Jamaican art

Last updated
Public Monument, Negro Aroused, Kingston Waterfront Negro Aroused on waterfront.jpg
Public Monument, Negro Aroused, Kingston Waterfront

Jamaican art dates back to Jamaica's indigenous Taino Indians who created zemis, carvings of their gods, for ritual spiritual purposes. The demise of this culture after European colonisation heralded a new era of art production more closely related to traditional tastes in Europe, created by itinerant artists keen to return picturesque images of the "new world" to Europe. Foremost among these were Agostino Brunias, Philip Wickstead, James Hakewill and J. B. Kidd.

Contents

Perhaps the earliest artist to take a more Jamaican-centered approach to the island culture was Isaac Mendes Belisario (1795–1849). His portfolio of lithographs, Sketches of Character, In Illustration of the Habits, Occupation, and Costume of the Negro Population in the Island of Jamaica, published in collaboration with the lithographer Adolphe Duperly in 1837–38, documents activities of slaves immediately after their emancipation. [1]

Early Jamaican pottery

During the colonial period, slaves became an integral part of contributing to the economy apart from their slave masters in the 1670s. This helped the country of Jamaica to be able to build capital outside of slave labor. The goods built in order to contribute to said capital were often food and livestock but would also incorporate crafts. An addition to the Jamaican slave laws in 1711 allowed for slaves to legally make and distribute pottery, baskets, and rope. Pots, pipes, and buckets made from earthen material (Clay), were often traded amongst slaves themselves, or sold to the lower working class. Many of the pottery materials and innovations are dated back to West Africa where many slaves were taken from and brought to Jamaica. Pottery continues to be an integral part of Jamaican economy, but also continues be misunderstood and underrepresented. [2]

The modern movement

The National Gallery of Jamaica dates the nationalist-oriented art movement to the beginning of the twentieth century and the arrival of Edna Manley to Jamaica in 1922. Her observations and journals on art and artists from that time have provided early documentation on the movement's development. Her work, Bead Seller (1922), has been used as the earliest work in the National Gallery of Jamaica's permanent collection of mode. Educated in the UK, she publicly criticized Jamaica's local artwork as "anaemic," believing that it demonstrated a preoccupation with European-styled landscapes and portraiture, using traditional techniques that insufficiently reflected Jamaica's culture and people. [3] Manley strongly urged for Jamaican artist to create art that demonstrated their heritage and pride, in turn dismissing European influence and values. [4] Her support of volunteer art classes at the Institute of Jamaica fostered the talents of artists such as Albert Huie, Ralph Campbell, Henry Daley, and Osmond Watson. The classes in 1950 became formalized into an art program offered at the Jamaica School of Art, an institution that was later named the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, as a tribute to her contribution. [5]

During the 1950s and 1960s, many of Jamaica's artists received formal training in Britain as a result of scholarships provided by the British Council. Ralph Campbell attended classes at Goldsmiths College; [6] Barrington Watson trained at the Royal College of Art; [7] and Osmond Watson studied at St Martins. [8] Each artist developed his own representational style, influenced by post-impressionism, realism, and cubism, respectively. All three artists returned to teach at the Jamaica School of Art.

Since the island declared independence in 1962, Jamaican art has swung between two styles that Chief Curator, David Boxer, has defined as "mainstream" and "intuitive." [9] "Mainstream" references Jamaica's trained artists, more often exposed to art trends and styles used abroad. This style was typically adopted by Jamaican artist due to the necessity to earn a profit on their artwork and to attract tourist. [10] The 'intuitive' movement consists of artists who maintain stronger links with African forms of expression, are predominantly closed to any external influences, and are usually self-taught. During the 1980s, a trend towards the fusion of these two styles was apparent in the work of artists such as Milton George, Omari Ra (aka African or Robert Cookhorne), and Khalfani Ra (aka Makandal Dada or Douglas Wallace). Smithsonian curator Vera Hyatt labelled them New Imagists, referencing the way the body in convulsive forms dominates their canvases. [11]

In the 1990s, a greater awareness of post-modern trends and a connection with Jamaica's wider diaspora communities in Britain, Canada, and the US saw many artists such as Albert Chong, Anna Henriques, Petrona Morrison, Margaret Chen, and David Boxer reappraising their personal cultural histories. They began revisiting the sites of their ancestral origins (be they indigenous Amerindian cultures, African, or European), having a greater need to understand and visualize the Jamaican experience and their own sense of place within the Caribbean. [12] But events in Jamaica have overtaken these concerns, turning an even younger generation of artists' attention inwards. Many of Jamaica's contemporary artists in the 1990s were concerned with post-colonial issues of identity and place. They explored these issues through group shows, such as the Caribbean Biennales and other regional exhibitions. This allowed them to establish commonality with artists from other islands.

