Tracing Pittsburgh’s History with Bradford Young
Videos
Apr. 27, 2020
In my practice as an image-maker in the art context, I’m committed to understanding the nuance and depth of black life.
In 2017, cinematographer Bradford Young explored Pittsburgh’s rich histories of migration and first arrivals through a multi-channel video installation inspired by the photographs of Charles “Teenie” Harris. This project, part of the Hillman Photography Initiative, considered Pittsburgh’s tunnels as not only passageways to the city but as metaphors for the Great Migration, the northward movement of millions of African Americans in the early to mid-20th century.
Today, we’re throwing it back to an interview with Young about his interest in the Teenie Harris Archive, generational storytelling, and the importance of place.