Welcome to my new personal blog. It will feature research essays, reviews, opinions and interviews on art in the Caribbean and beyond. While context and issues of representation will also be discussed, the work of art will be the focus and point of departure in most of my posts. This is a position inspired by recent conversations with the Trinidadian artist and art writer Christopher Cozier, who has called for a return to the art work in art writing relevant to the the Caribbean. Cozier has a strong point. Much of the recent writing about art in the Caribbean has indeed been hyper-focused on the social and historical significance of art and on issues of representation. This is important, and our understanding of art in the region has been deepened significantly by these contributions, but a much richer picture emerges (pun intended) when the art work itself is given due consideration. And this has been neglected, to the point where the work of art is often sidelined as illustrative material instead of being at the center of the argument. This blog is also committed to unearthing the hidden and as yet untold stories about art in the Caribbean, especially with regards to the role of women in art.
My analysis will be hard-hitting when necessary but even-handed, respectful and, as much as I can muster, well-informed. I welcome comments and discussions that meet those same standards and hope that what I have to offer will contribute to lively and constructive dialogue about art, its context and its representation in the Caribbean.
(Photo (c) Veerle Poupeye, all rights reserved)
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