“There was a mood of something coming up to the surface,” says Liz Johnson Artur of London’s 2020 Black Lives Matter protests
, a vast collection of photographs taken primarily in southeast London, as well as New York, Paris and elsewhere abroad. The title derives from the songby soul singer Syl Johnson, who expresses delight at the image of a black balloon against a white sky. Selected works from the archive have been recently exhibited at South London Gallery, Brooklyn Museum and The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
The archive developed naturally; it was an extension of how Artur lived and chose to move through the world. “From the moment I started taking photographs I decided I would take my camera wherever I wanted, to go and see and feel people,” Artur explains. “I wanted to discover Black communities. There was a drive to take pictures because [they] gave me experiences I wanted.”
Over the years, the archive transformed. “It became something of a reference point,” says Artur. “A place where the things I encounter can be put in context with each other.” Her practice of archiving goes beyond preservation, the idea of keeping something safe. It is also about narrativizing and clarifying, while also leaving room for viewers to interpret the work for themselves.In July, Tate will exhibit works from the collection.
It’s clear Artur sees photography as a mode of narrative investigation. Where the story goes, however, is up to the viewer. “The whole series is one story. People can read it as they like, as they read the title. They might know what I mean, or they might try to guess what I mean. It’s out of my hands by then.”
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