Arthur Jafa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Jafa
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Jafa at Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, 2019
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| Born |
Arthur Jafa Fielder
November 30, 1960 Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Known for | Video |
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Notable work
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Daughters of the Dust Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death |
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Arthur Jafa (born Arthur Jafa Fielder, November 30, 1960) is an American video artist and cinematographer. He is known for his powerful video art and his work as a cinematographer on many films and music videos.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jafa was born on November 30, 1960, in Tupelo, Mississippi. He grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a place where people of different races were kept separate at the time. His parents were both teachers, and Jafa was raised in the Catholic faith.
As a child, Jafa collected many pictures in special books he called "the books." He also enjoyed watching television shows like I Spy and science fiction programs.
Jafa studied architecture and film at Howard University. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
Artistic Career and Works
The science fiction shows Jafa watched as a child have influenced his art as an adult. You can see this in his self-portrait LeRage (2017). His work is also inspired by his interest in jazz musician Miles Davis.
He has shown his art at famous places like the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. He has also worked as a cinematographer with directors Julie Dash and Spike Lee. His work on Dash's film Daughters of the Dust (1991) won the "Best Cinematography" Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death
One of Jafa's most famous works is a seven-minute video called Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death. This video is part of collections at major museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is set to Kanye West's song Ultralight Beam.
The video uses many different images and video clips. It shows various experiences of Black Americans throughout history. It includes clips of police actions and moments from the Civil Rights Movement. It also shows Black art, pop culture, and celebrations. The video helps people understand the strength and creativity of Black communities. In June 2020, 13 museums in 7 countries streamed this video for free online for 48 hours.
Other Projects and Awards
Jafa has also worked on many music videos. He was the director of photography for Solange's videos Don't Touch My Hair and Cranes in the Sky. In 2017, he was included in the ArtReview Power 100 list, which names influential people in the art world.
Jafa helped start a film studio called TNEG with Malik Hassan Sayeed. Their goal is to create Black cinema that is as important in the 21st century as Black music was in the 20th century. TNEG has produced works like Dreams Are Colder Than Death and the music video for Jay-Z's song 4:44.
In 2018, Jafa released a video called The White Album. This video uses clips from different sources like security cameras and cell phones. It explores ideas about whiteness and racism in the United States. For The White Album, he won the Golden Lion award for best artist at the 2019 Venice Biennale.
In 2020, he directed a music video for Kanye West's song Wash Us in the Blood. As of 2021, his art is represented by Gladstone Gallery. He has been working on a feature film that explores how Black music has greatly influenced American culture.
In 2023, Jafa was nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize. This was for his 2022 exhibition Live Evil in France. His work was shown alongside other nominees at the Photographers’ Gallery in London in March 2023.
Personal Life
In 1980, while working on a film, Jafa met director Julie Dash. They married in 1983 and had a daughter named N'Zinga in 1984. They later separated, after working together on the film Daughters of the Dust.
Selected Filmography
Personal Projects
- Apex (2013)
- Dreams Are Colder Than Death (2014)
- Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death (2016)
- The White Album (2018)
- akingdoncomethas (2020)
Music Videos
- Solange Knowles, "Don't Touch My Hair" (2016) — cinematographer
- Solange Knowles, "Cranes in the Sky" (2016) — cinematographer
- Jay-Z, "4:44" (2017) — director
- Kanye West, "Wash Us in the Blood" (2020) — director
Other Projects
- Daughters of the Dust (1991) — director of photography
- The Darker Side of Black (1993) — cinematography
- Crooklyn (1994) — director of photography
- A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde (1995) — cinematography
- Rouch in Reverse (1995) — camera
- W.E.B. DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices (1996) — cinematography
- Bamako Sigi-Kan (2003) — director of photography
- Conakry Kas (2004) — director of photography
- Seven Songs for Malcolm X (2009) — cinematography
- In The Morning (2011) — producer; director of photography
- Shadows of Liberty (2012) — cinematography
- Roomieloverfriends (2012) — director of photography
- The Start Up (2013) — cinematography
- Florida Water (2014) — cinematography
- Killing Me Softly: The Roberta Flack Story (2014) — director of photography
