Jackson, Ariel René. Doubt and Imagination (still), 2020.
Courtesy of the artist.
In this interview with Lise Ragbir for Hyperallergic, Ariel René Jackson details the complex relationship between the objective "truth" and the stories that circulate within communities that eventually become truth over time. Jackson's video Doubt and Imagination (2020) is a lyrical film essay inspired by a conversation between two archaeologists, one white and one black, debating the origins of early Black American pottery. For the artist, much inspiration is derived from the need to know both sides of a story to understand the world around you.
"When a weatherperson says it’s going to rain tomorrow, it doesn’t rain. But the chance of rain is a consideration. Whether it happens or not is not really the issue. And if we’re going to push the metaphor, within meteorology, there is chaos, right? Chaos is part of the consideration. Chaos, it’s worth pointing out, is something we have to respond to — especially Black and Brown people." - Ariel René Jackson
