ariel rené jackson

doubt & imagination

curated by emily edwards

With Doubt & Imagination, Ariel René Jackson debuts a lyrical film essay, combining poetry, memoir, and research overlaid with in-camera effects. Presented in Dallas Contemporary’s Black Box, Jackson’s work considers what data is appropriate when speculating about a cultural past that has been erased by colonialism and industrial progress. This film, as well as its title, is inspired by Jackson’s research into the back-and-forth conversation between two archeologists, Leland Ferguson and Christopher Espenshade, who discussed the role of doubt and imagination when developing theories on the uses of early Black American pottery in South Carolina, otherwise called colonoware.

When researching colonoware in Skowhegan, ME, in 2018, Jackson took a deep dive into the history of the pottery made during the 18th and 19th centuries, and typically found near U.S. reservations and plantations. This research included the work of Black archeologist Leland Ferguson who illustrated the relationships between the Carolinas and Sierra Leone by finding pottery with similar markings. This theory, developed using comparative techniques, led Ferguson to suggest that some colonoware could have been made for purposes of traditional African medicine and waterside rituals as well as culinary purposes. Ferguson’s research took off and in response, critics, including white archeologist Christopher Espenshade, challenged his use of imagination.

Responding to Espenshade, Ferguson wrote, “both imagination and doubt are essential components of the process. Espenshade finds my work, and especially interpretations of that work, heavy on imagination and light on doubt...in turn, I find Espenshade’s critique excessively weighted toward doubt and lacking imagination.”

curatorial statement

“Doubt & Imagination” is a lyrical film essay, combining poetry, memoir, and research overlaid with in-camera effects. Inspired by the contrasting findings of two archeologists on early Black American pottery, Jackson considers what qualifies as data when speculating about a cultural past that has been erased by colonialism and industrial progress.

While at the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2018, Jackson researched colonoware, pottery made during the 18th and 19th centuries typically found near plantations and reservations in the Southern US. Their studies included the work of Black archeologist Leland Ferguson, who published on his investigations of shards of colonoware found near houses of Black Americans and former plantation kitchens in the Carolinas. Noting the similarities between the markings found on pottery in both the Carolinas and Sierra Leone, Ferguson deduced that some colonoware could have been created for traditional African medicine, culinary purposes, and waterside rituals.

In response to Ferguson’s theory, critics, including white archeologist Christopher Espenshade, challenged Ferguson’s use of imagination that suggested the shards found in the Carolinas were any different from other refuse. Responding to Espenshade, Ferguson wrote, “both imagination and doubt are essential components of the process. Espenshade finds my work, and especially interpretations of that work, heavy on imagination and light on doubt...in turn, I find Espenshade’s critique excessively weighted toward doubt and lacking imagination.”

Through their film, Jackson explores how historical artifacts carry crucial information about the origins and development of the human race and why interpretations may vary. An omission and negation of certain histories caused by colonialism, racism, and mercantilism has resulted in a need for ingenuity to create natural connections and answers. The artist embraces this technique as a way of moving through an idea, making an abstraction more familiar and turning it into reality. By creatively repurposing colonoware for their own waterside ritual in their film, Jackson aims to fulfill Ferguson’s argued point that the pottery served spiritual purposes, ultimately choosing imagination over doubt.

about the artist

Ariel René Jackson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. They received their MFA from the University of Texas in Austin in 2019 and are an alum of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Their work has exhibited at the SculptureCenter, New Museum, Studio Museum, Sweet Pass Sculpture Park, Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, RISD Museum, and Women and their Work Gallery, amongst others. The artist lives and works in Austin, Texas.

support

Lead support for Dallas Contemporary has been provided by Ewing Properties Texas, with major programming support provided by Mark Giambrone. 2021 learning programs are supported by Sue Bancroft and Paula + Jim Crown. We gratefully acknowledge PaperCity Magazine as our media partner.

ariel rené jackson

duda e imaginación

bajo la curaduría de emily edwards

“Duda e Imaginación” es un ensayo cinematográfico lírico que combina la poesía, las memorias y el trabajo de investigación, todos ellos superpuestos a través de efectos creados dentro de la cámara. Habiendo recibido inspiración de los descubrimientos contrastantes de dos arqueólogos sobre la cerámica negra americana de temprana data, Jackson pondera qué elementos califican como datos cuando se especula sobre un pasado cultural que ha sido borrado por el colonialismo y el progreso industrial.

Mientras estudiaba en la prestigiosa Escuela de Pintura y Escultura de Skowhegan en 2018, Jackson investigó el colonoware, la cerámica producida durante los siglos XVIII y XIX que generalmente se encontraba cerca de las plantaciones y reservas del sur de Estados Unidos. Sus estudios incluyeron el trabajo del arqueólogo afroamericano Leland Ferguson que publicó sus investigaciones sobre fragmentos de cerámicas coloniales halladas cerca de las casas de estadounidenses negros y en las antiguas cocinas de plantaciones de las Carolinas. Al notar las similitudes entre las marcas encontradas en la cerámica tanto en el área de las Carolinas como en Sierra Leona, Ferguson dedujo que algunas de estas cerámicas podrían haberse creado para realizar medicina tradicional africana, con fines culinarios y con el propósito de celebrar rituales junto al agua.

En respuesta a la teoría de Ferguson los críticos, incluido el arqueólogo blanco Christopher Espenshade, pusieron en tela de juicio el uso de la imaginación de Ferguson que sugería que los fragmentos hallados en las Carolinas se diferenciaban de otros desechos. En respuesta a Espenshade Ferguson escribió: “tanto la imaginación como la duda son componentes esenciales del proceso. Espenshade encuentra mi trabajo, y especialmente las interpretaciones de ese trabajo, cargado de imaginación y ligero de dudas... yo, a mi vez, encuentro la crítica de Espenshade excesivamente cargada hacia la duda y deficiente de imaginación”.

A través de su película Jackson explora la manera en que los artefactos históricos transmiten información crucial sobre los orígenes y el desarrollo de la raza humana y por qué las interpretaciones pueden variar. La omisión y la negación de ciertas historias causadas por el colonialismo, el racismo y el mercantilismo han resultado en la necesidad de ingenio para crear conexiones y respuestas naturales. El artista adopta esta técnica como una forma de moverse a través de una idea, de hacer más familiar una abstracción y de convertirla en realidad. En su película, al reutilizar creativamente las piezas de colonoware para su propio ritual junto al agua, Jackson apunta a cumplir el tema argumentado por Ferguson de que la cerámica contenía propósitos espirituales, eligiendo en última instancia la imaginación sobre la duda.

sobre la artista

Ariel René Jackson nació en New Orleans, Luisiana. Recibió su diploma de MFA de la Universidad de Texas en Austin en 2019 y es exalumna de la Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Su obra ha sido exhibida en el SculptureCenter, el New Museum, el Studio Museum, el Sweet Pass Sculpture Park, el Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, el RISD Museum y la Women and their Work Gallery, entre otros lugares. La artista vive y trabaja en Austin, Texas.