Illustrative Heroes

on the

issue: number 3 October 2013

International Visual & Performing Arts E-Magazine

ON THE HOUSE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2013 - FEBRUARY 2014

ustrative Heroes

issue 03

state of newmedia in jamaican art "Independent art spaces like NLS and ROKTOWA present new opportunities for local artists working with digital media ..."

URBAN ARTIST

MatthewmccartHy TAJ FRANCIS

independent VisualArtist

Illustrative Heroes p.1

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foreword Many of us can remember as children how intriguing and wonderful it was to glimpse an illustration in a dull and lifeless book filled with only words. Our favourites were those which made our hearts come alive with the turn of every page, revealing visually descriptive pieces built on form and other core principles of art.

Such as it was a pleasure to view illustrations when our eyes occupied the spaces that are now our knees, so is it today. Illustrators, as they are referred to professionally, tend to intensify and irradiate our lives and our surroundings.

The future of the Jamaican Arts is in the hands of capable professionals who are so dedicated to their craft in what may be to some, an unbelievable manner. Respect them. Utilize their skills. But most importantly take the time to understand them.

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dear readers O KORI SOLOMON

n the eve of Jamaica celebrating National Heroes Day, we take the opportunity to pay tribute to Heroes in our own industry. Our daily lives interact with illustrated art ever so often yet the heroes behind the masterpieces often go unnoticed. It is on that basis that we have decided to pay homage to these noble characters who have taken lessons from the past, while they shape the present and continue to press on to ensure the future of Jamaican Illustration is alive and well.

Founder & Creative Director

Traditionally, a hero tends to be someone older, with more experience and thus more stalwartness. Here we have intentionally broken the mold and reached out to younger, less traditional artists/designers who in truth and fact possess the very same qualities of a traditional hero.

They are fresh, unique and they are here to stay. Our illustrative heroes are regular persons like you and I, who have decided to use their skills to serve the art public. They don’t dash into phone booths for a quick change nor do they parade in spandex body suites (we hope).

They live, love and breathe art.

We take this opportunity to welcome you to the final publication for 2013 which has been quiet an interesting year. Words fail to capture the essence of our gratitude for all the support and involvement we have received from every single person who takes the time to interact with the brand. Continue to stay involved in and support the Jamaican Arts in any shape or form that you possibly can. Go out an watch a play; hire a Graphic Designer to assist with branding your new initiative; purchase a single from that new local band or attend a book launch. No act of support is too small.

We are currently history writers and the future is in your hands.

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-THE-

CONTRIBUTORS On the House Magazine is a Quarterly publication that exhalts the Jamaican Arts.

Here is the team behind the production.

“No great artist ever sees things as they really are.

If he did, he would cease to be an artist.�

Oscar Wilde

HOUSE OF THE ARTS KEEPING US INVOLVED

House of the Arts is an online community which allows persons to remain up to date with the Jamaican Arts. This includes regular global, upcoming events and artist interviews. We utilize online and social spaces for interaction and involvement in the hope to raise awareness and appreciation for our creative industries and those who fuel them. House of the Arts is a humble non-profit independent brand that will continuously aim to remain committed to the core value of keeping everyone involved and informed. p.6

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SHANEEK SERVICE Interview Producer

Shaneek Service is a media practitioner. She endorses diversity and is very interested in the Arts.

She enjoys reading, traveling and photography. She is currently a Radio Producer at one of Jamaica’s leading Media Houses.

DEBORAH ANZINGER Guest Contributor

Deborah Anzinger is an artist, curator, writer and founding director of the artist-run organisation New Local Space (NLS) in Kingston, which creates a more connected global network where unconventional art, ideas and artists are accessed openly through our international artist residency, exhibitions and online conversation series.

KHYM EVERETT Chief Editor

This soul dances to the beat of her own unconventional drums. Her passions in life are the Arts and humanitarianism. She traverses the field of Public Relations at Jamaica’s number one business paper during the week. When not liaising with clients Khym enjoys photography, writing and blogging.

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illustrative heroes Co-ordinator & Chief Editor Creative /Art Director Contributing Writers Contributing Editor Contributing Photographers Interview Producer Web Developer Online Email

Khym Everett Kori Solomon Deborah M. Carroll Anzinger Leasho Johnson Cecelia Solomon Jason Solomon Shaneek Service Ranon Martin www.houseofthearts.org contact@houseofthearts.org

TO ADVERTISE IN ON THE HOUSE MAGAZINE Call or email: 1(876)488-8431 or 1(876)894-7649 sales@houseofthearts.org

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:

WHO WE ARE: House of the Arts is an online community which allows persons to remain up to date with the Jamaican Arts. This includes regular global, upcoming events and artist interviews. We utilize online and social spaces for interaction and involvement in the hope to raise awareness and appreciation for our creative industries and those who fuel them. House of the Arts is a humble non-profit independent brand that will continuously aim to remain committed to the core value of keeping everyone involved and informed.

