“A-Float,” the title of Jordan’s Campbell’s exhibition at Compound Yellow that runs through June 4th, refers to a false cultural stereotype that Black people can’t swim. For Campbell, this exhibition is a metaphor for survival and a debunking of harmful stereotypes that serve to limit the identities of Black Americans. A-Float is a testimonial to his faith and to letting go by channeling the spirit of hope.

“When it comes to me as a Black man who wants not only to survive, but to thrive,” he continued, “there are so many identities that we cannot embody. The social norm for many Chicago communities like Austin, Englewood, or South Shore is constantly in question. A lack of ownership, poverty, and insecurity are the dominant themes. One out of three stories coming out of Austin is negative. Our collective history is one of a lack of reputation, but that is simply not true. The story of the Black cowboys is an alternate to the stereotypes of black people. Bronzeville is a mecca for Black culture and these cowboys are a part of that. These powerful and positive images need to be illuminated and photography has the ability to do that.”

The Black cowboy is the central motif in A-Float. Campbell’s unique vision of the cowboy, which has traditionally evoked rugged American individualism in the guise of figures ranging from John Wayne to Ronald Reagan to the Marlboro man. The Hollywood cowboy asserts white masculine power in defense of “Christian America.” He is a horse-riding, gun-toting staunch defender of faith, family, and freedom. A Black cowboy, for Campbell, represents a new symbol of strength not only for Black people, but for us all.

“I am not representing masculinity or faith,” he said. “Through these images I aim to express a story that I’ve never truly seen in America. John Wayne was not a name we spoke about in my father’s house in Ohio. It was the Buffalo Soldiers and Marcus Garvey who personified the cowboy for me. Garvey looked like a cowboy wearing a feather in his hat. He was a form of liberation with black folks and an idea of a liberated people who have been living among us.”

Campbell’s Black cowboy images and other artworks included in this exhibition, create an immersive place that communicates a sense of safety, calm, dignity, and belonging – feelings conjured within him when he first encountered Black cowboys in Chicago.

Campbell moved to Chicago from Akron, Ohio in 2014. One day while on his way to attending a camera club workshop at the Washington Park district field house, he saw a group of black people riding horses.

“It blew my mind! Who are these people!” he said. “I had never seen anything like that in Chicago. We don’t have these images and it carried a kind of cultural weight, an identity, a sense of ownership. I thought ‘This is happening. This exists.’ How can I explore more about this and bring this to the forefront? I want to create a space in my art to talk about this experience.”

Upon entering the A-Float space, the viewer sees an open door with a large-scale photo of a serene woman with long black braids looking over her shoulder as if she has just looked up from tending the horses. The pleasant smell of cedar and the warm temperature of the lights draws you further into the space. The tone is one of incandescence, beauty, and order. Campbell has a facility for design, color and space which he uses to recreate his experience. This is not just a simulated horse stable, but an altar where Campbell tells a story full of reverence. As you walk toward the back of the space, the address numbers 5-3-1, the address of his great grandparents, are on a framed entrance to the main images. On the back wall, and the center focus of the exhibition, is a full-scale photograph of a young Black man on a horse in the soft light of the magic hour in a field. In front of the photo is a hay crate filled with books.

It is like a stage set for a memory play. Along the side wall are three portraits of the cowboys (and woman) he met at the Broken Arrow Riding Club. In the corner is a recording device where anyone can record a few seconds of dialog or song that repeats itself over and over. The stories of Campbell’s cowboy heroes are part of an oral tradition that he wants the viewer to engage with.

Campbell’s Black cowboy is a new mythic and gentle hero who brings hope and provides safe harbor. It’s an alternate third story that counters the dominant themes of Black Americans. It’s not a Black story of healing, but an American one.

“Much of what I do comes out of a sense of humility,” Campbell said when speaking about his faith. “All the things I’ve been given have been entrusted to me by God to fulfill a purpose. I see myself as Nehemiah (5th century BC). He was also the cup-bearer whose job it was to drink from the cup of king to be sure he was not being poisoned. It allowed him to gain the king’s trust and Nehemiah was given the authority to supervise the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. This is my faith. I am not interested in tearing down existing walls, but to build new walls and new ideas that bring accountability, vulnerability, and new visions of self-respect. Through my work as an artist, I am able to share joy and love as well.”