Arthur Jafa's retrospective exhibition, 'I Am Tony,' at the New Museum presents a complex exploration of his work, raising questions about his artistic identity. The exhibition does not categorize him strictly as either a rearguard or avant-garde artist, but it prompts reflection on the acclaim surrounding his pieces, including 'Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death' (2016), which ARTnews named the best work of the twenty-first century. This piece employs a non-narrative montage of found footage, a technique rooted in documentary film and commercial media, and features elements reminiscent of Pop art, such as a cutout of the Hulk, referred to as LeRage, and reworked press photos of figures like Jimi Hendrix and Justin Bieber. Jafa's art often aims to resurrect the past rather than create new works, presenting historical narratives without irony or quotation marks.
'Love Is the Message' features a rapid succession of clips, including significant events and figures such as the March on Washington, Serena Williams, and the police shooting of Walter Scott. The emotional intensity of the video resonated with audiences in 2016 and again in 2020, particularly after the murder of George Floyd. Jafa expressed discomfort with the emotional responses the video elicited, which he felt were sometimes used for personal catharsis. The accompanying soundtrack, 'Ultralight Beam' by Kanye West, further amplifies the emotional weight of the visuals.
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1960, Jafa experienced the impact of racial violence firsthand when his family's home was burned by the Ku Klux Klan. His early exposure to film, particularly Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey,' has influenced his artistic pursuits, as he seeks to recreate the profound experience he had as a child.
The exhibition's layout, described by New Museum director Massimiliano Gioni as a 'freestyle' arrangement, features a mix of styles, including a maze-like installation that invites viewers to engage with the art in a unique way. Jafa's approach to art often involves appropriation, likening himself to a DJ who remixes various influences into a cohesive piece. He acknowledges the challenges of this method in a contemporary context where images are frequently manipulated and disconnected from their origins.
While some of Jafa's works, particularly his diptychs, may rely on visual correspondences that lack depth, his video pieces, such as 'Love Is the Message' and 'BEN GAZARRA' (2024), demonstrate a more impactful engagement with cultural narratives. 'BEN GAZARRA' reimagines a scene from Martin Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver,' altering the racial dynamics of the characters to highlight the historical context of Black representation in film. This work exemplifies Jafa's ability to revive and reinterpret past materials, creating art that resonates with contemporary audiences while addressing the complexities of appropriation and representation.