The art of this past decade appears to be shifting in focus once again. [13] Younger artists, such as Ebony G. Patterson, Michael Elliot, Phillip Thomas, Christopher Irons, and Peter Rickards, are engaging with issues of violence, homophobia, and social dislocation that have been a feature of Jamaica's recent past. These are events and trends that are still unfolding, but they suggest that this generation of artists is having to compete with the more glaring aspects of the country's popular culture related to dance hall, ghetto fabulous fashions, street art, and the aesthetics of bling funerals [14] for a stake in the nation's visual memory. [15]

Victoria Gallery Painting, Priest 2, The Theresa Roberts Collection Alicia Lisa Brown "Priest 2".jpg
Victoria Gallery Painting, Priest 2, The Theresa Roberts Collection

Theresa Roberts, a collector and Jamaican native, migrated to the United Kingdom at a young age. She prioritizes the highlighting and promotion of Jamaican art and artist around the world. She has contributed to spreading knowledge of Jamaican art and she was also involved in the creation of the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, United Kingdom. The Theresa Roberts Collection exhibition is the first UK exhibition that features and showcases only Jamaican artist artwork. Beginning, in Liverpool the exhibition will start in 2022. [16] One artwork by "Priest 2," 2017, from the Roberts' collection, and has begun to receive international recognition. Made by Alicia Lisa Brown, a Jamaican artist, the oil on canvas painting is 16” x 12”. The exhibition will be held at the Victoria Gallery & Museum in Liverpool, UK from February to July 9th 2022. Paintings, mixed media installations, sculpture, and film will be on display. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Gallery of Jamaica</span>

The National Gallery of Jamaica, in Kingston, Jamaica, is Jamaica's public art museum. It was established in 1974 and is located in the Kingston Mall, a commercial and cultural center on Kingston harbour. The National Gallery of Jamaica also has a branch in Montego Bay, National Gallery West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edna Manley</span> Jamaican artist (1900 – 1987)

Edna Swithenbank Manley, OM is considered one of the most important artists and arts educators in Jamaica. She was known primarily as a sculptor, although her oeuvre included significant drawings and paintings. Her work forms an important part of the National Gallery of Jamaica's permanent collection, and can be viewed in other public institutions in Jamaica such as Bustamante Children's Hospital, the University of the West Indies, and the Kingston Parish Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Anthony Morrison</span>

Keith Anthony Morrison, Commander of Distinction (C.D.), born May 20, 1942), is a Jamaican-born painter, printmaker, educator, critic, curator and administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebony Patterson</span> Jamaican-born visual artist and educator (born 1981)

Ebony Grace Patterson is a Jamaican-born visual artist and educator. She is known for her large and colorful tapestries created out of various materials such as, glitter, sequins, fabric, toys, beads, faux flowers, jewelry, and other embellishments. Her "Gangstas for Life series" of dancehall portraits, and her garden-inspired installations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Creffield</span> British artist (1931–2018)

Dennis Creffield was a British artist with work owned by major British and worldwide art collections, including the Tate Gallery, The British Museum, Arts Council of England, the Government Art Collection, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Leeds City Art Gallery, University of Leeds collection, Williams College Museum of Art, University of Brighton collection, Swindon Art Gallery collection and others.

Caribbean art refers to the visual as well as plastic arts originating from the islands of the Caribbean. Art in the Caribbean reflects thousands of years of habitation by Arawak, Kalinago, and other people of the Caribbean followed by waves of immigration, which included artists of European origins and subsequently by artists with heritage from countries all around the world. The nature of Caribbean art reflects these diverse origins, as artists have taken their traditions and adapted these influences to reflect the reality of their lives in the Caribbean.

Albert Huie was a Jamaican painter.

David "Jack" Pottinger (1911–2004) was a Jamaican painter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts</span> Art college in Kingston, Jamaica

Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts,, is an art school in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1940, Edna Manley pioneered evening art classes at the Institute of Jamaica's Junior Centre but it was not until 1950 that the first formal arts school opened at the DaCosta Institute at 1 Central Avenue, Kingston Gardens. A number of leading Jamaican artists collaborated with Manley to open the first art school in Jamaica, including Albert Huie who became one of the tutors. 64 paying students enrolled in the first year and due to unexpected interest expanded the school at 11 North Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annalee Davis</span> Barbadian artist

Annalee Davis is a visual artist from Barbados whose occupation consists of drawing, painting, object making, art installation and video production. She works a hybrid practice of jobs as a visual artist, instigator, cultural producer, educator and writer. Davis works on the intersection of biography and history, focusing on post-plantation economies by engaging with a particular landscape on Barbados. Concerned with representing migratory displacement, postcolonial recovery, and conceptions of "longing and belonging", Davis uses art and form to capture "an understanding of the shifting terrain in our minds and on our lands, through video, wall-based work, and installations."

