Client: Barbican / The Kennedy Center / Serious
Field: Concept design, art direction, integrated marketing
Jason Moran – The Harlem Hellfighters
The Harlem Hellfighters were a military band of African-American soldiers in WWI, who spent more time in combat than any other American unit. Their courage made headlines across the country, hailing the regiment as heroes even as they faced discrimination at home. Led by lieutenant James Reese Europe, the military band travelled over 2,000 miles in France, performing for British, French and American military audiences as well as French civilians and are considered to be one of the first acts to bring American Jazz to Europe.
American Jazz musician Jason Moran created a performance (commissioned by 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Art Commission) to bring new attention to the sacrifice, service and courage of the Hellfighters and their leader who until recently, had largely been forgotten. To promote the show I created a collaged artwork using archive imagery.
