McDonald, Cecil, Jr.

American, b. 1965

BiographyCecil McDonald, Jr’s series In the Company of Black (2011-2018), dismantles generic representations and stereotypes of Black individuals. The images show the day-to-day lives of McDonald and the people around him, including his family members, friends, and neighbors. McDonald describes the people he photographs as “extraordinarily ordinary,” counterbalancing sensational media tropes focused on the poles of Black Pain and Black Exceptionalism. His interest lies in the artistic and intellectual pursuits of Black culture, as it intersects with and informs the larger culture. He seeks to, in his own words, “question and investigate the norms and customs that govern our understanding of each other, our families, and the myriad of societal struggles and triumphs.”

McDonald’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Chicago Bank of America LaSalle Collection, among others. In 2016 his first edition monograph In the Company of Black was published by Candor Arts and shortlisted by the Aperture Foundation for the 2017 First PhotoBook Awards.