{"id":227502,"date":"2025-10-20T18:45:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/227502\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T18:45:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:45:08","slug":"photographer-coreen-simpsons-illustrious-career-capturing-toni-morrison-and-muhammad-ali-ive-never-gotten-bored-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/227502\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographer Coreen Simpson\u2019s illustrious career capturing Toni Morrison and Muhammad Ali: \u2018I\u2019ve never gotten bored\u2019 | Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toni Morrison, 1978. Photograph: Coreen Simpson<\/p>\n

Coreen Simpson carved her own path to success \u2013 she never waited for anyone to hand her an opportunity. In her 1978 portrait of Toni Morrison, the author gazes directly into the camera with a striking expression that holds the viewer\u2019s eyes fixed on hers.<\/p>\n

A shadow fills the space between Morrison and the world, compelling the audience to reckon with her presence. The cigarette held effortlessly in Morrison\u2019s left hand is a gesture to her power and influence as a literary giant. The image captures the essence of Simpson\u2019s photography<\/a>, seamlessly revealing the nature of her subjects while commanding their presence in the world.<\/p>\n

Coreen Simpson\u2019s Self-portrait. Photograph: Coreen Simpson<\/p>\n

When working at the Studio Museum in Harlem as an assistant curator, Simpson set up an unofficial photography studio in her office and assigned herself the task of photographing artists, such as Morrison, who came to visit the museum.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made up this whole thing, \u2018I\u2019m Coreen Simpson, and I would like to do an official portrait of you,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cToni Morrison was smoking a cigarette when she came in, and so she said, \u2018Oh, let me put the cigarette out.\u2019 And I told her, \u2018But it looks so glamorous with the cigarette. This is you. Allow me to take the picture.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At 83 years old, Simpson remains excited about photography, and in a newly released photo book from Aperture\u2019s Vision & Justice project, titled Coreen Simpson: A Monograph<\/a>, viewers can experience the joy of her imagery. Her black-and-white portraits reveal the quiet and luminous spirit of her subjects, while her compelling experimental portraits challenge the audience to confront their perception of women\u2019s bodies by covering their faces with masks. \u201cI\u2019ve never gotten bored [with photography], but I used to get bored very easily with things,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s fascinating to me that it has just enriched my life completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simpson became a photographer after noticing that she could make better images than the ones used to illustrate her stories as a freelance lifestyle writer. She took the chance to start creating the images she wanted to see. In 1976, she contacted her friend Walter Johnson, a street photographer who worked at a photo lab in Manhattan, with whom she had been acquainted with from her modeling days, and asked if he could teach her how to use a camera. He showed her how to use it, and as soon as she got a hold of it, she became unstoppable.<\/p>\n

She argues that great images are the key to having a successful published story. \u201cYou have to feel good about yourself, and good about the article that you\u2019re presenting to the public,\u201d she says. \u201cSo what makes it good? It\u2019s the visuals. The visuals make it good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooking Is My Game (Lady Chef), Velma James, Hotel Roosevelt, New York, 1977. Photograph: Coreen SimpsonJamien, 1982. Photograph: Coreen SimpsonWilliam and Sam, Roxy Club, 1985. Photograph: Coreen Simpson<\/p>\n

She attributes her success as a photographer to her childhood growing up in foster care, during which she developed a survival instinct that is now essential to her image-making process. \u201cI like photography \u2018cause it\u2019s like you have to survive. You have to get the photograph, damn it. That\u2019s what the editor wants, and it\u2019s so exciting,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Her instincts have led her to create a unique and innovative career not only in photography but also as a successful entrepreneur of her jewelry company. Simpson got her start in the jewelry industry by accident. Her friend Richard, who worked for the chief curator of Vogue, invited her to join him as he went to the West Village in New York<\/a> City to sell his old clothes. She brought some of her old jewelry, and after a few Saturdays putting out a blanket with their items, they sold everything. The joy she gained from the experience made her want to sell more.<\/p>\n

Her friend suggested that they take a jewelry-making class to create more pieces they could sell. After taking a few lessons to improve her skills, she saw an improvement. As the designs improved, she increased the price, but people downtown were unwilling to pay the amount she was asking. After a customer suggested, she began selling her jewelry in front of Bendel\u2019s on 57th St.<\/p>\n

Gail Pilgrim Wearing a Black Cameo Collection Crown, 1990s. Photograph: Coreen SimpsonAlva with Clock, 1991\/2021. Photograph: Coreen SimpsonMan with Curl, 1990s. Photograph: Coreen Simpson<\/p>\n

In 1989, after a few years of training at the New School and refining her skills, one of her editors, Audreen Ballard, asked her to create a Black Cameo. It led to her business blooming, and the success of her jewelry line, the Black Cameo, has allowed her to use the money from her business to supplement her income when she is not taking photos.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m making jewelry with my hands. I\u2019m always thinking, what am I doing with photography?\u201d Simpson says. \u201cWhen I\u2019m doing the photography, I\u2019m thinking about the jewelry, so it works. It\u2019s very interesting how my mind works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her portraits capture the heart and soul of the people she photographs, from those on the streets of Harlem to iconic figures such as James Baldwin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol, as well as the nightlife at clubs in New York City.<\/p>\n

Her compassion for her subjects has taken her and her camera, which she describes as a passport, to one-of-a-kind experiences. On the eve of Muhammad Ali\u2019s fight at Yankee Stadium in 1976, she stood outside the stadium wanting to photograph the event attendees. Although she did not have a ticket to the fight herself, a man approached her while she was working, asking if she would like to meet Ali. She responded excitedly: \u201cOf course!\u201d He replied: \u201cCome with me, and I will introduce you to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muhammad Ali at the Cotton Club, Harlem, 1979. Photograph: Coreen Simpson<\/p>\n

Flashing her NBC work badge, where she worked as a union contractor and not a photographer, Ali invited her to be the only photographer to walk behind him as he entered the ring. \u201cCan you imagine?\u201d she declares. When the fight ended, Ali invited her to attend the after-party events with him. \u201cIt\u2019s just being in the right place at the right time,\u201d she says. \u201cI tell young photographers today, don\u2019t wait for a magazine to give you an assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n

She later called the Black Sports magazine to pitch them a story with her images of Ali. The publication of her images in the magazine would mark the first time her photos were in a national publication.<\/p>\n

As a single mother taking care of two young children, she has persisted in creating opportunities for herself by following her passions and never taking no for an answer. \u201cWhen I read a lot of James Baldwin\u2019s work, he said, \u2018Go with the blood beats,\u2019 and that means do what excites you,\u201d she says. \u201cWhatever it is, just go [do] what excites you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Toni Morrison, 1978. Photograph: Coreen Simpson Coreen Simpson carved her own path to success \u2013 she never waited…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227503,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[76,354,355,49,48,356,75],"class_list":{"0":"post-227502","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-ca","12":"tag-canada","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}