On the House Mag. is accepting enteries for our upcoming magazine to be released in February 2014. p.8

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CONTENT

state of new media in Ja. Art

"Independent art spaces like NLS and ROKTOWA present new opportunities for local artists working with digital media ..."

Taj francis

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“Nothing he does is for the benefit of others, but it is all for himself and his own fulfillment.�

26 maTTHEW MCARTHY "Though he had his eyes set on reaching Nirvana atop the highest mountains in Tibet, his next step would see him much closer to home."

COPYRIGHT 2013 HOUSE OF THE ARTS House of the Arts. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine should or may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means printed for duplication without prior written permission from the publisher.

You can send your comments, news releases and advisories to contact@houseofthearts.org On the House Mag. is accepting enteries for our upcoming magazine to be released in February 2014. p.9

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The State of New Media in Jamaican Art

Photo of Olivia McGilchrist’s New Media work from the New Roots Exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica,2013.

Contributed by: Deborah M. Carroll Anzinger

Installation photo of “Birth of a New Fantasy” from the New Rootz Exhibition, National Gallery of Jamaica, 2013

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While the technology for what is generally considered New Media art is not “new” by contemporary standards (digital image and sound editing software, digital photography and the internet have been around for at least 20 years), as technology rapidly and incrementally evolves, it’s become more affordable and accessible for almost any artist to obtain at least outdated or disposed versions of almost everything. What

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is new about this particular moment in art is the shift in attitude both by the public and artists regarding these media: As artists and the public interface with the cyber world and electronic devices digital media have become less ancillary aspects to life and more something depended upon and increasingly difficult to avoid.

Digital media have become absorbed into our everyday lives functioning almost invisibly in the

background and taken for granted. Now we have a significant convergence of circumstances: Artists in the economic periphery have access to a wealth of techniques via various software, an enormous amount of imagery freely available for their manipulation both digitally and mechanically, and an almost limitless public that is as immersed and invested in some of the very same media artists are now using to create and exhibit — the internet at-large and social networking. Essentially these not-so-new media have been more-or-less globally legitimised for the purposes of fine art.

of live mixed Gifs designed by Warner, interfaced with live edited soundscapes by Afifa. Both McGilchrist and Warner recently showed their work in the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival’s New Media exhibition this September, and as part of Warner’s upcoming residency at NLS, he will conduct workshops on Gif animation and new ways to use the Internet and mobile devices as exhibition venues.

ROKTOWA, an art space located downtown The most recent exhibitions from the two national Kingston on Pechon Street, has also begun to visual art institutions in Jamaica both reflected this engage the digital space increasingly. This year shift, New Roots and the National Biennial at the June the organisation participated in the Kingston National Gallery of Jamaica, as well as the final on the Edge (KOTE) with projects by artist Don year exhibition for the School of Visual Arts (SVA) Miller aka No Carrier and Drew Burrows, both at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and imports from Brooklyn, New York. Burrows 3D Performing Arts (EMCVPA). In the past year at the mapping, and Miller performed live visuals with NGJ work by Astro Saulter, Ebony G. Patterson, nearly obsolete repurposed electronics to create Ikem Smith, Nile Saulter, Olivia McGilchrist, Storm psychedelic low-resolution video art. Both artists Saulter, and Varun Baker mark a pivotal move by also gave youth and adult workshops on 3D the institution towards acknowledging digital media mapping during their short residency. Transnational and aesthetic as part of the local vernacular. In the exchanges in the working process of visual artists SVA final year exhibition a digital aesthetic could like this will no doubt help develop more local be seen in the work of several students, most dynamism to new approaches in art. notably in that of Jonoi Messam whose project involved audience members interacting with his Independent art spaces like NLS and ROKTOWA art installation using a smartphone. present new opportunities for local artists On the independent art scene the organisation New Local Space (NLS) has featured adventurous art programming that marks pluralistic aesthetical shifts, placing digital and electronic media on equal footing with more tangible media. Recent projects executed at the art space include Native Girl by Olivia McGilchrist and David Soutar, and Binary Solved an interactive work by Rodell Warner and DJ Afifa. While Native Girl experimented with combining projections, sound and live theatre, Binary Solved was a performance carried out by the audience and the artists via fabric projections

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working with digital media to hone their visions and engage with audiences in a variety of ways, including exhibitions, residencies and workshops.

Propelled by these opportunities and the economic accessibility of digital media local artists are poised to gain their footing in navigating a global art world that is shifting away from elite modes of making and presenting work and towards the pluralistic and populous. It is likely then that, in its own hybrid way, the local art scene will follow the trajectory of rapidly proliferating ways that art is currently engaging new technology globally.

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TAJ FRANCIS

- featuredartist -

TAJFRANCIS Contributed by: Khym Everett

Never did I know that writing about a friend would be a task so difficult.

Blinded by his greatness you say?

I think I may have to agree with that suggestion. I write daily about strangers with much confidence and expedite, yet a person I know so well proves to be so challenging.

