Anthea McGibbon, Gleaner Writer

Raymond Watson

WHILE AVERAGE Jamaicans lyme at local bars, the Gallery Barrington with its in-house café has lured a cross selection of visitors for an after-work jam. In the past weeks, a few good men, including representation from five generations of foundational fine artists, swung by to do just that – lyme, opine about the good days, and share their outlook on the future of artists and topical issues.

So far The Sunday Gleaner caught up with fine artists including masters Alexander Cooper (painting), Barrington Watson (painting), Christopher Gonzalez (sculptor and painter), and Raymond Watson (sculptor) and, from a younger generation, Joshua Higgins (painting).

While the public light continually shun on their works, these artists have remained subdued, but given thepresence of art cliques in Jamaica, they were united in their strokes on a huge canvas of memories.

While the collectors present chose to remain nameless, their opinions were nonetheless resounding sharply through the air of sweet cognac, thickened by the curiosity of businessmen, promising artists, and even a business reporter.

Gallery Barrington, serving a new purpose for artists and the public at large, bridges gaps through forum discussion, is also a comfort and a learning zone for younger generation artists to heed a master’s call during the daytime.

A return to memory lane canvassed contributions and perspective on some of our Jamaican artists, masters at their own pace, and from varied Jamaican genre. More important, the carving of the pavement on which younger artists today can carefully trod their way to success.

Christopher Gonzalez graduated the Jamaica School of Art (now Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts) at the same time as Gene Pearson and current tutor at the school, Cecil Cooper. His best memories are of the 1970s, he says, were a flourishing time for artists.

A former student of Barrington Watson, Gonzalez himself taught Raymond Watson, Barrington’s son, and remembers earlier days when he was responsible for castings sculptures made by Edna Manley, who incidentally never taught him. Some of these sculptures are prominently displayed in the National Gallery, but however bearing no accreditation to his input.

Gonzalez learnt his skill, and attention to African features from Bill Broome from Scotland.

Known for his controversial Bob Marley statues, his contributions to the Jamaican scene like the others are many.

Painter

Barrington Watson’s sketch of Norman Manley. - Photo by Anthea McGibbon

Noted painter Alexander Cooper sheds some light by phone on the generation continuum of established artists. Back in the early days, he remembers artists such as David Dunkley and Henry Daley who were active in their expression before the advent of Edna Manley.

However, he remains thankful to Edna Manley, enabling local artists to finally have a collective voice and the classes she started up at the then Junior Centre on East Street.

Today, after a few relocations and under varied names, these classes which eventually increased were developed into a school which finally found home at Arthur Wint Drive. The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, renamed from the Jamaica School of Art in tribute to Edna Manley for her efforts for and on behalf of Jamaican artists, especially during the 1920s. These include harnessing the skills of Jamaicans and encouraging them to be more assertive as artists.

As a result of the efforts of Edna, the identification of ‘Jamaica’s art generation’ had some perspective. Alexander Cooper shares the same space as other second generation artists such as Osmond Watson, .

The Institute Group, who rallied around Edna Manley according to records at the National Gallery, were Albert Huie, Henry Daley, Ralph Campbell and David Pottinger.

Evidently, in the earlier days, artists were more arrogant than now, having had to prove themselves and their worth both at home and abroad. Disputes over issues such as prominence given to selected artists sprang root from then. Thankfully, the open discussion provided an avenue for expelling a few such sparks, as artists crossed over to join for the continuum of good art, a shared concern.

Businessman Deron Braham visits Gallery Barrington regularly for three main reasons, including the limitation of his pocket to afford his desired numbers in quality art. He echoed however the shared belief, that not enough was being done to highlight and educate the public about foundational artists dating back from before, during, and after Edna Manley.

Artists such as Albert Huie, who currently is living in a nursing home in the United States, this especially against the backdrop of an increasing number of emerging artists, who seem clueless of the efforts of their forerunners, alive and deceased.

The colourful nature of Ken Abendana Spencer and his work were among the hotter topics for lengthy discussion as learnt tricks of the trade were shared.

Memories

Works of Sculpture, Raymond Watson - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

Although none from Huie’s generation was present, Barrington Watson, who taught at the Jamaica School of Art during the early days of Edna Manley, shared some of his favoured memories since his return from studying in London.

Joshua Higgins, former student of the Jamaica School of Art, has taken every advantage of the many opportunities offered at the Gallery Barrington and attests to the other benefits beyond an after-work lyme.

Although admitting his initial rejection to Barrington Watson back in the earlier art school days, he claims Barrington “summed up four years at art school training” in his theory of ‘Big Movements, and then subordinate shapes’ while under his tutelage.

He visits the gallery regularly to glean more knowledge, he says, to contribute to the high standards of work he produces from an independent mind.

After musing on earlier days at the Jamaica School of Art, now Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, it was down to a healthy discussion of issues affecting our artists.

Spanish embassies

Chief among them is the recent increase of Spanish interests in Jamaica, especially the Spanish embassies who ably show off the art of their artists, unlike their Jamaican counterparts.

One Scottish collector from England, expressed his long-time passion to see better regard being paid to Jamaica’s very own established artists, who have contributed significantly to revolutionising the outlook of Jamaican art, artists, and artisans internationally mirroring similar highlights of the island’s music.

The participants collectively agreed that there was not enough being done to encourage and maintain creativity in younger artists. Ongoing fora for discussion with a wider selection of younger artists are being slated.

Anthea McGibbon, a graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, has over 10 years’ experience in the fields of journalism and the arts. Contact her at islandartattack@yahoo.co.uk or anthea.mcgibbon@gleanerjm.com.