RaMell Ross explores liberation through photography and film in new monograph and Nickel Boys adaptation

RaMell Ross's monograph Spell/Time/Practice/American/Body redefines conventional portraiture through elements of concealment and ambiguity, organized into five chapters that address photography, writing, installation, and performance art in a legal report style. His works, such as Shaquan (2013) and Yellow (2013), frequently feature subjects with hidden faces, maintaining an air of mystery. In contrast, his film Nickel Boys (2024) focuses on the abusive Nickel Academy in 1960s Florida, following the narratives of Elwood and Turner. Ross's Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County, This Morning, This Evening (2018) examined similar themes over a five-year span. The monograph's highlight, Return to Origin (2021), reenacts Henry Brown's 1849 escape from slavery, critiquing Southern photographic traditions and showcasing his Black Dictionary project to highlight the liberating potential of African-American representation.