“I remember it vividly like it was just yesterday. ‘Belly’, the 1998 crime drama film, was written and directed by music video director Hype Williams. The film’s dramatic lighting, colours, angles, and artwork were like a grand art exhibition on a movie theatre screen. Then and there, I met my Black Madonna, an obsession that has stayed with me ever since.”
Rappers DMX and Nas played the role of two young black brothers, Tommy & Sincere, from the streets of Queens, New York. They hashed out a living in their quick-paced world.
The Black & White Photos, the most beautiful images ever
The black and white photos in Tommy’s house were captivating. They were the most stunning photos I had seen in a long time, inspiring me to consider doing a show. I felt the need to match or even better them, which is how my obsession with black madonnas began.
The search to find my process
Years later, I discovered that Tommy’s house featured photography by Thierry Le Goues, a French photographer known for capturing the beauty of curvy black women.
French Photographer’s Black Bodies Obsession
“I had a strong desire to learn how to develop my process to create images as beautiful as the masterpieces I had seen. Finding a black-and-white process that worked for me took me a few years. I focused on producing solid blacks with plenty of detail and texture while creating clean whites and highlights with lots of information.
I was utterly obsessed with this process but couldn’t be happier with the results.”
Me and My Black Body Obsession
There were once numerous paintings of the Black Madonna worldwide. Still, they are believed to be hidden, burnt, or destroyed by the church or the Hitler’s Nazis. It is also rumoured that white women were jealous of their white husbands’ fascination with beautiful black skin women. However, who knows for sure? Ha! Ha! Ha!
The Black Madonna Obsession
This striking black face is the first Madonna image I created using my refined process. “Virgin” refers to paintings or statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, often depicted with black or dark skin and the infant Jesus.
The Black Madonna can still be found in Orthodox Catholic countries or hidden in a vault.
New York advertising photographer Donn Thompson created this image titled “Harlem Black Madonna.”
This is another amazing picture set by one of the world’s master of light and illusion. The light hits the model just right to emphasize power, majesty, and complexity. She more than a woman, she is Mother Gaia herself. An obsession. The images will never leave your mind if you dare to look.
Absolutely beautiful! I never get enough of Donn’s ability to get the lighting and angles just right to tell a profound story with his photography.