It may not be Picasso or Pollack, but its vibrant energy, and deep cultural connections are just as strong. Sarah Venable provides budding art collectors with a whirlwind tour of art throughout the Caribbean: the perfect jump-off point to this pulsating and fluid world.
Heads up, art lovers. If you have the notion that Caribbean art is just fruit-flavoured nostalgia, it’s time to take another look. According to Wayne Gallimore, owner of the Jamaican online art space, Jamagination, and a collector himself, buying art in the Caribbean offers a wealth of opportunities -literally. “Current market conditions are such that, generally speaking, art in the Caribbean is significantly under-priced when compared to equivalent quality art in North America and Europe,” Gallimore says. As a result, collectors who are visiting the region have the opportunity to collect art at relatively low prices. Investments aside, however, Gallimore adds that there is a growing appreciation for art in the region. “Heritage tourism and intercultural appreciation are growing trends in our increasingly globalized world and multicultural societies,” he says, and while it may not be at the rate it deserves, demand is increasing for art from the region.
Barbados, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Caymans all have prolific art scenes, and among their artists, you’re bound to find something that speaks to you.
Here’s a space-restricted preview, that barely scratches the surface of the profound art culture in the Caribbean, but is sure to whet your appetite.
JAMAICA’s proud and varied artistic heritage is complete with masters, movements and trends that collectors treasure.
In Kingston, get an overview at the National Gallery of Jamaica, or the CAG(e) at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, and then go shopping. Kingston is full of galleries, but The Mutual Gallery, The Art of Contemporary Jamaica, The Frame Centre Gallery, 128 Gallerie, HiQo Art & Framing Gallery, Island Art & Framing, The Jamaica Guild of Artists, Gallery Barrington and the Grosvenor Gallery are perhaps most extensive. Diverse Jamaican artists to note include Christopher Gonzalez, Oneika Russell, Judy Ann Macmillan, Alexander Cooper, Milton George, the visionary Albert Artwell, and Albert Huie, one of the fathers of Jamaican art.
In the Ocho Rios area, don’t miss Harmony Hall, a 19th century manse with over 100 artists and a good restaurant too.
Around Negril, see Lloyd Hoffstead’s Gallery and enjoy a cup of coffee with him, while in Montego Bay, The Gallery of West Indian Art is doing big business, with two retail outlets.
GRENADA has just begun to recognise the cultural value of visual art, which has only recently been added to the curricula of schools and colleges. Fresh and unique artists have sprung to fill the former vacuum.
In St. Georges check out: The Yellow Poui Gallery, for a wide range of artists; Art & Soul at Spiceland Mall, with the bold, often impasto paintings of Susan Mains, influenced by both impressionism and expressionism; The Freddie Paul Gallery, known for traditional, figurative and colourful depiction of Caribbean scenes; Gilbert Nero on Young Street. This regionally recognised young artist’s work is large, expressionistic, vibrant and socially conscious.
Outside the capital, visit established abstract artist Oliver Benoit at his home gallery in St. Pauls, by appointment only. Authenticity rules when outsider art goes outdoors with na•ve paintings and remarkable installations by Doliver Morain on the road to Bathway Beach in the north of the island. For an awesome art experience, visit Molinere Bay by glass bottom boat, snorkelling or scuba diving. There you’ll see the eerie beauty of Jason de Caires Taylor’s underwater sculpture park.
In GRAND CAYMAN, growing interest is energizing the arts, adding variety to this beach-oriented the caribbean canvas destination. Look for internationally-exhibited, homegrown artists Wray Banker, Al Ebanks, Luelan Bodden and Horatio Estaban (known collectively as Native Sons,) as well as Joanne Sibley. Visit the National Gallery for an idea of local art’s range, and who else is considered important.
Galleries have multiplied. They include:
Cathy Church Gallery, specialising in spectacular underwater photograph; Guy Harvey Gallery, carrying original artwork, prints, photos, and sculpture by Guy himself as well as other artists, including Kent Ullberg and Ian Coleman; The Ritz Gallery, at the eponymous hotel; The Morgan Gallery, whose large selection is primarily imports, alongside some local pieces.
The National Gallery’s curator also suggests the Kennedy Gallery, Pure Art, and the Nelson Gallery, as well as restaurants and cafes, such as Grand Old House, Full of Beans, and Sapphire, which have rotating exhibitions. For works in glass, visit the Island Glass Blowing Studio in Georgetown.
This art’s really deep: go down 45 feet in the water off of Cayman Brac, and you’ll see over 100 large concrete sculptures representing the lost city of Atlantis.
Art in the BAHAMAS is evolving on creative and political levels, thanks largely to stimulus from the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. Located in a purpose-converted estate house in Nassau, the gallery also has events where you can meet local creatives.
Among the most interesting artists are Eustace McPhee. A real creative force, he makes remarkable wall hangings from local sisal fibre, and also does large, vigourous acrylics on wood panels. Astrid Pinder is known for her romantic style and use of colour.
On Grand Bahama, browse in comfort at the Arts & Crafts Market building at the Port Lucaya Marketplace, or visit Leo’s Art Gallery. Serious collectors should go to Prospect Ridge for the wood and marble sculpture of Antonius Roberts, whose work is prized on four continents.
On Paradise Island, check the Bahamas Craft Centre. At Little Harbour, Abaco, the Art Colony at Johnston’s Studio is a treat, especially the bronze-casting foundry.
BARBADOS’ art tends to fall into two camps: decorative and more ‘conscious’ work, with social commentary on the rise. Insiders go to the Kirby Gallery or to Zemicon, for the most collectible of local artists. Those who like their art infused with ideas will find too much to list here, but should note Stanley Greaves, Nick Whittle, Ewan Atkinson and Ras Akyem, all of whom exhibit internationally.
The largest selection of art on this up-market island, particularly for non-aggressive work, is found at the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Speightstown and its smaller branch at the Hilton Hotel. Best-sellers include water-colourist Arthur Atkinson, and Vishni Gopwani, whose luminous pastels show beauty and heart. The gallery’s biggest star is Boston-based Vincent Castellet, who has regularly visited Barbados to paint over the past 23 years, producing masterful landscapes and portraits.
The monthly exhibits at Queens Park Gallery are always thoughtfully curated and will never give you ‘tourist art.’ Comfortable paintings of good standard are sold in restaurant settings, for example at Champers and at Tides. In Pelican Craft Village, the Barbados Arts Council’s gallery showcases a melange of new and established artists.
Tips on Transporting art
Sculptures and heavy framed pieces are safest in wooden crates. Otherwise pack and ship according to courier specifications. When you buy pieces, check with the gallery owner or artist, as they may be able to recommend a reliable courier. For works framed with glass, use bubble wrap and heavy cardboard. To carry works on canvas, have the gallery remove it from the stretchers and roll it up. Remember to take the stretchers too! Don’t remove pastels from their frames; they are too easily smudged.
Buying art online
Can’t make up your mind? Assuage your afterthoughts by ordering from the web. In cyberspace, you can also glean whose work is valued by collectors. But remember, when buying original works, choose artists whose work you have seen in person. You’ll know more about what to expect for your investment. Prints (reproductions and giclŽes)are inexpensive enough to take a chance on.
Source: Skywritings Magazine