Dawoud Bey on landscape, empathy, and 'radical Black imaginary' in new podcast and AGO exhibition

In the latest episode of The Art Newspaper's 'A brush with' podcast, photographer Dawoud Bey discusses his career, recent turn to landscape, and influences such as Roy DeCarava and John Coltrane. Born in New York in 1953, Bey began making photographs in the 1970s, deliberately avoiding photojournalism. His current exhibition, 'Material Histories, Living Landscapes,' runs at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto until 4 July 2027, co-presented with the Toronto Biennial of Art 2026. Bey explains his concept of the 'radical Black imaginary' and his empathy for enslaved people who once traversed the landscapes he captures. The podcast also touches on his friendships with David Hammons and Torkwase Dyson, his response to Toni Morrison, and the ongoing influence of film-maker Michael Roemer. Bloomberg Connects sponsors the episode, which highlights museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. A short punchy takeaway: Bey's landscapes are not empty spaces but echoes of absent presences.