From a Small Island is a major new photographic exhibition by Andrew Jackson, commissioned by and opening at the Midland Arts Centre in Birmingham on 4 May – 8 July 2018. It commemorates the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948 and 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?
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.”
Jackson was selected for the Autograph ABP 2018 Light Work Artist-in-Residence program in Syracuse, New York, enabling him to produce the works on show in From Small Island at MAC
Artist Talk and Tour: Tue 19th June, 6.30pm – Free but booking required
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