD, Pa. – When photographer Frank Stewart first captured the image of what appeared to be a war-torn cemetery, it left many viewers stunned. But upon closer inspection, the scene was not what it seemed. The broken concrete vaults and flattened tombstones were actually parts of a keyboard, with words like “vibrato” and “third harmonic” inscribed on them.
Stewart’s photograph, taken in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is just one of the many thought-provoking works featured in his career retrospective, “Frank Stewart’s Nexus: An American Photographer’s Journey, 1960s to the Present.” The exhibition, which has made its way to the Brandywine Museum of Art, showcases Stewart’s decades-long exploration of African and Caribbean cultures and his documentation of Black life in America.
The exhibit, on display until September 22, is a collaboration between The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. and the Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia. It offers a unique perspective on the influence of the Black church on culture, as well as the important role of music in Stewart’s work.
Stewart’s connection to music runs deep. He was the long-time photographer for the Savannah Music Festival and spent 30 years as the senior staff photographer for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, working closely with artistic director and Grammy-winning musician Wynton Marsalis. The two have a close relationship, and Stewart’s exhibition includes a photograph of Marsalis leading his orchestra off the stage during a world tour of his Pulitzer Prize-winning jazz oratorio, “Blood on the Fields.”
But Stewart’s ties to music go beyond his professional career. His stepfather, Phineas Newborn Jr., was a renowned pianist who played with legends like Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, and B.B. King. Growing up in the “apartheid South,” Stewart found inspiration in photographers like Ernest Cole and Roy DeCarava, who taught him at New York’s Cooper Union. DeCarava’s photographs of 1950s Harlem led to a collaboration with poet Langston Hughes on the 1955 book, “The Sweet Flypaper of Life.”
However, it was Cole’s book, “House of Bondage,” that truly impacted Stewart. The first book to expose the horrors of apartheid through photographs, it was a risky and groundbreaking project for Cole, who eventually fell on hard times and died at the young age of 49. A documentary about his life, “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Stewart, on the other hand, considers himself more of an artist than a documentarian. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before enrolling at Cooper Union and was a close friend and collaborator of artist Romare Bearden. While he has worked for publications like Ebony, Essence, and Black Enterprise magazines, he has always approached his work with an artistic eye, focusing on elements like pattern, color, tone, and space to create visually appealing images.
Stewart’s retrospective also highlights his evolution as a photographer, from his early black-and-white photographs to his more recent prints, which feature vibrant colors. He explains that black-and-white is like “English,” while color is like “French” – two different languages that he has mastered throughout his career.
Interestingly, Stewart reveals that he has always worked with color, but financial constraints prevented him from printing his color photographs until later in his career. Despite this, his photographs still capture the essence of his subjects and convey powerful messages.
In an interview, Stewart once noted that there is a gap between reality and a photograph. “Reality is a fact, and a photograph is another fact,” he said. “The map is not the territory. It’s just a map of the territory.” This statement speaks to the power of photography as a medium of expression, but also reminds us that it can never truly capture the full extent of reality.
Stewart’s retrospective is a testament to his talent and dedication as a photographer, as well as his ability to capture the essence of his subjects and the world around him. It is a must-see for anyone interested in photography, music, art, and the rich culture of African and Caribbean communities. Don’t miss your chance to experience “Frank Stewart’s Nexus” at the Brandywine Museum of Art before it closes on September 22.
