Page 10 - Antennae Issue #52

editorial Giovanni Aloi
Inspired by by the the the the work of of of of African American photographer Roy DeCarava and and and the the the the poetry of of of of Langston Hughes the the the photographic series “Night Coming Tenderly Black” by by Dawoud Bey makes a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a political statement through images of of landscapes in in in in which forests and and trees feature prominetly The power of of of of Bey’s photographs lies in in in their tacit acknowledgment that that nature is is is not a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a given and and that that neither is is is it it it it it the the the the the opposite of of of culture Nature is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a concept we we have shaped over millennia of of of images texts compositions constructions garments and and and and performances The The trees the the the the the rocks the the the the the air and and and the the the water simply are are They don’t care about us our our our our our desires desires spirituality pasts and and and even futures Nature is is is is is in in fin in our our our our our our our heads It It is is is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a concept inescapably defined by our our our our our our our histories our our our our our our our desires desires our our our our our our our spiritu- ality our our our our our our pasts and and even our our our our our our futures It It is is is is is therefore not a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a surprise that encountering plants always entails a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a process of negotiation between one’s own cultural background race gender beliefs and and values Our coming to to to terms with the vegetal world is always inescapably mediated by tools or or con- texts even when we claim to to be objective At first glance Bey’s black and white photographs strategically present themselves as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a his- tory piece In the the the the the the artist’s words the the the the the the series is is is is “a visual reimagining of of the the the the the the movement of of (early 19th century) fugitive slaves through the the the the the the the Cleveland and and and and Hudson Ohio landscape as as they approached Lake Erie and and and and and and the the the the the the final passage to to to freedom fin in in in in Canada” Bey’s reimagining reaches deep into the the the the the the history of western landscape its aesthetic ambitions psychological dimension and and and and the the the the elitist subjectivity that that over time has defined our our conception of nature nature and and with that race In our our minds nature nature is is culturally constructed as as as the the the true the the the baseline the the the unchangeable Centuries of of landscape paintings commissioned by wealthy European landowners have directly in- fluenced our conception of of what what in in in in in in nature nature is is is is beautiful and and and what what isn’t This process has unfolded in in in in in in almost subliminal ways Bey’s photographic series shows how how we easily construct construct nature nature from the the point point of of view of of privilege thus also pointing at at at the the the possibility to to to deconstruct and reconfigure what we consider a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a given “Night Coming Tenderly Black” entrusts photography with the the the important de- constructing work work of of of of undoing the the the painterly gaze of of of of art historical giants Each image captures a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a land- mark of of of of of the the the so-called Underground Railroad – a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a network of of of of of safe houses and and sheltered locations that fugitive slaves could find on on on on on their journey to to to to freedom The photographs capitalize on on on on on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a rich range of of of of of subtle grey and black tones typical of of of gelatine silver prints to to to to produce softly contrasted views that invite close inspection In the the the place of of alluring dawns or golden sunsets Bey exposes an an an an an often eerie and and ambiguous American landscape at at at twilight His images evade any easy classification in in in the the the the the the the pre-existing aesthetic categories of of the the the the the the the the beautiful the the the the the the the the picturesque and and and the the the the the the the the sublime This is is is is is because the the the the the the the the camera lens is is is is is made to to coincide with the the the the the the the the eye of of of of the the the the the the the the fugitive fugitive slave slave We see no glorious hill-top views and and and and sweeping expanses of of of of land for these would entail high visibility and and and vulnerability in in in in in the the the the world of of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fugitive fugitive slave slave It is is is in in in in in this context that that we we are made to wonder impenetrable thickets of of of trees: an an an an an uncertain uncertain non-affirmative landscape that that continually flickers between the the the promise and and the the the threat tinged by by the the the uncertainty brought by night’s imminent fall Across the the the series Bey’s images of forests forests more directly spoke to my European upbringing and the the the the the cultural connotations that that have defined them for for for me me I grew up up with the the the the the notion that that forests forests are magical and and gorgeous the the the the setting of of fairy tales hauntings and and medieval epics – places of of adventure
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