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Challenging the historical absence of Black presences in British history and landscapes
Surveying the glitches of a pleasant land, Buckinghamshire, England, 2023.
The muted sounds of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905.
Confronting the phonics of the English sublime, Penn Woods, Buckinghamshire, England, 2024.
The muted sound of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905.
Sugarless tea and Weslyan views, St Mawes, Cornwall, England, 2024.
The muted sounds of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905.
Surveying the sea for the souls of the Transatlantic, Falmouth, England, 2024.
The muted sounds of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905.
Looking for spirits of Ignatius & Rose, Richmond Park, England, 2024.
The muted sounds of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905.
Vistas of England’s past, Marble Hill House, Twickenham, England, 2024.
The muted sounds of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905.
Jermaine Francis was selected for the 2024 Autograph x Light Work Artist Residency, to support the development of his work. While on the residency, Francis augmented a body of work which first took form in 2023, through a collaboration with the Pembroke College JCR Art Collection.
The six new images produced during the residency, titled A Pleasant Land - The Muted Sounds of a Black Odyssey, seek to explore the intertwined histories and landscapes of Jamaica and Britain. Here, Francis combines archival images - specifically that of Jamaican individuals from the Victorian era - with contemporary self-portraits taken in English landscapes.
These works are now cared for as part of Autograph's collection.
Through collage, the work invites multiple perspectives and embraces tensions, rejecting any notion of a unified time or space. Two types of imagery coexist: self-portraits and the original subjects. By cropping or zooming in, the Black archival figures offer a glimpse into the realities of British colonial rule in the Caribbean during the Victorian era. This approach positions Francis as both author and narrator, guiding viewers toward an understanding of how contemporary moments are profoundly shaped by historical layers. In defiance of reductive frameworks, Francis’s work expands in all directions, refusing to be confined.
Dr Taous R. Dahmani, from Contact Sheet 230 (forthcoming) 
Jermaine Francis is a London based photographer and artist whose practice works within the disciplines of books, galleries and editorial, primarily in the discourse of the photo document. His work explores the physical and psychological negotiation of our space. He is an associate lecturer at the Royal College Art, Central Saint Martins' School of Design, and a visiting lecturer at London College Centre of Photography.
His work has been exhibited at the International Centre of Photography New York, The National Portrait Gallery London, Hetton Lawn at Haus Wien and Galeriepcp in Paris, Centre for British Photography London, The Saatchi Gallery, Pembroke JCR Gallery, Oxford Photo Festival and the Camden Arts Centre. Jermaine also co-curated the group show ‘Notes on a Native Son, After Baldwin’ with Emma Bowkett as part of this year's 2023 edition of Peckham 24.
Jermaine’s work has appeared in several monographs, including The Art of Protest: Political Art and Activism edited by Francesca Gavin & Alain Beiber, ICP Concerned Global Images for Global Crisis edited by David Campany, and Photo No-Nos published by Aperture and edited by Jason Fulford. He has also contributed writing for 1000 Words and Photographic Magazine. He has two books: Rhythms from the Metroplex and Something that seems so familiar becomes distant, which was shortlisted for the Belfast Photo Festival, 2022.
Syracuse, New York
Artist Jermaine Francis was selected for the 2024 Autograph / Light Work artist residency, to support the development of his work.
This body of work first took in 2023, through a collaboration with the Pembroke College JCR Art Collection, Pembroke Students, and the Pembroke College archives in Oxford, England. The work was further developed with the support of the Centre of Research in the Arts (CoRA) at Oxford Brookes University.
Images on page 1-6) Jermaine Francis, from the series A Pleasant Land - The Muted Sounds of a Black Odyssey, 2024. © and courtesy the artist. 7) Courtesy Jermaine Francis. 8) Jermaine Francis, A Pleasant Land - A History Deferred: J, and Spectres of Samuel Johnson & Recognised Black Figures, 2023. © and courtesy the artist.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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