Mule, 2006
8mm digitally transferred and edited

Pinder’s portrayal of the black body at work, under distress, and moving through pain and exhaustion constitutes an act of resistance and social commentary. As Pinder states, “I portray the black body both frenetically and through drudgery in order to convey relevant cultural experiences.”

Mule is about resistance. Pulling a three hundred pound log encrusted with pressed tin becomes a metaphor for struggle. In this performance piece, forward progress on an inner city street proves near impossible. The object that Pinder moves has been weathered by time and dissected from deteriorating Baltimore homes. The artist literally pulls the wreckage of past generations. In a struggle to move forward, every ounce of energy is utilized to create momentum. Like a mule, Pinder acts as a beast-of-burden, not focusing on the end, rather pushing forward with blinders, his labor amounting to a pure meditation of what has come before and what lies ahead.

Above: Kasiem Walters performing Zulu Sign Language at Virginia Tech’s Moss Arts Center

February marked the opportunity to travel to Blacksburg, VA with my collaborator Kasiem Walters in order to work through a new piece at Virginia Tech’s Moss Arts Center.

A project I’ve been developing over the past 6 years, Zulu Sign Language, considers the complex hybrid of politics and movement within sign language.The work originates from Thamsanqa Jantjie, the ‘fake’ sign language interpreter who performed at the Nelson Mandela Memorial service and unintentionally shed light on corruption in South Africa and the disenfranchisement of the deaf community.

The jibberish signing was loosely titled Zulu Sign Language by the former president, Jacob Zuma. When confronted with his administration’s handling of the hiring of Jantjie, President Zuma took the insult a step further and then coined the fake signs as ‘Zulu-Sign Language’. Since then, I've been on a journey to understand what Black nationalism looks like in the body, through the tradition of sign. Kasiem, a truly gifted performer, is helping realize the work with power and integrity.

Video documentation of a studio performance of the piece is forthcoming.

Pinder, Walters and audio engineer Josh Spelman-Hall workshopping the performance backstage

Above: Jefferson Pinder performing Monumental @ Untitled Art Fair Miami on December 1, 2021

Over the past few months, I’ve found myself jumping headfirst into my first sabbatical year, excited to take advantage of the time dedicated to my practice. Kicking it off in December 2021, I presented my performance, Monumental, at Untitled Art Fair Miami. This performative disruption of the commercial art space forced spectators to deal with the struggles of the body over the commodification of art (or not).

In January, video documentation of my 2020 performance piece Prowl was included in “Stolen Goods”, a group exhibition at Marketview Arts at York College of Pennsylvania. The catalogue is forthcoming; you can follow the exhibition link for more information on how to order a copy.

Above “Orlando at Piano in Seattle" Video Credit: Stevie Calandra

Pinder is currently in Washington, D.C. for the next couple of months to finish a video piece he’s developing for Smithsonian Artist Residency Fellowship.

Utilizing the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s collection of mid-20th century home videos of Black American families, the piece explores expressive joy found within the archived footage.

The Smithsonian has awarded fellowships to 14 accomplished visual artists from an international pool of candidates as part of the 2021 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Program. Over the course of a one- to two-month residency, each fellow will conduct research at Smithsonian museums and research centers to inform the development of innovative, cross-disciplinary work.

Artists are nominated by art curators, scholars and former fellows, and then selected by a panel of art experts. Over 100 artists from around the world have received Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Awards since the program began in 2007.

Jefferson Pinder (Based in the U.S.): Black Nostalgia, Black Joy

Pinder will delve into archival films and materials documenting the everyday lives of Black Americans at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pinder’s research will support a video artwork celebrating Black joy.

The Smithsonian has awarded fellowships to 14 accomplished visual artists from an international pool of candidates as part of the 2021 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Program. Over the course of a one- to two-month residency, each fellow will conduct research at Smithsonian museums and research centers to inform the development of innovative, cross-disciplinary work.

Artists are nominated by art curators, scholars and former fellows, and then selected by a panel of art experts. Over 100 artists from around the world have received Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Awards since the program began in 2007.

Jefferson Pinder (Based in the U.S.): Black Nostalgia, Black Joy

Pinder will delve into archival films and materials documenting the everyday lives of Black Americans at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pinder’s research will support a video artwork celebrating Black joy.