Roy Reid paints about Jamaicans' struggles, hopes

- Rudolph Brown

"Rhumba", painted by artist Roy Reid, in his current exhibition at the Frame Art Gallery on Belmont Road, Kingston 5.

Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter

SELF-TAUGHT artist Roy Reid is back - in the colourful, geometric, deceptively simple style which has characterised his works over the years - and, this time, he is taking on a wide range of issues.

An exhibition comprising a mix of old and new works is scheduled to open today at the Frame Art Gallery on Belmont Road, off Oxford Road, Kingston 5, starting at 3 p.m.

Under the theme Survival: A Jamaican Way, the more than 50 pieces on show all tell a tale - whether as a serious commentary about society or just as a humorous portrayal of daily living.

And they demonstrate the artist's versatility, as well as his powers of observation of the society around him.

In Massive Cash Flow, for example, the fleeing businessman (painted in an exaggerated style) highlights the economic drain of cash from the country. And its portrayal is evergreen, for cash exodus can be applied to any period of modern Jamaican history, whether the 1970s, 1980s, even now.

A raggedly dressed Street Person highlights another controversial issue much in the news, while Child Labour (a burden-laden figure in white) touches on an equally sensitive topic.

The Disinherited, Watch the Curves and Everyone Has a Cross to Bear are thought-provoking pieces, meriting more than a casual glance.

Relationships are explored in Ebrey 'oe hab im tik; Figures in Love; Mom, Tommy and I and Oneness, while My Nearest Neighbour speaks about differences in social status.

Religious ideas inspire and underscore several of the pieces on show, among them, Clergy in Crisis, Yield not to Temptation, A Time to Pray, as well as the congregation in On the Trail to Eternity.

Speaking to The Sunday Gleaner, the artist said the theme of the exhibition was inspired by what he called the "survival game".

"It's all about survival on a personal level, survival within inner-city communities, even survival as a nation," Mr. Reid explained.

The hardship of daily living are portrayed by him in Life is No Bed of Roses; Bewildered, and even as the toiling farmer in Tiller of the Soil.

Teenage Crisis shows a dejected figure, hands over eyes, and is a poignant reminder of the many dangers besetting the youth in society - be it unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, drugs, abuse, etc.

Joy in living

But there's also joy and exuberance in living, and Mr. Reid reminds us vividly of this in the rhythm of the "dancing pieces".

In these works, figures overlap, embrace each other or are painted onto each other in joyous abandon - Dancing Figures (which is already sold); Let's Dance, and Rhumba.

"We cannot just give way to the downside of life," Mr. Reid explained about these pieces. "And we need to persevere and be thankful amidst the stress and troubles."

He is thankful for the bounty of the earth and captures this in The Harvest, while three floral still lifes and Fruit focus on nature.

Completing the thematic variety is Come to the Books, underscoring the importance of learning and education; Sista Grace, an endearing, compelling portrait of a nun, and the buxom Lady of the Evening looking archly over her shoulder.

Colour is everywhere in this exhibition, even when the subject matter is less than cheerful - bright reds, yellows, blues, purples, and other hues.

And each colour is symbolic for the artist - red for action and love, blue for peace and tranquillity, purple for power, yellow for hope, upliftment and warmth, green for fertility and the vegetation, and white for purity.

It is an interesting collection, and the Frame Art Gallery should be commended for allowing the public to see what the artist has been doing since his last exhibition in 1998. The show will run for three weeks.

Born in Portland in 1937, Mr. Reid began painting in the early 1960s.

He received no formal training, but his desire for self-expression was strong enough to unearth his hidden talent and in 1971, he put on his first exhibition at the Institute of Jamaica.

In 1972, his painting Jason White won him first prize in another of the Institute's exhibitions for self- taught artists.

Since then, Mr. Reid has participated in several group exhibitions and has won many awards.

"Everybody is born with a kit," Mr. Reid says. "My kit is painting."

And he will continue to paint, because "there's so much to express, whether people want to like the work or buy it. I am a survivor...I love painting, and find that I'm able to touch viewers more meaningfully when I reach deep down into my self and draw on my inner feelings."

Not independent

Of the Jamaican art market, Mr. Reid longs for the day when "artists can paint what they really want to express, and not be at the whim and fancy of collectors. Probably if we had a museum of some sort where people could see the work of Jamaican artists, it would serve to keep art and artist alive, and make us more independent of certain situations (especially financial considerations.). Right now, artists continue as victims in the survival game."

Still, he is thankful to patrons and collectors who have supported his work over the years: "To persons such as Mrs. Pat Ramsay, Mrs. Roache, Ms. Mosina Jordan, collectors - thanks for the support and the exposure, and it enables me paint more."

He paints from his home-based studio on Grassquit Lane in the Olympic Gardens area of St. Andrew.

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