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Past Touring Exhibition
MAC Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park
Birmingham B12 9QH, UK
“No-one on that ship thought we’d be leaving home forever, but when my father hugged me on the dockside, for some reason, I knew I’d never see him again. I still see my father; you know, in my mind at least, after all these years. But I can’t see his face. No matter how hard I try.” – Amy Jackson
From a Small Island explores the psychological impacts of migration through first, second and third generations of migrants from Jamaica. What happens when migrants stay and don't leave? What are the consequences? What is the impact of migration from one small island to another?
From a Small Island commemorates the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948. Jackson’s parents migrated from Jamaica to Britain in 1956, and their story opens connections to history, space and notions of belonging.
The exhibition showcases photographs produced both in England and Jamaica, where Jackson has explored how the connection to the island has been shaped by the mythologies of his family and the legacy of colonialism. As Jackson says, “The experiences of my parents act as a catalyst to explore the political landscape of Britain during the last sixty years, but also the story of Jamaican migration, within a dialogue of race, identity and the global movements of people. These movements cast lives in an arc of what was, what has become and what could have been.”
Also, considering 2018 as the 50th anniversary year of Enoch Powell's infamous Rivers of Blood speech, Jackson’s work raises important questions about belonging, citizenship and nation. It explores the universal desire for home in the face of globalisation, providing essential food for thought in this era of Brexit and both public and political concern over migration.
Jackson was selected for the Autograph ABP 2018 Light Work Artist-in-Residence program in Syracuse, NY, enabling him to produce the works on show in From Small Island.
Andrew Jackson is an artist who engages with the challenges of representation and storytelling through the medium of photography. His work deals with migration and memory, speaking to the ways in which experience shapes systems of belief, notions of self, and our connection to the physical spaces around us–and those who inhabit them.
Jackson was selected for the Autograph ABP 2018 Light Work Artist-in-Residence program in Syracuse, NY, enabling him to produce the works on show in From Small Island at MAC, as well as Arts Council England's Artist International Development fund.
He is a graduate of the MA Documentary program at Newport in Wales. In 2013 he co-founded and was co-director of Some Cities, a community photography initiative, and in 2012 was nominated for the Prix Pictet Award.
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Banner image: Andrew Jackson, Hand [detail], Kingston, Jamaica.
About the artist: 1) Andrew Jackson at his exhibition at MAC Birmingham. Photograph: Greg Miller
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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