17,4 x 24,6 cm
112 pages
Fully printed in 5 colours
Hardcover with dry deboss

Through the use of archival fragments, historic ephemera and his own photographs, artist Raymond Thompson Jr focuses on previously concealed stories of slaves, maroons, and runaways. ‘It’s hard to stop rebels that time travel’ aims to expand narratives about the Black experience and connection to the ‘American’ landscape.

‘In 1918, my grandfather was born outside New Bern and left the region during the great migration.  This project represents a more personal approach to interrogating archives because it is based on a landscape I can trace to my ancestors. More and more, Black people like myself are seeking answers to questions surrounding their origin. This journey through our families' pasts necessitates us to walk the paths of our ancestors. This project became my portal to slip between the past, present and future.’ — Raymond Thompson Jr

Raymond Thompson Jr is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and visual journalist based in Austin, Texas, US. He has an MFA in Photography from West Virginia University, an MA in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and a degree in American Studies from the University of Mary Washington. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin.