Ming Smith, Brendan Embser, Yxta Maya Murray, and Namwali Serpell

Watch a recording of the event here.

Ming Smith’s poetic and experimental images are icons of twentieth-century African American life. One of the greatest artist-photographers working today, Smith moved to New York in the 1970s and began to make images charged with startling beauty and spiritual energy. The forthcoming book Ming Smith: An Aperture Monograph brings together four decades of Smith’s work, celebrating her trademark lyricism, distinctively blurred silhouettes, dynamic street scenes, and deep devotion to theater, music, poetry, and dance. Join the California African American Museum, Los Angeles, and Aperture for a conversation featuring Smith, monograph editor Brendan Embser of Aperture, and contributors Yxta Maya Murray and Namwali Serpell as they explore the monograph and Smith’s work.

Ming Smith: An Aperture Monograph is copublished by Aperture and Documentary Arts.