"Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025 contains 120 color and black-and-white images captured within the urban enclave. At 585 acres, the public park offers a vast area for gathering, exercising, and engaging with nature, and for Shabazz, it's always been a refuge from life's realities. He began taking the photos in this collection after returning to New York following a 36-month service in the U.S. Army and while he worked for the Department of Corrections at the notorious Riker's Island facility."
"Included in the monograph are several portraits that show what a fixture the photographer has been in the park. Warm, easy smiles and confident poses abound, and while the popular fashions and technology may change, so much of life depicted stays the same. The images glimpse how vital the outdoor space has remained over the years, as several generations climb trees, gather to look out over one of the lakes, or simply find joy in each other's company."
Jamel Shabazz photographed Prospect Park in Brooklyn from 1980 through 2025, producing 120 color and black-and-white images. The park's 585 acres provide settings for gatherings, exercise, and engagement with nature, functioning as a refuge from everyday hardships. Shabazz began these photographs after a 36-month U.S. Army service and while working at the Department of Corrections on Riker's Island. Portraits portray warm smiles and confident poses and show Shabazz as a familiar presence in the park. The images record changing fashions and technology while emphasizing continuity of communal life and the park's vital social role.
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