New York-based photographer Frank Stewart’s exhibit at the Brandywine Museum of Art follows his exploration of life on the road and highlights his distinct approach to portraying world cultures and Black life.
“Frank Stewart's Nexus: An American Photographer's Journey, 1960s to the Present” features 100 black-and-white and color images from Stewart’s six-decade career that offer insight into his worldview in many forms, including music, art, food, and dance.
Brandywine Senior Curator Amanda Burdan says Stewart’s upbringing influences how he photographs and portrays his subjects.
“His roots are really in the American South. He had ties to Memphis and to Chicago and to New Orleans growing up,” Burdan said. “I think he is always a great ambassador for American culture, American Southern culture, and American Black culture all over the world, wherever he goes.”
Burdan adds the exhibit is uniquely engaging with strong musical components to help guide visitors.
“I think it’s a really lively installation, there’s always something to look at. There’s rhythms that we create on the wall, which I think echoes the rhythms of… the musical background,” Burdan said. “There’s actually a playlist to listen to, as you walk through, of jazz music that would be either by the artist you’re seeing or referencing the photographs in some way.”
"Frank Stewart's Nexus" is on view at the Brandywine until Sept. 22.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
