Detail of a work by Patrick Villaire at his studio (photo: Veerle Poupeye) This post was first published in the Jamaica Monitor of February 6, 2022. It is now reproduced here with a few updates and corrections. The occasion for my trip to Haiti, which ended on February 4, was my role in the Caribbean... Continue Reading →
Bewigged – Greg Bailey’s Post-colonial Paraphernalia
Greg Bailey - Lady Locks (2021) I am privileged to have been invited to curate the debut solo exhibition of the Jamaican artist Greg Bailey is entitled Post-Colonial Paraphernalia. The exhibition explores the lingering effects of colonial symbols and and features ten new oil paintings and one drawing. The exhibition is on view at Creativ... Continue Reading →
Memoirs: William “Woody” Joseph (1919-1998)
This article was first published in the Jamaica Monitor of October 3, 2021. William “Woody” Joseph – Angel, c1990, private collection (photo: Veerle Poupeye) When I first met the self-taught Jamaican wood-sculptor William Joseph in the mid-1980s, he was living in a bamboo shack near the river in Stony Hill. Woody, as he was affectionately... Continue Reading →
Memoirs: Everald Brown (1917-2002)
Everald Brown at the Assembly of the Living, 82 1/2 Spanish Town Road, West Kingston, c1974 (photographer unknown) This article was originally published in two parts in the Jamaica Monitor August 1 and 8, 2021, respectively. It is now posted here with minor editorial changes. Part 1 Everald Brown – or Brother Brown, as his... Continue Reading →
Painting the City
Shanique Stewart - Jamaica Is Not a Real Place, Water Lane. Sponsored by TEF and Sherwin Williams. This article was originally published in the Jamaica Monitor on 4 and 11, 2021 and is now posted as it was submitted, with images added. All photos are by Stuart Reeves, courtesy of Doris Gross, Kingston Creative. Part I... Continue Reading →
Review: The 2020 Edna Manley College Fine Arts Graduates
Rohmearo McFarlane, Independent Study, 2020, mixed media installation This article was originally published in the Jamaica Monitor, in two parts, on May 30 and June 6, 2021, respectively. More images have been added. All photographs are by Joni Gordon, courtesy of the Edna Manley College. Part I The year 2020 was a challenging year for... Continue Reading →