The document discusses the history and pioneers of visual arts in Jamaica. It highlights several influential Jamaican artists such as Edna Manley, Raymond Watson, Alexander Cooper, Mallica "Kapo" Reynolds, and Birth "Ras Dizzy" Livingstone. Edna Manley was a pioneering sculptor who co-founded the Jamaica School of Art. Kapo was a self-taught intuitive artist known for his paintings capturing the spirit behind objects. Ras Dizzy was an influential Rastafarian poet and philosopher who came to prominence as an intuitive artist. The document provides biographical details and accomplishments of these significant figures in developing Jamaican art.
2. The history of Jamaican art
The history of Jamaican art has been one of
unfolding vitality through the century to its present
strength, versatility and power, offering a
fascinating chronicle of nation building and a
creative coming of age. Art in Jamaica is alive and
well and available both in Galleries and on the
highways and byways, you only have to look for
it. (The Frame Centre Gallery)
3. ‘Pioneers' of Jamaican Art
RAYMOND WATSON
CHARLES CAMPBELL’S
MALLICA “KAPO” REYNOLD
OSMOND WATSON
EDNA MANLEY
HENRY MOORE
BIRTH “RAS DIZZY” LIVINGSTONE
DAVID BOXER
ALVIN MARRIOTT
CARL ABRAHAMS
BARRINGTON WATSON
ALBERT HUIE
ALEXANDER COOPER
4. Intuitive Art
maintains stronger links with African forms of expression, is
predominantly closed to any external influences and is
characterised by the essentially self-taught artist.
Birth “Ras Dizzy” Livingstone
Mallica “Kapo” Reynold
Alvin Marriott
5. Edna Manley
born in Yorkshire, England in 1900 to a Jamaican mother and
an English father and died February 2, 1987.
She studied at various art schools in England including St,
Michael's School of Art, London and privately with Maurice
Harding, the animal sculptor.
She married Norman Manley in 1921 and in 1922 moved to
Jamaica with him
Art in Jamaica did not interested Edna, sculpture was almost
non-existent and painting was limited to a conservative
watercolour landscape tradition, practiced essentially by
amateurs
6. Mrs. Manley has played a major pioneering role in the history
of 20th century Jamaican art. Her works are in private
collections, galleries and public buildings worldwide.
Edna was co-founder of the Jamaica School of Art in 1950.
In 1974 she stopped carving in wood with 'Journey' and all
her subsequent works were carved in clay and cast.
Later in 1977 she received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of
Letters from the University of West Indies , Kingston .
In 1980 at the National Gallery Retrospective Exhibition
"Edna Manley the Seventies", she was awarded the Order of
Merit.
7. RAYMOND WATSON
Born in London in 1954
He was schooled at Kingston College, Jamaica 1966- 1972 and
attended the Jamaica School of Art from 1977-1981,
graduating with a Diploma in Sculpture.
He has lived and worked in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and
London, and has exhibited in the Caribbean, The United
States, South America and England
He found ‘brothers in art’ in the Aboriginal community,
Australia and created site specific installation in Valencia,
Spain and has worked in schools and community centers
across the Basque Country with the International Gathering of
Artists for Peace
8. Alexander Cooper
born in Enfield (St. Mary) Kingston, Jamaica (West Indies) in
1934.
His interest and love for painting began through watching his
friends Ralph Campbell and Osmond Watson, two of
Jamaica’s most outstanding artists, at work.
student of the Jamaica School of the Arts, graduated in 1959.
Also studded at New York School of Visual Arts
attended the Art Student League and won first prize in 1962
and in 1964 of in the Jamaica National Fine Arts
Competition.
Alexander was the first Jamaican artist to be invited to hold
an art show at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C.
9. Kapo (Mallica Reynolds)
born on February 10, 1911 in the district of Byndloss, St. Catherine
was a self-taught artist more popularly known for his painting but he
was also a sculptor
along with the late Sidney McLaren and Brother Everald Brown,
Kapo group intuitive artists tried to capture on canvas or in wood,
the spirit or living forces behind objects and situations.
He has held exhibitions in New York in 1953, 1969 and 1982; Los
Angeles 1964 and 1968; and in Washington D.C. in 1972
He was the recipient of many awards in Jamaica. These are as
follows:
•1966 - Gold Medal from Emperor Haile Selassie during his visit to
Jamaica that year;
•1969 - Silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica
•1977 - Awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of
Jamaica
•1985 - The Norman Manley Award for Excellence in the Fine Arts
•1986 - Gold Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica
10. BIRTH “RAS DIZZY” LIVINGSTONE
Ras Dizzy was born in 1932 as Birth Livingstone
Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a
Rastafarian poet/philosopher
His inclusion in the National Gallery of Jamaica’s
seminal The Intuitive Eye exhibition in 1979,
established him as a major Intuitive
11. Assignment
Students are to choose one intuitive
Jamaican artist or one schooled artist and
do a Three page report on the artist.
Early life
Influence and style of the artist work
At least one piece of the artist work
(students are to critique the piece)