Al J. Thompson is a photographer who is originally from Jamaica. He migrated to the US in 1996. Thompson began his photographic career in 2007. He was an assistant helping other photographers create their photo projects. From then on Thompson began working in portraiture, lifestyle, and fashion photography. Over time his work morphed into photojournalism and, and documentary photography.

Thompsons work situates itself in many photographic categories but reminds me of that of Roy Decarava’s work in the way he uses film photography to tell a story. Each image holds its own weight amongst his projects. You’ll find that Thompsons works are not only captivating and careful, but inspiring to view.

Between Art and Activism

JR: In what ways do you feel your work resides between art and activism?

AJT: Art and activism, they both work side by side. I'm at the point where I can't differentiate between photography and art. Actually, I believe photography is a form of art. Even if you're a photojournalist, that's also a form of art. Personally, the day that I took up a camera to photograph my community and things that reflect who I am as a person. I feel as if that in itself is activism. Activism in the way that I try to bring that forthright to the public, and having them understand I feel at that given moment. Whatever it is that I do, I do it from a humanitarianism point of view. With that comes art as well. That in itself, there's a back and forth conversation between the two, actually, and it's pretty fun.

JR: How did you get into journalism?

AJT: I will say that most of my jobs have been through word of mouth, from one editor to the next. I have a few editor friends and a lot of people found my work through Instagram. Which is one of the main platforms that I currently utilize. I say currently, because I'm on the brink of moving on from Instagram, actually. I've always believed in the idea of word of mouth, and because that's more powerful than any form of advertisement anyway.

JR: Often you find that young photographers struggle with that, though. Some don’t have that network or sense of networking abilities. The uncertainty of being an artist, so some may be more comfortable with the idea of working for a company long term.

AJT: It is a struggle for myself because most of the time I utilize my stories to tell my story. While that may be entertaining for some, for me, I take it seriously. Whatever I think, is whatever I'll output into the ether. Most people have, I say most people, but like, a lot more people actually read my stories and then check out my posts on Instagram. So I have these dialogues in the background. Every now and then I'll share certain things to say Hey, listen, this person says this. So it is almost like I'm able to push the envelope in a different way. That's why I brought up stories because I feel like that's one of the platforms where people get connected. I think a lot of people found a lot of truths, through my stories, and they connected very well.

JR: I think yeah, that's definitely a good way to utilize the space though. To get people looking at your work, but then also viewing the deeper aspects of it. Having a dialogue to get people engaged. Also, I was thinking about your work Omar & Abdullah’s.

AJT: Yeah, yeah. It's so funny how you brought that up. That was pretty fun.

JR: Yeah, I saw that you picked two of the images that I was actually most drawn to. The image of the older gentleman standing in front of this brick wall. It reminded me of something that I've seen, in Roy DeCravas' work, the blacks and your tonal range is really beautiful. How did that project come about?

AJT: Yeah, funny thing, about three years ago, a buddy of mine invited myself and several other friends to Atlantic City. He loves gambling and is into poker, me not so much. Actually not at all. Anyway, we went for the weekend, which is what we do on a yearly basis. While they're I decided to walk around the city, and it is pretty dilapidated. It's not as nice as what I had originally thought. So, for me, anything that speaks to me in various ways, emotionally at least I'll want to get to know more about it and then photograph it. I was passing by photographing the streets and this gentleman just ran out of this barber shop. He saw me and he called me over and said, “Oh, your photographer? A professional photographer?”, I said, yeah. He says, “Can you come in for a second? Would you mind photographing us?” Then I went in and in my head, I was thinking, Oh, hell yeah.

I went in and there were a lot of different characters there. Dads with their sons and barbers just doing their thing. I said, Listen, what I'm going to do is photograph all you guys. Then I'll send it to someone for them to share with you guys. So that's what I did.

I waited for the older gentleman to come out. He actually wasn't a barber at that time. What he did was shine shoes. I went through an entire roll of 120 film. I got the contact information and emailed the photos, but they ended up not receiving them. Things got lost in translation, it seems as if they're not really into emails. I wish they had gotten that at some point. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow because tomorrow morning 15 of us are heading back to Atlantic City.

JR: Oh, wow that’s full circle. I was drawn to it all because the images being taken in those spaces like a salon, or a barber shop feel like sacred spaces to me.

AJT: Absolutely, this is a space where you have intimate conversations. You have conversations about football or basketball and other things. This is Afro American culture if you want to see what the community is, you go inside of spaces like a barber shop.

JR: Absolutely and those were beautiful images. Also, that young boy's gaze was so intense.

