“Yes!!There is “modernism” in the hood!!” reads Jerald Cooper’s bio on Instagram. Cooper manages the Instagram account Hood Midcentury Modern and has cultivated the eyes of thousands of followers and established that growing up Black, was growing up modern. Using his social media as a map of modern architecture and Black community crossover, he’s been able to break down the semi-elitist design era. Cooper is the recipient of the 2023 Julius Shulman Institute’s excellence in photography award.
“Mr. Cooper has developed a unique method of output that is especially relevant to our world today. He educates people who can be empowered through social media and shares the visual stories of Black modernism,” said Barbara Bestor, executive director of the Julius Shulman Institute at Woodbury University. The annual award is named for Julius Shulman, an American architecture photographer whose eye for modern design similarly matches Cooper’s. Past recipients of the award include Benny Chan and Iwan Baan, both photographers who have become staples in architectural photography.
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In lieu of an exhibition centering his work, a three-day line-up on March 1–3 will demonstrate the scope and depth of Cooper’s work. These programmed sessions will include students from Woodbury’s School of Architecture, offer tours of Black modernist residential architecture, and host discussions on these topics.The events are interactive, catering to touring Black modernism both in-person and through images. Cooper isn’t necessarily a photographer, but definitely a documentarian out to capture truth.
The hood has always been modern, or at least abided by its code. Long windows, open floor plans, flat roofs and surfaces. When you’re in the area, or grow up in it, itIn lieu of an exhibition centering his work a three-day line-up on March 1–3 will demonstrate the scope and depth of his work. These programmed sessions will include students from Woodbury’s School of Architecture, offer tours of Black modernist residential architecture, and host discussions on these topics.s not a mind-crossing thought. But architecture’s sociological aspect is one that Cooper has been able to communicate with innovation.
