the text in this work is taken from The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, a book that changed me. James Baldwin (1924-1987) was a Black, bisexual writer who lived most of his life in Turtle Island (North America). the artwork pays homage to Baldwin’s visionary insight and legacy.
The Fire Next Time comprises a letter to his nephew and a short essay. Baldwin’s writing has the intimacy of poetry and the potency of sermon. it is prophetic and healing; not through comforting words, but rather, by clear incantations and imaginative questions, rupturing assumptions.
the relief print visualises the sentence “Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?” in font referencing Baldwin’s Olympia typewriter. the letters are slightly overlapping as though pushed into a confined space by an invisible white border.
Baldwin’s words nurture doubt in the (white) liberal preoccupation with inclusion narratives. i dedicate this artwork to the magnificent Black, queer ancestor James (Jimmy) Baldwin, and pay my deepest respects. thank you for guiding so many of us.
image description: a series of photographs documenting the print work in detail and inside the studio beside a large printing press. The artist is shown working in a light-filled brick building with high ceiling that was once a tram tower.
Full citation: Baldwin, James. 1962. “Down At The Cross: Letter from a region in my mind” in The Fire Next Time (Vintage Books, New York: 94).