AlJT: I don't remember the photographer that actually pointed it out several years ago. I was watching some sort of documentary. A mini series on a particular photographer. He was showing his portfolio and he was saying, “Once your subject contains this striking, powerful view in the eyes, you don't need to work for your photo.” You just photograph those eyes, that's all you need. That's one of the secrets about some of these things, because you have these faces, and they're very interesting with really beautiful characters. They're characteristics hold certain elements and it drives home that point of the various endless boundaries of the face. Faces more often than not can tell a story with the eyes. Even when you're older as well if you're 60, 70, or 80 years old, man or woman. You see those landmarks within the faces and the scars as well, those are stories. Those are interesting stories and you don't need to work too hard to photograph that, because it's just right there staring at you.

JR: Yeah, absolutely. I agree. So moving to New York, from Jamaica, did you find that the creative community in Spring Valley? What is that like for you? Because I know it's important as an artist to have that kind of community.

AJT: Well, when I moved here, I left my dad, my two brothers, and my grandmother, those who I grew up with, I left them in “96. I used to visit here every so often anyway, and then I settled down. There was nothing creative and I wasn't even thinking about art. At the time, when I moved to LA, I was just thinking about going to school, graduating, and then I'm going to get a really nice job and have opportunities.

I'm going to send money back home, and then I'm going to eventually move back to Jamaica. That was the plan. This is kind of the plan for most immigrants that moved to the United States. Then things changed, I started to miss home as well. That was depressing for me and it took a while for me to actually embed myself within the community. I met one or two new friends and I'm trying to figure out my way around, but I couldn't. Eventually, just growing up through high school I started rapping with my Jamaican accent, and then friends are telling me Oh you should add some reggae to this or whatever. It was still fun and eventually I made this place my own.

Although, it was still a struggle because I had left so much behind. A lot of history and the island, but in high school, I still did some art but nothing crazy. Mostly I was thinking about anything other than being an architect. That's what I wanted originally, to major in architecture. Then I took some subjects in college and I'm good at math,but physics kicked my ass. Then I just decided to settle down with graphic design. I got a degree and started working in the city for a while. Then that's how I got introduced to photography because graphic design is almost like the step brother. IMy first camera, I got it when it had just come out, the original digital rebel XT. Yeah, so I was like, God, this is an eight megapixel camera. Oh my god, this is so cool.

JR: That’s wild, I came in around the rebel t3.

AJT: You're much younger. But yeah. I took a darkroom course and I wanted to take more courses, but ended up not doing that. That was the only thing and some art history courses. We talked about Richard Avedon and a few other photographers out there. The moment I got my rebel I was just going nuts. I was everywhere shooting Trees and leaves. I didn't know what the hell.

JR: While you were in school, taking some of those classes. Did you feel like you were learning about photographers that looked like you? Did you see yourself in those classes at all, learning about photo history?

AJT: It was a prerequisite for my graphic design degree. I didn't really think of it. I mean, every now and then I thought to myself, Oh this is fun. I'm in a dark room. This is really fun, you know. Looking back at some of my work is a horrible experience. I look at an image and it's so blurry. When I thought it was sharp.

JR: Well,I’m really excited to hear how your opening for your show went?

AJT: I had one in Portland, Oregon and I wanted to go but I was unable to attend. It was very unfortunate. I did have an artist's talk that was pretty emotional for me because I wrote a lot. It included my upbringing, the shift in demographics and where I was located. It brought back a lot of nostalgic feelings as well. Which is equally traumatic, because with nostalgia comes trauma as well. Not only that but the beautiful moments that you remember it just comes with the territory. That was kind of like the highlight of the exhibit. After that, I had them ship my pieces directly to another gallery that had contacted me while my show was still happening in Portland. I discussed it with the director and the director said, Oh, that's fine, we could make the date. My latest exhibit was displayed in an intimate setting. There was also another artist, a traditional artist who does abstract work. My section was to the right and the director asked if I wanted to do an artist talk. I don't find myself to be very good at those. I couldn’t say no, so I took her up on it.

JR: Do you get nervous when you have to talk in front of people? Is that what the feeling is?

AJT: Yeah, there's some nerves. I'm an artist, I want to talk, but my skill set lies within connecting myself with another human being. This might just be my skill set. My skill set is also through photography, or writing.

I consider myself a street writer, and It's not like an official term.

I grew up around hip hop, reggae and other music genres. In terms of freestyling, I learned back in the day, on the streets, and just just writing lyrics that carried over into my work. You could also view my book. Which is like a musical in that way. I call it a hip hop musical in the form of photography. How this happened, I have no clue. It just naturally happened and naturally morphed into such an amazing book. It has a little bit of everything, aspects of dystopia, hope and so many different storylines. If you're someone from the African diaspora, Latino diaspora or anything like that, you could connect to it. It's a book that I feel can connect with almost anyone out there because it's about love and hope. There are so many different storylines within that book. I can't even keep up like

JR: Could someone still go to purchase your book? Is it still available?

