Barbados National Art Gallery Featured Artist

Keith Blackett

“Rum Shop”

1997

Oil on Canvas

39 x 48.5cm

The work "Rum Shop" by Keith Blackett is a compelling example of the artist's fascination with the figurative, particularly traditional Barbadian objects and scenes. The piece portrays a historical Bajan landmark, namely The John Bull Bar in Bridgetown. Blackett's work effectively captures the rum shop as a social space for male patrons, ranging from white to black, foreign sailors to local Harbour policemen (in a historical uniform). Interestingly, the work also portrays the icon of a plump white man in a Union Jack vest, representing "John Bull".

For those unfamiliar with the character, John Bull is an archetype national UK figure, originally created as an 18th Century representation of a British "everyman". In the 20th Century, the character was briefly elevated as a British authority figure, similar to the "Uncle Sam" figure in the USA. Throughout the UK and Europe, pubs adopted the John Bull name as a signifier for an everyman British pub. It is likely that the pub motif was adapted for a Bajan rum shop.

In Blackett's depiction of The John Bull Bar, the character of John Bull is victorious in his raising of a beer bottle, providing a focal point for the piece. Set against the backdrop of a rum shop façade, "Rum Shop" effectively illustrates some aspects of Barbados' cultural creolisation. By portraying patrons of different races and backgrounds in a shared social space, Blackett highlights the intermingling of cultures and traditions that have shaped the island's history. Overall, "Rum Shop" serves as a testament to Blackett's skill as a figurative artist and his ability to capture the essence of Bajan culture in his work.

About the artist

Keith Blackett (1930-2021) was largely self-taught, although he trained with Collis Bailey between 1958 – 1961. He was active within the Barbados Arts Council, serving as their Treasurer, and exhibited widely in Barbados, including solo exhibitions at Pelican Art Gallery (1976, 1995, 1997) as well as group exhibitions at the Annual Agricultural Exhibition at Queens Park (1959-62) and the Barbados Museum & Historical Society (1960-1971) including the first national independence art exhibition in November 1966. In later years he was an active and enthusiastic participant in exhibitions at the Hilton Art Gallery (1977-79) and the Art Collection Foundation (1985-91). The painting “Rum Shop” was acquired by the Barbados National Art Gallery in 2004 and 2 other pieces are held in the National Collection of Barbados. Blackett’s work is also held in private collections in Guadeloupe, England, Scotland, Canada and the U.S.A. Blackett has been awarded various national art prizes from the Art Collection Foundation, the Crop Over exhibition, and NIFCA.

Sources:

The BMHS Barbadian Art Database

Carolle Bourne “Veteran artist has a way with light”, Nation Newspaper, November 9th 1995

“Antillean Gallery of Art Inc. is an entirely online art gallery based in the Caribbean island of Barbados. Jeena Chatrani, one of our artists, started the Antillean Gallery in 2021 to represent some of the highest quality art in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean.

All artists are vetted by Jeena to confirm that they use professional quality materials. Each piece of art is then juried by a panel of anonymous jurors before getting added to the website. We represent both upcoming and recognised artists working in a variety of media. Whether you are a seasoned collector or are now discovering your love for original artwork for the first time, our gallery has something for you!

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At Antillean Gallery we believe that original art belongs in EVERY home or office, regardless of budget. Our collection is diverse in media, style and price, with truly something for everyone and we want you to not only be happy, but thrilled with your investment. Our personalized, customized services are as follows:

If you are in Barbados we will deliver your purchase to you and can offer professional installation services.

We offer assistance with artist commissions. Consultancy services.

Artist Submissions

We highly value our artist-gallery partnerships and are always on the lookout for additional talent to join our AGA family. If you would like Antillean Gallery to consider your art for representation please send us an email to Jeena@antilleangallery.com with your application form and we will get back to you.” https://www.antilleangallery.com https://www.facebook.com/AntilleanGalleryofArt

Jeena Chatrani

Antilles Gallery. https://m.facebook.com/AntilleanGalleryofArt/

“

Hi! Welcome To Antillean Gallery of Art!

My name is Jeena Chatrani and I recently started Antillean Gallery with the intention of promoting and selling art from Caribbean artists online.

