John Simmons. Photo courtesy John Simmons, ASC
By Steve Simmons – posted Monday, Aug. 3, 2021, 9:27 p.m.
Photographer John Simmons is getting a lot more exposure.
His historical, inspiring and often moving pictures are featured in three currently running exhibits at: Aziz Gallerie in Leimert Park, The Jean Deleage Art Gallery at CASA 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights and The J. Paul Getty Museum at The Getty Center in L.A.
Simmons began his career at 15 as a photographer for the oldest African American-owned newspaper, The Chicago Daily Defender in 1965. Over his decades long career, he’s photographed icons of the Civil Rights Movement, turbulent protests and demonstrations, famed musicians and poignant intimate moments of everyday life. “I’m glad to see photographs I took back in my teens are still relevant today,” he says.
Simmons, also a multiple Emmy-winning cinematographer, admits to being surprised by all the attention. “It’s pretty amazing, because a good friend of mine said, ‘Johnny, when you first picked up a camera you were just playing around, now everyone is taking you seriously.’”
“It’s great to feel like the love of something beyond yourself has such an effect on other people,” Simmons says. His photographic philosophy “shows an affinity toward humanity and the desire to connect,” he says. “And to have my photos in three distinct cultural settings – Latino, Black and The Getty Center – personally, that’s amazing. It makes it feel like that part of the journey was worth it.”
Simmons had his last exhibit in L.A. in 2016, after not having exhibited since the ‘70s. “I was very unsure about how the work would be received, and then the pictures go up on the wall and suddenly they take on a life of their own,” he says. “I hope the somebody looking at the pictures 100 years from now will have an experience that might change them or move them to do something.”
In Focus: Protest – The J. Paul Getty Museum
Two of Simmons’ photographs are featured in “In Focus: Protest,” “an exhibition featuring images made during periods of social struggle in the U.S. and highlighting the myriad roles protest photographs play in shaping our understanding of American life,” says Mazie Harris, assistant curator in the department of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “With this exhibition we aim to give visitors a place to think about some of the ways photographers have brought attention to efforts to address and rectify injustice.”
Unite or Perish, (Chicago, Ill., 1969) and Fight Like A Girl (Los Angeles, Ca., 2018) will be part of the show through Sunday, Oct. 10. (For details, see below.)
Both images “visually convey a deep emotional position,” says Harris. From a Vietnam War protest to a recent Women’s March, the photos “illustrate a bridge through time showing young defiant women making their voices heard,” Harris says.
Showing the importance of women in protest movements, Harris says, the women carry witty and powerful handmade signs. “’America Is The Black Man’s Battleground, Not Vietnam’ is a powerful statement,” says Harris, “and ‘Fight Like A Girl’ is so good. It gives me a lot of energy.”
Also in the exhibit are works by renowned American photographers, Dorothea Lange and Robert Mapplethorpe, plus images by Robert Flora, William James Warren, An-My Lê and Kris Graves.
To be among such greats, says Simmons “is a mindblower. These are the photographers whose composition I studied and wondered about what they ate, when they went to bed, what kind of camera they used and what made them photographers?”
Last year, Simmons was invited to join The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona and had photos in “Time is Now: Photography and Social Change in James Baldwin’s America” at Carpenter Center for the Arts at Harvard University. While he treasures those honors, being at The Getty “hits close to home,” he says. Teaching at UCLA for 25 years, he drove by the center all the time and took students for tours. “We would study the lighting in a Rembrandt, and now I can say they have John Simmons in another building.”
Annie Combs-Brookes, Donor Relations Specialist at the Getty Research Institute, initially encouraged Harris to see Simmons’ 2019 show No Crystal Stair -The Photography of John Simmons, ASC at the Museum of African American Art in Baldwin Hills. Since meeting and “keeping in touch with John, I’ve wanted to bring his work into our collection; and we were finally able to make that happen,” Harris says.
As a lead up to the 2020 presidential election, Harris was working on an exhibition exploring how photographers “take the pulse of the nation,” with photos of politicians and political activities from across the country, with part of it focused on protest images. With the museum closed before the election and summer protests happening across the country, “it made sense to expand what had been a small part of the exhibit into the focus. And I thought of John’s work going to protests in the ‘60s and taking these fantastic images as a teenager and his stories of being threatened by police and being told by police that ‘he needed to leave town.’ And he continues to shoot more recent demonstrations. His work taps into a painful thread from the past to the present.”
At last summer’s PhotoLA, Harris and a colleague led a panel on photography and activism and asked Simmons to take part. “It was great to hear how he uses the medium as a tool of social awareness,” Harris says.
“My position on protest is interesting,” says Simmons. “My father was much older than my mother and when Harriet Tubman died my father was around 12 or 13 so that puts me in close relationship to slavery and to people who were arounds slaves. My great grandmother saw Abraham Lincoln and my great aunt was babysat by former slaves. I picked up a camera in 1965, the first year African Americans were allowed to vote. That was behind those eyes the first day I pressed a shutter. So in reality, every photograph I take is a protest photo.”