AJT: There's a few copies left on my publisher's website which is Gnomic. I have my own copy as well. I think I had like one box left. The original storyline speaks to gentrification and that became more of a focus. Although you look at like other storylines about people in the African diaspora and everything is so dark and negative. That particular community has been depicted in that way for a very long time. Now you have artists like myself, and other artists who are now taking up the mantle and retelling our own stories. Whether it's in a more positive light, or mixing it up to say, Listen, we have strengths as well, we have weaknesses, obviously, but we have strengths as well. Why not play up with the strength. That is why last year, through the middle of the pandemic, I stopped photographing, and I paused to pick up another project. I really wanted to finish this project, I thought that this project needed to be seen as soon as possible.I felt that it would help people and that's what it did. I've gotten emails, and messages from a lot of people saying it's a book that they will cherish forever, because it's such a personal book. They feel like they know me through that book. Remnants of an Exodus is also a reflection of myself.

I'm not only telling a story about gentrification, I'm telling a story about myself as well and the kind of person I am. There's someone there in front of the camera and then I'm here. It's almost as if there's this connection or bond. The lines are blurred between the sitter and the photographer. You can't really explain it other than there's this connection, how you shoot. I don't take a lot of photos of one subject. Sometimes I have one chance and I'll shoot it. I'll just do one frame. Oftentimes, on average about maybe three frames

JR: Yeah, that's interesting. Is it just a time constraint? Or a feeling at that moment?

AJT: I think it's a little bit of everything. Oh, also budget. I invested a whole lot in this project. It's been on a lot of platforms, thankfully. I'm very grateful for that as well, and I'm happy the way it came out. Regardless of whether I photograph two frames, or three frames, or seven frames.

JR: So when you're starting a project, what is your creative process? Do you focus on a concept first, or do you just make work and then the concept comes later?

AJT: I'm a very deep thinker, and I don't say that in a way to make me look good or anything like that. I feel I'm always thinking and that I think too much at times for sure. There are some things that I plan for, obviously, but there are other elements that pop up. Where I think this is an opportunity,I want to photograph it. Remnants of Exodus, the images in that book were pre planned in terms of me knowing that I wanted to walk the streets of Spring Valley. I don’t plan on a person posing a particular way the day before. Whenever I see that person or that thing or those animals, I make the images.

Jade: Connecting with people on a personal level. I love that. And I have way too much anxiety for that.

AJT: I think all of us have some form of anxiety when we approach people because it could be potentially hazardous. Not necessarily like someone hurting you or anything like that. But the answer's no, or whatever. I mean, you know, what, what else can you know? If someone says, no, no thanks, or whatever it is, you just just just move on, you know, it's like, one of those things. I mean, luckily, most of the part, I think, like, 90 to 97% of the time, like, it's a yes, for me, you know, there are so many images that I did not include in that book. And I'm pretty happy with the way it came out.

Jade: Yeah, it is a beautiful collection of things. I think. From what I've seen, though, I would like to see the book in person, that would be amazing.

AJT: There's some surprises in the book. My buddy Shane. He wrote a beautiful piece in the back. And I also wrote a piece, like a poem, a small, short poem, as well. And just to give a shout out to Jason, who's a brilliant creative director and designer and publisher, and everything else he’s a photographer too, you know, he does it all. And we all kind of put our brains together. I felt like my book was always about, like, love. And, the idea of me inviting people who were not even of African descent. Actually, I'm a firm believer in walking the walk. I think that this is why I wanted to do it the way I did it. I had a couple of choices of who would guest write my book. I was going to write it myself and I was like, No, you know, what, I'm going to invite someone to write it in. I had two people in mind, and I just selected him because I respect his work a lot. And he's one of my favorite photographers as well. My book is about meditation as well. I feel like I'm in like, a sea of violence like, a lot of violent imagery. And I think it's very important to distinguish myself from most photographers, because, in the sense that I, I post stuff about love and, and there's something deep, that can resonate with even the most violent of people. And, and even if it doesn't garner millions of attention. It doesn't matter to me because I know that what I would have done, I've done it for the best. I've done it because I believe in it. I stay true to who I am as a photographer, and a person.

Jade: I think especially as black photographers, we find ourselves making, maybe not making this work, but a lot of black photographers tend to lean more into recreating the trauma, instead of finding ways to like, move past it. I noticed that a lot. But like even your image where you have the man holding the Black Lives Matter sign, like we know what that's talking about. And we didn't have to see the violence to understand it.

