Published 14:26 IST, October 3rd 2020
Black Lives Matter protest photo to be auctioned; here's what photographer has to say
The telling picture was shot by British photographer Misan Harriman in June this year when Black Lives Mattes protests had intensified across the globe.
A photograph captured at a Black Lives Matter protest in London is going up for sale this October. The telling picture was shot by British photographer Misan Harriman in June this year when Black Lives Mattes protests had intensified across the globe after the brutal killing of an African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis, US. The photograph is set to be auctioned by Sotheby and is currently priced at US$3,869 to $6,449. It will be displayed at the Sotheby's London gallery between October 11-14.
'Undeniable purpose'
Harriman captured the black and white portrait of Darcy Bourne, who was then just another anonymous subject for him. Later it became known that Darcy is a U-21 hockey player in England. Harriman, while explaining his inspiration behind the picture said that he was immediately struck by her "undeniable purpose" and "passion" filled expression of Darcy. "In one split second, I captured a young woman fighting for her future, holding up what is a seemingly simple question, a question I hope the next generation won’t need to ask," Harriman said on Instagram.
In the picture, Darcy can be seen holding a placard with a hand-painted question on it that reads, "Why is ending racism a debate?". When Harriman captured Darcy with the sign, at that very moment, a protestor punched their hand in the air, and the result was a photograph that went viral across the globe and is now set to go under the hammer at an auction. This is the first time any of Harriman’s works have gone up for sale. The picture inspired the cover of Vogue's September edition and Harriman became the first Black photographer to shoot the magazine's cover since it was founded more than a century ago.
Updated 14:25 IST, October 3rd 2020