The Getty also acquired Simmons’ The Fan (Los Angeles, Ca., 2017) and Love On The Bus, (Chicago, Ill., 1967). Simmons also donated Observatory, (Los Angeles, Ca., 2017) for its permanent collection. “I love that photo,” says Harris, “it shows a lone woman at Griffith Observatory looking off into greater L.A.”
“Having pictures at The Getty gives them permanence and shows they’ve proven themselves to be important,” says Simmons.
Capturing Beauty: The Artwork and Photography of John Simmons – The Jean Deleage Art Gallery inside of CASA 0101 Theater
After being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, The Jean Deleage Art Gallery at Casa 0101 in Boyle Heights is now welcoming in-person guests to see Capturing Beauty: The Artwork and Photography of John Simmons, extended through Tuesday, Aug. 31. Open since February, it’s the gallery’s the longest running exhibit. (To visit, see details below.)
“Johnny got a lot of exposure at Casa and I’m happy about that,” says Jimmy Centeno, art exhibit curator. “It’s rewarding as a curator to present artists for the jewel that they are; and give artists like Johnny the acknowledgement they deserve.”
The gallery, 2102 E. 1st St., L.A., will host a free “Meet John Simmons, ASC” reception, from 6-9 p.m., Saturday, Aug.14.
Simmons’ nearly 24 images and three never-before-exhibited collages in the show depict racism, segregation and civil unrest. “Since the 1960s, John has produced captivating photographs that present the beauty, complexities, challenges, and intimate moments of Black life and the broader world around him,” says Centeno.
“Looking at his vast catalogue of photos,” recalls Centeno, “there were so many themes.” His goal with the show, he says, was to juxtapose the photos of celebrations and everyday life with illustrations of the era’s changing political scene and rapidly growing Civil Rights Movement.
So there are photos of people enjoying the Bud Billiken Parade, sponsored for more than 90 years by The Chicago Daily Defender, children riding bikes or crossing a street, people going to work, a rag man collecting scraps and tin and members of the Nation of Islam in Nashville, and a photo that reminds people of “The Last Supper” with Rev C.T. Vivian and members of the Blackstone Rangers at a press conference.
“I wanted to show the small moments of life and the dignity of John’s subjects, like a nanny crossing the street with two white children, along with the struggle for equality and justice,” says Centeno, “all taking place at the same time.” His photo of an interracial couple dancing shows the Black man “looking like he’s on high alert, wondering where the opposition is going to come from,” says Simmons.
Highlights of the show are portraits of well-known historical figures like Angela Davis, noted political activist, philosopher, academic and author and Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to run for president of the U.S.
Harris, who visited the Casa 0101 show before the Getty exhibit opened, adds, “I’m not a photographer myself and I cannot get over people who can make portraits and can capture an expression so directly and frankly. John is able to catch these natural expressions that make you feel you’re moving through that world yourself.”
“What’s astonishing is to realize, is that all his work was before the digital age and many of his best photos were shot in just one frame and on rolls of 36-exposures film,” adds Centeno.
“I’m glad Jimmy wanted the collages in the show,” says Simmons, “they feel like documentaries to me.” Good People on Both Sides was inspired by former President Trump’s response to Charlotte ; Walking Tall In Spite Of It All, depicts “atrocities that happen to Black people,” says Simmons, and shows Harriet Tubman, who led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad on one side, a man being lynched on the other “and a strong man in the middle in a trench coat;” and Anger Danger—Don’t Shoot was inspired by the murder of George Floyd.
The collages, in frames selected his wife Cynthia, “show John in dialogue with historic imagery,” says Harris.
Emmanuel Deleage, Casa 0101 executive director, adds that the multi-layered paper collage cartographies are “mappings that zoom in and out of political and social narratives, and the harsh reality and struggles of Black American history without losing a sense of hope.”
The exhibition’s title was inspired by the book Saving Beauty by cultural theorist Byung-Chul Han “who wrote that beauty is all that which commits you and I,” says Centeno. He relates it to Simmons’ “commitment to his art, his community, civil rights, social justice and the betterment of life.”
Pre-pandemic, Centeno had considered Simmons’ show for last year’s Latino Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct. 15). “I thought there would be no better way to celebrate than with John’s photography, reversing expectations about the month,” says Centeno. “Why not celebrate another member of our community, so that the experience becomes intercultural.” The show opened online in February.
Simmons has a strong affinity for Boyle Heights after having a studio space a block from where the theater is now. “I loved the passion of Boyle Heights, there was something always happening,” Simmons says. “When Jimmy mentioned the possibility of being there, it felt wonderful to bring Black culture to that environment and because Casa is such an active place.”
And Simmons’ activism continues. When he told Centeno he was distressed about families coming to the border in caravans and children in detention centers, Centeno suggested a silent auction fundraiser. The May event, conducted on the website and featuring prints of Love On The Bus, Unite or Parish and Man with a Pistol raised money for Border Angels, focused on migrant rights, immigration reform, and the prevention of immigrant deaths along the border. “I would like to do another one,” says Simmons.
