Adger Cowans Interview: On Friendship with Gordon Parks & His Artistic Legacy

Photographer Adger Cowans tells the story of Gordon Parks being born dead (or thought to be) and how he thinks that affected his drive and work as an artist. Cowans recalls Parks giving him a job at Life Magazine and a place to stay with his family after he graduated college. He speaks on Gordon’s friendship with Malcolm X, relationship with Gloria Vanderbilt and his ability to connect with people. Adger Cowans, a fine arts photographer and abstract expressionist painter, has experimented with a myriad of mediums over his artistic career. Renowned in the world of photography and fine art, his works have been shown by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, International Museum of Photography, Museum of Modern Art, The Studio Museum of Harlem and numerous other art institutions. Cowans also has a storied career in cinema as a film still photographer on over thirty Hollywood sets, and worked with directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Lumet, and Spike Lee. From the HBO / Kunhardt Film Foundation (KFF) Documentary "A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks" that follows Parks' career, from staff photographer for LIFE magazine through his artistic development and evolution as a novelist and filmmaker. Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: https://www.lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit:    / @lifestoriesinterviewarchive   Follow us on Instagram:   / lifestoriesinterviews   Adger Cowans, Photographer and friend Interviewed By: John Maggio © Home Box Office and Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved. #AdgerCowans #kunhardtfilmfoundation