Migrant
Juxtaposed elements of historical portraiture and masked migrants suggest the potential of what could be woven into New Brunswick’s tapestry. But what is the context of this narrative?
The celebrated but often consolidated momentousness of black history predates loyalist expulsion. Communities like Elm Hill and Willow Grove fostered their own identities as St. Peter’s Anglican Church laid the foundation of inclusivity, all while enslavement was still prevalent. Cemeteries along the Saint John River denote further settlement; some sit maintained, some in disrepair, some willfully scorned.
The Kingsclear Early Black Cemetery, a segregated space desecrated during the Mactaquac Dam’s burial relocation project, is of particular note. Records clearly indicate Kingsclear was “not to be moved or disturbed” and so the site was left to crushed rocks and surging waters. NB Power eventually rectified this loss thanks to the persistence of McCarthy Brandt and fellow advocates, but the consternation of this group hides a deeper hesitancy, especially as new faces immigrate to this little slice of the Maritimes.
This carousel of pop-up storytelling seeks to place the narrative surrounding Haitian migration concretely into New Brunswick’s cemented systems through photographic transfer prints. Rotchild Choisy’s masks offer a personal perspective, away from historical approaches, while preserving identities. They allow for universal readings of migration and a broader hypothesis: that regardless of origin, the migrant experience is largely shaped by the conditions met upon arrival. Natt Cann’s interest in historical crags and sociological affairs places these experiences within the prevalence of familial portraiture, found imagery, and historic spaces. When collaged together, a new context is forged: one of integration and new beginnings. Yet behind these structures, an archived reality is tucked away in the folds – family photos, headlines, letters of antiquity, and cluttered paperwork suggesting a different mask.
Recollect is a collaborative collection of paper engineered tunnel books with iterations shifting in perspective and narratives peering deep into New Brunswick history.
