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 November 30, 1960) is an American video artist and cinematographer. This means he creates art using videos and also works as a director of photography for films and music videos.
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Early Life and Learning
Arthur Jafa was born on November 30, 1960, in Tupelo, Mississippi. He grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where there was a lot of segregation at the time. His parents were both teachers, and he was raised Catholic.
When Jafa was a child, he collected pictures he found and put them into binders. He called these collections "the books." He also enjoyed watching TV shows like I Spy and science fiction programs.
Jafa later studied architecture and film at Howard University. One of his teachers was Dr. Abiyi Ford. After college, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
His Art and Career
The science fiction shows Jafa watched as a kid helped inspire his art when he grew up. You can see this in his self-portrait called LeRage (2017). He is also inspired by jazz musician Miles Davis.
Jafa's art has been shown in many places. These include the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. He has also worked as a cinematographer with famous directors like Julie Dash and Spike Lee. He won an award for "Best Cinematography" at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992 for his work on Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust (1991).
Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death
One of Jafa's most famous works is a seven-minute video essay called Love Is the Message, The Message Is Death. This video is owned by major museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The video is set to Kanye West's song Ultralight Beam. It shows many different images and video clips that Jafa found. These clips show various experiences of Black Americans throughout history. The video highlights that every Black person's experience is special and unique. It shows police violence and footage from the Civil Rights Movement. It also shows Black artistry, pop culture, celebrations, and creativity. Jafa has said that the idea behind this work connects to his Catholic background.
In June 2020, 13 museums in 7 countries worked together. With Jafa's permission, they streamed this video for free on their websites for 48 hours.
Other Projects
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 named one of the top 100 most powerful people in the art world by ArtReview magazine.
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 made films like Dreams Are Colder Than Death. They also made the music video for Jay-Z's song 4:44.
In 2018, Jafa released a video essay about 40 minutes long called The White Album. This video uses found clips from security cameras, cell phones, and documentaries. It explores ideas about whiteness and racism in the United States. For this work, 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, Jafa's art is shown by Gladstone Gallery. He is currently working on a feature film. This film will focus on how Black music has had a big influence on American culture.
In 2023, Jafa was nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize. This was for his 2022 art show called Live Evil in France. His work was shown alongside other artists at the Photographers’ Gallery in London in March 2023.
Personal Life
In 1980, Jafa met director Julie Dash while working on a film with Charles Burnett. Dash and Jafa got married in 1983. They had a daughter named N'Zinga in 1984. They later separated after working together on the film Daughters of the Dust.
Selected Works
Here are some of the films and music videos Arthur Jafa has worked on:
His Own 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 He Worked On
- Solange Knowles, Don't Touch My Hair (2016) — as cinematographer
- Solange Knowles, Cranes in the Sky (2016) — as cinematographer
- Jay-Z, 4:44 (2017) — as director
- Kanye West, Wash Us in the Blood (2020) — as director
Other Films He Worked On
- Daughters of the Dust (1991) — as director of photography
- Crooklyn (1994) — as director of photography
- Seven Songs for Malcolm X (2009) — as cinematographer
- Shadows of Liberty (2012) — as cinematographer
