CONTACT HIGH by D'Angelo Lovell Williams

A collection of works by American photographer and artist D'Angelo Lovell Williams. This book is an artist book, and is a comprehensive exploration of the author's previous works, and is a wide range of work to visualize desires and portray the black body. The author's narrative imagery expresses the various forms of how queer black people exist in each other's lives, and their historical existence, by portraying them as sitters, lovers, care workers, or shadows. The author's production is guided by questions about these people's life experiences and views, and questions about expressions of race, class, sexuality, gender, and intimacy. The title of this book is "Contact High” refers to the importance of touching and gestures in the author's work, while also hinting at heightened senses and intuitive gestures.

From self-portraits to working with other communities, the author's photographs visualize the black bodies in the theatrical, dance-like, sometimes ordinary scenes, presenting community history and customs passed down by the black community. At the heart of these intimate and interactive images, the notions of kinship and spirituality are weaved together with gestures with secret political and radicality. The author's unwavering gaze advocates recognition and respect for the black and queer community, creating a scene in which its influence becomes authority. The relationships between family, culture, friends, lovers, and ancestors and their descendants are visualized as ambiguous areas of consideration, kindness, and vulnerability, and speak to the complex nuances of life that are often overlooked in history.