mark romanek, photography as inspiration

recently purchased the dvd “the work of director mark romanek”. his work is interesting because he uses photography as a jumping off point for many of his music videos.

for the video “got it til it’s gone” by janet jackson romanek begins with the photography of urban africa in the 1950s-70s, as typified by the images in DRUM magazine and in the work of portrait photographers like malick sidibe. he has succeeded pretty well in creating an africa from that time and place, something i have never seen outside the work of raul peck. he did cast some expat kenyans as extras (including a couple of my friends) which gives the video that much more authenticity.

but beyond its surface beauty, there is a more powerful message that is conveyed by the video. the photography of that time in africa depicts the joy, optimism, sophistication and humanity on the continent as africa underwent a transition to urbanism, decolonization and greater freedom. by dramatizing that time and place where africans were those things things, this piece of art challenges the culture (especially black culture) to aspire to more beyond a narrowly defined self-image.

in the dvd commentary for the video, romanek says was making a point against the bling-addiction of black american music videos then and now. but to me this message has a broader meaning that is also relevant to other black people everywhere, especially in africa where 40 years of poverty, war and disease seem to have killed off the vitality that makes the old images from long ago still seem alive. optimism that things will get better, is just as important as good governance and aid; art can play an inspirational part in that by depicting an ideal state, whether past or future.