In the quiet corners of St. Albans, Queens, where the Q42 bus makes its final stop, a young Anthony Artis first glimpsed his future through the viewfinder of a disposable camera. His grandmother’s words would echo through the decades: “You’re going to be my Gordon Parks.” At the time, the name meant nothing to him. But like many pivotal moments in Artis’s life, it began with a homework assignment: “Look him up for yourself.”
As I converse with Artis, now an accomplished photographer whose lens has captured everything from protest movements to hip-hop legends, that early lesson in self-discovery seems to have shaped not just his career but his entire approach to visual storytelling. The connection between his grandmother’s teaching method and his own photographic philosophy becomes clear: the most meaningful images come not from simple observation but from genuine engagement and personal investigation.
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“Photography becomes a tool by which I live out that mission,” Artis tells me, speaking with the measured cadence of someone who has spent considerable time reflecting on his purpose. “I identify myself first as a servant.” This framework of service through art emerged early in his career, during his documentation of homelessness in the Bowery during the 1990s. Armed with a Pentax K1000—a gift from a counselor at his after-school program—Artis discovered one of his foundational principles: “To really connect with people, it’s less about the camera and more about the connection.”
The parallels between his subjects and his own life at the time were stark. As an adopted child aging out of the state system, Artis recognized the thin line separating him from those he photographed. “I kind of considered myself to be homeless,” he recalls, “even though I was with my grandmother.” This personal connection transformed what could have been mere documentation into something more profound: a meditation on human dignity and shared experience.
His journey from those early days has been marked by an evolution in technology—he now shoots primarily with a Fuji XT5—but his fundamental approach remains unchanged. Whether capturing intimate portraits of hip-hop icons like Raekwon or documenting the raw energy of street protests during COVID-19, Artis’s work consistently returns to a central theme: love as both motivation and method.
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The pandemic era presented a particular challenge that echoed the ethical dilemmas faced by his early inspiration, Gordon Parks. “Everybody wants to stay in the house because there’s this unknown disease,” he reflects, “but then at the same time, we got our communities being brutalized.” The decision to document the protests despite the health risks recalled Parks’s dangerous proximity to conflict in his documentation of civil rights struggles. “I had to be with my people,” Artis says simply.
This commitment to community extends beyond crisis moments. Through initiatives like Women of Wonder, which began as a tribute to his grandmother and led to work with Disney, Artis demonstrates how personal projects rooted in authentic connection can evolve into professional opportunities.
His approach to collaboration is perhaps best illustrated by his relationship with April Walker, a pioneer who carved her path as the first woman in streetwear design. Upon meeting her at Photoville and learning about her groundbreaking work in a male-dominated industry, Artis’s response was immediate and characteristic of his philosophy: “However I can support you, I’m there.” What began as a gesture of authentic support for her cultural contributions evolved into a friendship and professional partnership, embodying his belief that sincere dedication to community naturally creates opportunities for meaningful work.
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As our conversation winds through the backstreets of his career, from the Bowery to Los Angeles film sets, I’m struck by how Artis has maintained his course through the industry’s shifting landscape. His work, whether personal or commissioned, remains anchored in what he calls “love for my community, love for my culture, and telling our stories from our perspective.”
At fourteen, Artis listened to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and wept upon learning he could never meet the artist. Today, he channels that same depth of feeling into his own art, creating connections that transcend the temporal limitations that moved him to tears on his mother’s stoop in East New York. His photography serves as a bridge—between communities, between generations, between the observed and the observer.
As our interview concludes, Artis offers a reflection that encapsulates his journey and philosophy: “It’s a privilege to serve through photography in the way that I do.” In an era where images are increasingly commodified and attention increasingly fractured, Artis’s approach offers a reminder that the most compelling photographs aren’t just captured—they’re earned through patience, presence, and above all, love.
Follow Anthony Artis: @artphotofilms on Instagram & Visit his website: anthonyartis.com
