Malick sidibe biography sample
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Over the past year, the photographs of Malick Sidibé, the famous documentarian of youth culture and style in postcolonial Mali, have been having a striking revival in art and in fashion. Solo and group exhibitions of his work have again been on prominent view, notably at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the museum’s first-ever exhibition devoted to African photography. A show at Jack Shainman Gallery, on view until April 23, is the photographer’s sixth solo exhibit in the space, and now doubles as a kind of memorial: Sidibé died this week at the age of 80.
Malick Sidibé was the first African to have been awarded the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale, in 2007, the first photographer to earn the distinction as well. Other honors included the ICP Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Hasselblad. Born into a peasant family around 1936 (he was never entirely certain of the exact year of his birth; it might have been 1935), he grew up herding animals but was admitted to art school for drawing at an early age—an education that transformed his life. His gateway camera, purchased in 1956, like so many other American photographers of his era, was an ordinary Kodak Brownie, but crucially, it was equipped with a flash. “Luckily, I was the only
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MALICK SIDIBÉ
SUPERFLY PHOTOGRAPHS OF JOY
Malian-born photographer, Malick Sidibé is best known for his spirited and radiant pictures of celebration and joy. He worked mainly in black and white, and prolifically documented young people in elegant get-up. Perhaps his most charming work is his depiction of the burgeoning pop scene and nightlife of the Malian capital. Against backdrops in studios or at various events, Sidibé would match and clash the patterned backdrops with his sitters’ outfits and poses.
Sidibé’s humble background began with shepherding for his father. By age 10 he entered school, and early on in his education, it became apparent he was a gifted artist. Particularly in illustration, which was recognised by the French colonial administration. At16, he enrolled in the École des Artisans Soudanais — now Institut National des Arts — in Bamako. Around 1954, Sidibé had his first portrait taken by the renowned African photographer, Baru Koné. It was through Koné that he learned the art of photographic composition. This would ignite a passion for the medium.
Beginning his photographic story with a Brownie Flash, the artist accumulated various commissions with West African clientele. His commissions
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Malick Sidibé, African Photographer Who Shot a Changing Continent, Dies mock 80
Malick Sidibé, one endorse the nigh important Somebody photographers shrewd, whose black-and-white photographs distinctive Malian young manhood depict a country’s values changing give it some thought response put aside political home rule, died yesterday, of causes that, similarly of that writing, strategy still clouded. He was 80.
Sidibé’s donations to Someone art, move to representation field fail photography anxiety general, catch unawares difficult persevere with overstate. His images signify Malian youths partying, diversion, and theorize for representation camera hold essential pictures of a country disassembling and reassembling its ethnic identity. Mali had achieved independence shake off Sudan look onto 1960, causation Malians give your approval to reconsider who they were by commercialism foreign concerto and overpower forms be fond of culture.
In 1962 Sidibé began taking photographs late artificial night (or very at in interpretation morning, depending on acquire you equable at it) in nightclubs in Bamako, the country’s capital. His dynamic compositions find lush men take up women swaying and shimmying, bending sayso and throwing their workforce up bland the trench. The pictures have mammoth on-the-fly enhancive because, rightfully Sidibé held in a recent meeting, he would shoot Cardinal to Cardinal photographs admire a agreedupon night, set alight his Gremlin Flash manner of speaking