I'm an artist myself and I've found that the art scene in Barbados could greatly benefit from some online presence. For the last 6 years I've been a full time artist and have had to learn a lot about the business behind selling art. It's not easy to make it as an artist but it is so fulfilling.

With Antillean Gallery of Art I hope to help raise the standard of art and artists in Barbados, and eventually across the Caribbean.”

-Jeena Chatrani

The artists of Antillean Gallery of Art online gallery: Catherine Forter Chee a Tow, Cathy Cummins, Chris Richards, Dana Sikkens, Jeena Chatrani, Julia Seymour, Julianne Gill, Lorna Wilson, Mario Holder, Maurice Forde, Sian Pampellonne, Tracey Williams, Trevor Desilvia Curator Jeena Chatrani

Kerry Alaric Cheeseboro will be curating and presenting ‘KAC GFA “ABsolutely STRACTuous” an abstract art online exhibition, running May 4 through Jun 4, 2023.

“Here are abstract art pieces I created as examples of the wide open net of creative possibilities I’m inviting artists and photographers (who are also artists) to consider submitting their original, abstract work to the upcoming KAC GFA “ABsolutely STRACTuous” online exhibition, running May 4 through Jun 4, 2023.

All interested abstract artists should DM us through the KAC Gallery of Fellow Artists page. Link here https://www.facebook.com/kacnyc.llc

(We will consider up to three abstract works per artist, though all three works may not be selected.)

Susan Mains

Heroes Day. Barbados 2023

Hoping to see a commissioned painting of Rihanna soon to add to this gallery of our heroes. Each year I write this in the hopes that at some point the relevant cultural entities give credit to the artists who created these paintings many years ago. Let us recognise them all.

Heroes Day. Barbados 2023.

Artists who painted the heroes.

Akyem-i Ramsay - Bussa

Patrick Michael Foster - Sarah Ann Gill

Adrian Compton - Samuel Jackman Prescod

Ras Ishi - Charles Duncan O'Neal

Winston Jordan - Clement Payne

David Alleyne - Sir Hugh Springer

Anthony Payne - Sir Frank Walcott

Coral Bernardine - Sir Garfield Sobers

Omowale Stewart - Errol Walton Barrow

David Skinner- Sir Grantley Adams

Rihanna -

Am truly saddened, that each year I post this, and each year I make this comment of the fact that on not one page of Government, NCF, Ministry of Culture, Tourism websites can I find the list of artists who painted the National Heroes. The images have been used for books, stamps and more and yet no credit is given to a single artist.

Years ago we in the arts collated the names.

(Please correct me if I am wrong and artists names have finally been added in any of these governmental pages).

Saddened that nowhere online in any of the government entities can one find the names of artists who painted these huge canvasses that used to hang every Heroes Day down the side of the Inland Revenue building opposite parliament.

On not one government website nor information portal can I find even just the artists names far less any information on them. I believe, that by law, when featuring art in public whether published, live or online there is a legal moral clause that artists names should be featured with the image.

Let us hope this can be corrected within GIS, MRD, NCF, Ministry of Culture and any other entity.

National Heroes Day in Barbados. But you can read about our National Heroes where you can click on each image and read more about them here http://www.mrd.gov.bb/index.php

COLOURS OF BARBADOS Art Show on the Boardwalk

Just a few of the images here from opening day. The longest show. 350 feet long (and growing as artists add more pieces). The exhibition will run for 18 months. Opened on November 29th, 2022 Organised and hosted by James Edgehill and Mark Hiorns For more information Tel: 1 (246) 228 0631

Artists participating so far

Adrian Burnett

Andrea Dennison

Anna Didier

Arianna Holligan

Catherine Cummins

Cher Antoinette Corbin

Cindy Walker tbc

Frank Cossey tbc

Heidi Berger

Hilary Arnstrong

Jeena Chatrani

Julia Seymour

Karen Pearson

Kirstie Hiorns

Korea Darnelle

Kristine Dear

Maria Stanford

Mark Hiorns

Micah Rubin

Michelle Bowe

Princess Johnson

Priscilla Richardson

Providence

Reginald Gill

Sian Pampellonne

Yazmin Vizcarrondo