Barkley L. Hendricks

Barkley L. Hendricks, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 72, painted life size portraits of “ordinary Black men and women” — friends, relatives and strangers — in a way that elevated and celebrated them.

Less widely recognized is Hendricks’ extraordinary work as a photographer. He studied for a year under Walker Evans, using his camera as a “mechanical sketchbook”, though many of his photographs are stunning stand-alone works.

Recurring themes include basketball, television screens, and women’s legs and shoes – the latter reminiscent of Sarah van Rij’s motifs, though captured with a distinctly different gaze.