GME Celebrates the Life of James Baldwin On the Centennial Celebration of His Birth
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JAMES BALDWIN PHOTOGRAPHED BY RAIMONDO BOREA IN 1979.
On the occasion of the centennial celebration of writer and activist James Baldwin’s birth, GME pays tribute to his life, body of work, and lasting cultural impact with this photograph, taken by Raimondo Borea in 1979. An integral figure of both the civil rights and gay liberation movements of the 1960s and ‘70s, Baldwin unabashedly tackled themes of racial inequality, masculinity, sexuality, and class in his writings. Many of these writings are heralded as significant works of 20th-century American literature. 1953’s GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN — a semi-fictionalized memoir inspired by Baldwin’s upbringing in Depression-era Harlem — was listed in 2005 as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 English-language novels, while his 1955 essay collection NOTES OF A NATIVE SON was ranked 19th in The Modern Library’s list of the 100 best 20th-century nonfiction books. Similarly, his 1956 novel GIOVANNI’S ROOM — controversial and groundbreaking for its depiction of a gay romance — was selected by BBC as one of the 100 most influential novels of all time.
In recent years, Baldwin’s life and work has experienced a renaissance. Notably, Barry Jenkins adapted Baldwin’s novel IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK into an Oscar-winning film in 2018, while Raoul Peck explored Baldwin’s life and legacy — and his unfinished manuscript, REMEMBER THIS HOUSE — in the critically-acclaimed 2016 documentary I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO. The issues Baldwin addressed in his work have gained renewed relevance in present-day social and political discourse.
About Photographer Raimondo Borea
Over a 40-year career, Borea amassed an impressive body of photographs. His creative output permeated all areas of fine art photography, television, music, book publishing, and advertising. Working as a freelance photographer, Borea was afforded exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Firing Line, The Today Show, and The Tonight Show in the 1960s and ‘70s, capturing candid photos of the show’s hosts and their celebrity guests.
GME is committed to resurrecting the career of this overlooked photographer, through licensing his photographs, republishing his out-of-print books, mounting curated exhibitions, and identifying a long-term repository for this significant collection of photographic works. Please contact GME’s Fine Arts Curator David Deitch at david@gartenbergmedia.com for all inquiries related to the Borea photography collection.