Jamie V. Robertson's Infrared Swamp Series 'In Search of Osman's Ghost' Reimagines Maroon History
Jamie V. Robertson, a photographer from Houston, presents her series In Search of Osman's Ghost, which reinterprets the Southern swamp as a supportive backdrop for self-liberated enslaved individuals. This collection showcases black-and-white infrared images of wetlands alongside historical illustrations of runaways, concentrating on maroons—communities of escaped enslaved people. Key locations include the Great Dismal Swamp, the Everglades, and Bas Du Fleuve. Influenced by figures like Toni Morrison and bell hooks, Robertson draws on D. Scot Miller's 2009 manifesto and her notion of Black Feminist Hauntology. Osman, a historical maroon, was mentioned in an 1856 account by David Hunter Strother. Born in 1988, Robertson earned her MFA from the University of Houston and is currently an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University.
Key facts
- In Search of Osman's Ghost combines black-and-white infrared wetland photography with archival illustrations of maroons and runaways
- Osman was a real maroon in the Great Dismal Swamp documented only through David Hunter Strother's 1856 account
- Sites referenced include the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia, the Everglades in Florida, and the Bas Du Fleuve of New Orleans
- Robertson cites Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Lucille Clifton, and Édouard Glissant as influences
- D. Scot Miller's 2009 'Call it Afro-Surreal' manifesto informs her surrealist framing
- She uses expired films including Efke IR 820 and Macophot for deeper electromagnetic spectrum capture
- Robertson earned an MFA from the University of Houston and an MS in Art Therapy from Florida State University
- She is an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University and works between Texas and Virginia
Entities
Artists
- Jamie V. Robertson
- Toni Morrison
- bell hooks
- Lucille Clifton
- Édouard Glissant
- D. Scot Miller
- David Hunter Strother
- Osman
- Moses Grandy
- St. Jean Malo
- John Horse
- Andrea Roberts
- Marcus Nevis
- Ryne Beddard
- Sarah Hood Salomon
Institutions
- FotoFest
- University of Houston
- Florida State University
- Old Dominion University
- Lenscratch
Locations
- Houston
- United States
- Texas
- Virginia
- Louisiana
- Florida
- New Orleans
- Great Dismal Swamp
- Everglades
- Bas Du Fleuve
- Centerville
- Egypt Community
- Norfolk
- Jamaica
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Natchitoches
- Sea Islands