roy rudolph decarava was an american artist born in harlem, new york city, on december 9, 1919. he passed away in new york city on october 27, 2009. decarava received early critical acclaim for his photography, initially engaging and imaging the lives of african americans and jazz musicians in the communities where he lived and worked. over a career that spanned nearly six decades, decarava came to be known as a founder in the field of black and white fine art photography, advocating for an approach to the medium based on the core value of an individual, subjective creative sensibility, which was separate and distinct from the 'social documentary' style of many predecessors.
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