The show has drawn visitors ranging from Yale students to fellow photographers, “who automatically feel connected to his work,” says Centeno. People, he added, are amazed that many of the photos are the work of a teenager. “I didn’t know I was witnessing history,” says Simmons. “I had the vision of a 17-year-old. I was thinking about the music in my head, fast food and different kinds of cars.”
Chronicles of Our Culture – Aziz Gallerie
Aziz Gallerie in Leimert Park is presenting Chronicles of Our Culture, featuring 21 of Simmons’ photographs, now extended through Sunday Aug. 29.
Planning an exhibition in celebration of Juneteenth, gallerie owner Aziz Diagne was looking for artists from the seminal ‘60s to introduce to a younger generation. Alisa Adona, photographer producer and a friend of Simmons, showed Diagne some of Simmons’ work and some very famous photos.
“John was interested, and we cleared off the calendar and have been more than happy to host the show,” says Diagne. It’s been so popular it’s been extended twice. “I knew John would be a good match to relate to the ‘60s and to today.”
The name of the exhibition fits, says Simmons. “It’s a visual diary of where I’ve been and who I am.”
Standouts of the show include portraits of prominent leaders of the Civil Rights Movement including Jesse Jackson, a free Huey Newton demonstration and Rosa Parks. Simmons was invited to the Parks’ 70th birthday party. “I didn’t know her, and I didn’t get to speak to her,” remembers Simmons, “but I certainly appreciated being there. I think it’s a wonderful picture of an historic woman.”
Diagne personally hung the pictures and did the display. He especially likes one of the most-popular images in the show, Girl Eating Ice Cream (Chicago, IL 1967,) showing a wide-eyed girl enjoying a cone, and Checking Teeth (Trinidad 2015), with little girl in a stadium where the white seats look like teeth.
Diagne opened the gallery two years ago with several goals, one of which is to encourage and educate up-and-coming artists and curators. Graduate curators Jupiter June (now with a show at the Joyce Jordan Gallery in Oakland, Ca.) and Zuhura worked to put “Chronicles” together.
The gallerie hosted an Artist Talk & Reception on July 11 moderated by June and Zuhura. Simmons was introduced by Bernadette Gildspinel, owner of La Belle Art Gallerie in New Orleans, where Diagne has shown his art. “She’s a longtime friend and the longest-lasting gallery owner I know in the country,” Diagne says. “And she came specifically when I called her about John’s work. It was worth her time to come here for a week.”
Simmons and Diagne know the strength of mentorship. Simmons’ career was shaped by many, including film directors, Carlton Moss and Ousman Sembène, regarded as the father of African Cinema; photographer, Robert “Bobby” Sengstacke, who introduced him to street photography; and artist Aaron Douglas. He was even recently named “Mentor of the Year” by The American Society of Cinematographers.
“I didn’t see any place for curators just out of school to build some kind of resume,” says Diagne. “Here I’m sharing my 35 years of experience from around the world. There’s a lot more to it than picking the artwork they’re going to be showing.”
Simmons also has ties to Leimert Park. Artist Alonzo Davis gave him space at the Brockman Gallery where he worked as an artist in residence in the ‘80s, assembling his collages.
Now Diagne, a long-time print artist, and Simmons, who’s also does printmaking, are planning to work together, and Diagne is hoping to bring his press and print-making techniques to area schools. “We’ve built an excellent relationship,” says Simmons, “and he’s doing something that enriches the community.”
–The J. Paul Getty Museum at The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., L.A., is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday- Sunday. Admission is free, but to allow for social distancing during the current pandemic, reservations are required. Parking is $20 per car. Reservations may be made at www.getty.edu/visit or by calling 310-440-7300. John Simmons recorded an audio tour for the exhibition, available on the Getty Guide App. For more information, visit www.getty.edu.
–The free exhibit, Capturing Beauty: The Artwork and Photography of John Simmons, running through Aug. 31, is housed in The Jean Deleage Art Gallery inside of CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 E. First Street (at St. Louis Street), L.A. It can be viewed 24/7 virtually at any time by visiting: https://casa0101.org/?exhibits=the-artwork-and-photography-of-john-simmons. The exhibit may be viewed in-person from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Guests are asked to call 323-263-7684 before visiting. The website also features Simmons’ free online guided tour and Centeno’s interview with Simmons and a webinar feature led by him and Deleage.
—Aziz Gallerie, is at 3343 West 43rd St., Leimert Park. In-person Aziz Gallerie viewing hours are from noon-7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Pieces in the exhibit are for sale. For more information, call 323-815-1843 and visit at www.chroniclesofourculture.com and www.aziagallerie.com.
Steve Simmons is an accomplished writer and editor who writes about a wide array of topics including entertainment. His successful experience at the Beverly Hills Courier and other publications set the stage for his blog. Contact Steve at steve.simmons0211@gmail.com or 626-788-6734.
