Charles Muir Lovell
Artist Statement
I am fascinated by the pageantry and celebratory nature of New Orleans’ African American cultural tradition of second line parades. I am captivated by their visual richness and ceremony, and history, and by how they express a vibrant cultural and artistic heritage, intensely alive yet intimately connected to the past. The massive amount of industry that the social aid and pleasure clubs invest in creating their costumes, decorations, baskets, umbrellas and banners is a labor of love. Documenting these visually stunning parades became a passion and a commitment. For twelve years I’ve followed the weekly parades, taking thousands of photographs.
Artist Bio
Charles Muir Lovell has long been passionate about photographing people within their cultures. Upon moving to New Orleans in 2008, he began documenting the city’s second line parades, social aid and pleasure clubs, and jazz funerals, capturing a unique and vibrant part of New Orleans’s rich cultural heritage. His photographs have been exhibited nationally and internationally, are found in several permanent collections, including the Historic New Orleans Collection, and can be seen at CharlesLovell.com and on Instagram @CharlesLovellArt. He holds an MFA in photography from Central Washington University. He is 2020 recipient of Documentary Photographer Award from the LEH.
Pricing
20”x24”, Framed archival pigment prints, $1000 each