AJT: Yeah, there's I mean, with him as well, that was like me looking at myself, you know, that that moment, also was spurred for a moment. That wasn't even planned. I ran over after the protest happened, because I had two shoots in mind. I was like, I'm going to cover this in a more photojournalistic way, like traditional photojournalism. And, I didn't see any violence. Like, last year, a lot of images, a lot of images. Being branded in a more violent way is very traumatic. We already know what happened before. Why does the news media have to always latch on to violent imagery? Especially within the black community? Why? Why do you want to continue feeding us trauma? And so, after I tried photographing these guys, it was like, Okay, you can see it. You can see fear, you can see hope, you can see strength. I'm a very nuanced person. And I felt like my images represented who I was, who I am as a person, very nuanced. And so when I posted it on Instagram, I didn't even post the traditional stuff first. And then promised that I'm going to post part two, I'm going to post something different, and then some portraits. And so the way I think two days afterwards, I posted this, the series of the, the young man holding up a sign and, his hands and another young man doing that as well. And, women too. I photographed some women as well. So when I did that, I was shocked to see so many people, including, like, a lot of different editors. You know, they viewed it. Well, this was the last stop. So I made my point, you know, and then a lot of different magazines started contacting me, they contacted me, and they asked me a few different things. Is this published anywhere else? apart from Instagram. So many different people got in touch.Then a friend of mine, from The New Yorker, he got in touch with me and was like, Can you do me a favor and not publish this? Because we want exclusive rights. I'm going to do that. I'm going to send this up to some of the higher ups. And so, I sent them an image for a while. I told her, hey, listen, like this other publication wants it. I want to run it. And so I'm waiting. I'm waiting for you to find out, you know, let me know what you want to do. And so she got back to me. I could do it like non exclusively, I guess. But they still ran it. And they also hired me to do a shoot of the protests. So I went for about three days. I went to three days worth of protests, zero violence. Maybe only a few photographers decided to do it differently this time. And, and not go with what the system has taught us to do. It's just such a really good feeling to have my work out there and shooting for what I believed in without the endless propaganda.

Jade: Yeah, that's beautiful. I just know during that period, aside from, like photographers, focusing on that violence, there was also conversation around photographers showing protesters and organizers that, you know, put together these protests, and how that could harm them in certain ways. If those images got out, and like their identity wasn't protected, and things like that, did you ever think about those types of things while you were making that work? Or was it just like, you knew what you stood for and what you were there for?

AJT: It was straight, I went to these protests, if I saw someone that my energy took a liking to, then I would just I would approach them and then they would oblige. Sometimes, I'd have like, just a couple minutes, sometimes it'd be several, you know, like, more than a couple minutes. Remember this was like, in the middle of a pandemic too. It's interesting how that whole event happened, because something happened, where the fear got put aside. And then for the betterment of humanity, people were like, you know what? Fuck it,I'm gonna go out and protest, I'm going to do what I believe in. Because what happened to that beautiful person, and other men and women of color should not be happening. It shouldn't be happening.

Jade: I was going to ask you what was something that you want to do for your community, but I feel like you've already kind of found your thing.

AJT: What do I want to do for my community? So like, my book isn't enough, you know, I wish there was a way for me to give back more. I will always want to give back more. I don't know what else to do other than because, you know, I'm in the process of moving. Before I move my last wish here is to throw a party and then invite all these guys and invite a lot of people over and then this would be outdoors obviously maybe in a summer somewhere maybe at the park. And the budget needs to be there. I don't have the budget. So my book is currently in the shortlist for the Aperture grand prize. So I'm hoping that if I, good luck to the winner, I’dl be happy for them, but if I get that kind of money. That money would definitely go to someone you know, I would definitely be more than happy and willing to have more than just a party. But I want to give the community and you know, maybe a donation.

Jade: Like a creative type of thing would happen. Like maybe something for younger kids to get involved in like art.

AJT: Maybe you know, it's endless, you know, you can do a lot of different things. I would need to find out, like, budget wise, like what can I do? How much can I afford to spend on this and now, and then also, like, there would be other organizations that could lend themselves to making this a success.

Jade: Beautiful. So, my final question, but I'm wondering, what do you think you are going to work on next? Or where do you think you're gonna go from here?

AJT: Yeah. I have my kids, I love my kids, you know. I'm taking a long break from photographing them, but I've been photographing my kids for years. I'm still photographing them. I still don't know the storyline there. But there are many different storylines that I can craft for sure. Like being black in the suburbs, or whatever. So I've been at that for a while. But I'm not planning on releasing anything of my kids until like, the next seven years. But my kids will like those, that stuff's gonna be something and then I'll photograph other projects in between other long term projects, but not as long term as my kids. I'm also photographing nature because I love nature and anything natural. So I gravitate more towards nature and those are projects I’m working on.

Jade: I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I really really love your work one And also you’re an interesting individual, like your mind is very expansive.

AJT: Thank you. I appreciate that. I grew up in a different way, you know, I'm not like the average owl. I also think on an esoteric level.I just feel like the world is such a complicated place. And it's equally ugly and beautiful.

Al J Thompson: The Secret to Creating a Powerful Image

Between Art and Activism