Ras Akyem is a Barbadian painter. A graduate of the Edna Manley School of Art in Jamaica, his work is heavily influenced by the Rastafari movement and bears resemblance to the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat. His work is frequently exhibited alongside that of Ras Ishi Butcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haegue Yang</span> South Korean artist (born 1971)

Haegue Yang is a South Korean artist primarily working in sculpture and installation. After receiving her B.F.A from Seoul National University in 1994, Yang received an M.A. from Städelschule where she now teaches as a professor of Fine Arts. She currently lives and works in Berlin and Seoul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edna Andrade</span> American artist

Edna Andrade was an American abstract artist. She was an early Op Artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Tilson</span> British artist (1928–2023)

Joseph Charles Tilson was a British visual artist and fellow of the Royal Academy. He was involved in the Pop Art movement in the 1960s; he made paintings, prints and constructions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallica Reynolds</span>

Mallica Reynolds, OD, better known by the adopted name "Kapo", was a Jamaican artist and religious leader. Considered one of the greatest artists in Jamaica's "Intuitives" artistic movement, Kapo's religious beliefs were reflected in his work.

Petrona Morrison is a Jamaican sculptor and media artist. Her work is largely inspired by African art; she uses found objects in assemblages that have both personal and broader social themes.

Hope Brooks is a Jamaican painter. Many of her works consist of multiple panels, and are designed to be exhibited installation-style. Her works are mainly abstract, but many contain political themes as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Facey</span> Jamaican contemporary artist

Laura Facey CD is a Jamaican contemporary artist. She is best known for the monumental sculpture Redemption Song (2003), which serves as Jamaica's national monument to the Emancipation from Slavery.

Camille Chedda is a Jamaican visual artist and academic. She attended the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Chedda is a lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Art and Project Manager for the InPulse Collective, an artistic and social initiative to support urban Jamaican youth through the practice of visual arts in Kingston.

Cecil Archibald Baugh, was a Jamaican master potter and artist.

References

  1. ↑ Tim Barringer, Gillian Forrester, Barbaro Martinez-Ruiz (Eds.,) Art and Emancipation in Jamaica: Belisario and his Worlds, Yale Center for British Art, 2007
  2. ↑ Meyers, Allan D. (1999). "West African Tradition in the Decoration of Colonial Jamaican Folk Pottery". International Journal of Historical Archaeology. 3 (4): 201–223. doi:10.1023/A:1022809508275. ISSN   1092-7697. JSTOR   20852936. S2CID   141321822.
  3. ↑ Daily Gleaner , 20 December 1934
  4. ↑ Laduke, Betty (1986). "Edna Manley: The Mother of Modern Jamaican Art". Woman's Art Journal. 7 (2): 36–40. doi:10.2307/1358304. ISSN   0270-7993. JSTOR   1358304.
  5. ↑ Petrine Archer- Straw, Fifty Years -Sixty Artists, 2000
  6. ↑ "Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts". Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  7. ↑ "Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts". emc.edu.jm. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts". emc.edu.jm. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  9. ↑ David Boxer, Jamaican Art 1922 -1982, Smithsonian Institution, exh. cat.
  10. ↑ Waugh, Liz (1985). "Two Streams of Jamaican Art". Circa (23): 24–27. doi:10.2307/25556982. ISSN   0263-9475. JSTOR   25556982.
  11. ↑ New Imagists in Jamaican Art. 1987. Exhib. cat., illus. Group exhibition. Included: Milton George, Khalfani Ra, Omarian Ra. WASHINGTON (DC)
  12. ↑ New World Imagery: Contemporary Jamaican Art, (exh. cat.) South Bank and Touring, 1996
  13. ↑ Infinite Island (exh. cat.), Brooklyn Museum, 2008.
  14. ↑ Annie Paul, "'No Grave Cannot Hold My Body Down': Rituals of Death and Burial in Postcolonial Jamaica", Small Axe, no. 23 (June 2007): 142–46
  15. ↑ Veerle Poupeye, "What Times Are These? Visual Art and Social Crisis in Postcolonial Jamaica", Small Axe, Vol. 13, no 2. June, 2009.
  16. ↑ Roberts, Emma (2022), Roberts, Emma (ed.), "The Theresa Roberts Collection", Jamaica Making, The Theresa Roberts Art Collection, Liverpool University Press, pp. 3–32, doi:10.2307/j.ctv29j3dmd.6, ISBN   978-1-80085-620-2, JSTOR   j.ctv29j3dmd.6, S2CID   246659458 , retrieved 2022-05-19
  17. ↑ Roberts, Emma (2022), Roberts, Emma (ed.), "The Theresa Roberts Collection", Jamaica Making, The Theresa Roberts Art Collection, Liverpool University Press, pp. 3–32, doi:10.2307/j.ctv29j3dmd.6, ISBN   978-1-80085-620-2, JSTOR   j.ctv29j3dmd.6, S2CID   246659458 , retrieved 2022-05-19

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.