White Riot: Ajamu Kojo
White Riot: Ajamu Kojo + Bradley Rubenstein
Photo credit BERNIE DeCHANT
Putting people in racist categories
Knowledge isn’t what it used to be
–Afrika Bambaataa (with John Lydon), Time Zone, verse 3
One hundred years ago the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the thriving black community known as Black Wall Street, was destroyed by a white mob who attacked the residents in their homes and businesses. The massacre leveled 35 square blocks, killing countless people (reports range from 39 to 300) and leaving thousands homeless. Schools, theaters, a church, a library, doctors’ offices, law offices, shops, and restaurants were left in ruins. The Tulsa Massacre is often cited as the single most violent race-related incident in United States history. In 2016, Ajamu Kojo stumbled upon a video of Dr. Olivia Hooker, one of the last surviving residents of the Greenwood community. After listening to Dr. Hooker speak, Kojo dove into extensive research and exploration of the history of the massacre and envisioned a path to immortalizing the people of Greenwood through his art.
Black Blood, No.1: In the spirit of John, Loula & Joanna Williams family, Entrepreneurs
2017
Mischtechnik on linen canvas
6ʼX8ʼ
In film as well as an ongoing series of formal portraits, Ajamu Kojo immortalizes the citizens of Greenwood—artists, lawyers, entrepreneurs—the people who made Black Wall Street what it was. His work collapses the perceived distance in time and space between the community in 1920s Tulsa and in Brooklyn of the present day. Ajamu Kojo’s Black Wall Street interrogates our shared history and reminds us of our very urgent present.
Black Gold: Dr. Olivia J. Hooker: first African-American woman to enter the U.S. Coast Guard, February 1945
2017
Mischtechnik on linen canvas
48”X48”
Ajamu Kojo uses his background in film and theater to build and design sets and wardrobes that call back to the heyday of Black Wall Street. Each portrait features a black tar-like “pour” in the outer edges of the panel. This is a reference to the crude oil that, coupled with hard work and fortitude, was a source of much of the capital that was the bedrock of the community’s success. It is also a prescient representation of the ominous events to come.
Black Blood, No.3: In the spirit of Mary Elizabeth Jones Parrish, Published Author
2017
Mischtechnik on linen canvas
48”X36”
Bradley Rubenstein: Before getting into your painting, you also went to film school, which I think is relevant to the Black Wall Street series.
Ajamu Kojo: I studied film production during my undergraduate years at Howard University. I spent many hours writing and imagining what it would be like to make a living as a filmmaker. I recall being very interested in Archie and Jughead comic books as a youth. That same interest later developed into a fascination for science-fiction and fantasy comics like Heavy Metal during my adolescent years. So, yeah, the element of art and storytelling has been a part of my life since early on.
When I began taking on the Black Wall Street series, I knew from the very beginning that the most important element would be the story. What is it that I want to say? Why is it important? And how do I make it universally relatable?
BR: That is something that really comes out in your work, the importance of narrative.
AK: Each painting acts as a single frame out of the twenty-four that it takes to make up one second in film.
There were many things I experienced while living in D.C. that can be attributed to my fondness for the art of storytelling and film, but there was a very specific moment I seem to remember being directly related to the story of Black Wall Street. I made note of it and filed it away. I knew I’d come back to revisit the idea someday, however, I had no idea when or what form it would eventually take on.
BR: Can you talk a little about that? Not just about the series itself, but all the steps along the way. I think your process is highly conceptual in a way that is very strong.
AK: Well, I initially thought of producing a film on the subject matter, but by the time I gave it any serious consideration, I was heavily engrossed in my career as a painter. So, I decided perhaps I could mix the two to a degree.
BR: And you actually work in the film business, so you are coming at the project with a lot of that knowledge.
AK: Indeed. Having worked in production years prior and now working in pre-production, I’ve been exposed to the broad strokes of what it takes to create a film on a professional level.
I decided to create a small-scale BTS film documentation of my process. I wanted the portraits to be personal, not only for myself and the subjects, but also for the audience. So I decided to enlist the services of my comrades, fellow artists, and friends to encapsulate the spirit of the ancestors who lived before, during, and after the devastation of the Black Wall Street massacre. A good friend of mine served as the production designer. We dressed the set, which was located inside my apartment, and scheduled sittings throughout a twelve-hour period. The day was catered, and once I got the last shot, everyone stuck around for a mini wrap party.
Photo Credit SUZANNE ABRAMSOME
There was a lot of hard work involved, and I loved every moment. This of course would be considered the pre-production stage, which was followed by the actual production of creating the paintings, and then of course the post-production/exhibition phase of the works themselves. The payoff has been extraordinary.
BR: One of the things I find impressive in the series is how theatrical they are, in the way, say, David is theatrical. You are taking this historical content and adding layers—physical layers, and also layers of different media: photography, art direction, and whatnot. We were talking in your studio about the black pours, for example.
AK: Ah, yes! The black pours. The mystery. I think what’s been most interesting about the black pour element of the paintings is listening to people’s interpretation of its meaning. Therefore, I don’t want to give away too much during this interview. I would, however, like to share an anecdote about them: I had a gentleman approach me during the opening and express how the ancestors must have guided the way in which the paint rolled down the canvas, so as not to obstruct the visage of my subjects. I was both flattered and amused. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I manipulated the canvas in such a way as to control the flow of the paint. But is that not part of the mystique behind art? Create the illusion and wow the audience? It makes sense why I’m such a huge fan of magic, especially sleight of hand.
You mentioned the works being theatrical, and I thank you for the compliment. I must admit, this has been one of the more challenging components to the compositions. The very nature of these portraits lends itself to a more rehearsed composition, the challenge for me is finding a happy medium between that and something far less prepared. Part of that obstacle was overcome by using people I know. That familiarity was helpful. I still feel I can push even further.
Ajamu Kojo is a figurative painter and filmmaker living and working in Brooklyn. Mr. Kojo is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended Howard University where he majored in film and television production and minored in theatre arts.
Ajamu Kojo’s work based on the integration of Little Rock Central High School is currently being exhibited in the 62ND ANNUAL DELTA EXHIBITION, one of the most prestigious juried exhibitions in the region. June 19 - August 23, 2020
Organized by the Arkansas Arts Center in collaboration with Historic Arkansas Museum, Thea Foundation, ACANSA Gallery and the Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library
For more information:
https://www.arkansasartscenter.org/delta
http://blog.arkansasartscenter.org/delta-goes-digital/
Ajamu Kojo will also be showing with MIZE Gallery this summer. EXHIBIT RUNS: AUGUST 7-30, 2020. For more information: http://www.chadmize.com
A full-length interview with Ajamu Kojo and Bradley Rubenstein can be found in Press Eject and Give Me the Tape: Dialogues, Interviews, and Exchanges 2001-2020, available at https://bookshop.org/a/9526/9781732221949.