From here on I will state only facts and nothing will be fluffed or expounded based on preference. p.12

The truth is, this is an artist that is entirely dedicated to his craft and to taking this to the next level. Nothing he does is for the benefit of others, but it is all for himself and his own fulfillment.

for as long as he can remember. The media used for his artworks are the usual pen and ink as well as brush and ink and spray paint.

A major medium for his more popular works is digital illustrations and paintings. He has been featured This illustration major Graduate of on several websites as well as Edna Manley College School of Arts exhibitions in France, Berlin and was born and raised on the island of Athens. His artwork, inspired by Jamaica and he has been doing art music and a passion for what he

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TAJ FRANCIS does, enables him continue to grow in his skill.

Taj Francis has matured and developed into an force to be reckoned with. At only 24 years old Francis has dreams bigger than most can ever imagine and he is not out to slow down his efforts in achieving them. Clearly possessing skill and talent, he fails to rely solely on this.

Discipline is at the forefront of his agenda, followed by addressing the many social issues that plagued our nation

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day in and day out. Some may call him a social activist, however, he calls himself an artist.

His most memorable works for you may be the album and single designs for reggae-artist Protoje. Or it may the entry that won 5th Place in last year’s World- A- Reggae Poster Competition that copped 5th place. If you are one that is not yet familiar with this artist’s work, then now is as good as any time to get familiar with him.

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TAJ FRANCIS

View Complete Portfolio: http://tajfrancis.tumblr.com/ Follow: @tajfrancis

/// ARTIST Biography A passionately driven individual by nature, Jamaican Visual artist, Taj Francis, was born in 1989 in the parish of St. Andrew. Graduate of the Edna Manley College of Visual Arts, he is currently an independent visual artist, with major focus in illustration, painting, creative direction and street art, and is also a member of two newly found artistic collectives within Jamaica, “Dirty Crayons” and “Urban Lemon Juice.” His work is very illustrative by nature, but may takes on a more fine art, or design approach depending on the purpose. The body of work he produces, are heavily influenced

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by a combination of the global Street Art culture, Jamaican Reggae aesthetic, Poster Art, Japanese Manga, and Traditional Figure Paintings and Pop Art. However, his work continues to evolve and grabs from different influences and genres of art. Social commentary, social awareness, a metaphorical play on culture, and the human experience are subject matters that will often be seen in his body of work. Within this, seems to be the constant representation of duality in some form, whether it is the duality in human nature, or social dualities.

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TAJ FRANCIS

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TAJ FRANCIS

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TAJ FRANCIS

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Leasho johnson

Leasho johnson CREATIVE EXTRAORDINAIRE View Complete Portfolio: http://leashojohnson.tumblr.com Contact: leasho1@gmail.com | 876.282.5333 I don’t brag about my abilities but in case some people don’t understand what a creative person does, hopefully this helps. Think of the earth without trees and only animals. Then think of civilization with only ‘leaders’ or ‘bosses’ or people who claim they are smart with no one to make there vision come

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into reality. I’m not just talking about my ability to draw or sculpt.

Writers, carpenters, welders, programmers (digital material in this case), people with the ability to take dreams, raw materials and turn it into something his fellow man can benefit from.

Who am I? I have true power, some can only pretend to have.

So next time you want to know what a creative does...look at the roof that protects you from the elements, or that nice ride that is in your garage, and even this computer. Yes, it was but a thought in a ‘creatives’ mind.

He/she deserves respect. It was a gift from the ultimate creator, not bought at college.

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House of the Arts is an online community that aims to capture the natural ebbs and flows of the Jamaican artistic culture. This includes regular updates on upcoming events and artist interviews.

We utilize online and social spaces for interaction and involvement in the hope to raise awareness and appreciation for our creative industries and those who fuel them. House of the Arts is a humble non-profit independent brand that will continuously aim to remain committed to the core value of keeping everyone involved and informed.

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Matthew mccarthy

URBAN ARTIST

Matthewmccarthy McCarthy is no stranger to engaging the public with his artwork; while attending Wolmer’s Boys’ School, he was screen-printingT-Shirts and customized Nike-airs in an attempt to make the world “fresh”. His interests began to change, after dropping out of “waiting room” referred to as Sixth Form. Though he had his eyes set on reaching Nirvana atop the highest mountains in Tibet, his next step would see him much closer to home.

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/// ARTIST Biography Matthew McCarthy is a Jamaican-based illustrator and mural painter who has spent the last five years finding a way to combine his obsession with Jamaican street signs, old school dancehall illustrations and global street art movements.

His style and overall message has been influenced by local and global happenings, which fuel his enormous need to formulate satire around interesting topics.

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Since Matthew McCarthy invaded the streets of Kingston with his New Jamaica project earlier this year, the young artist has been the focus of much attention from the art world and beyond. His work has been seen in music videos, and ironically on the Jamaica Observer‘s Page 2, and most recently in his much-acclaimed final year show at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

McCarthy is one of few artists who engage the world outside the gallery and he is invested in art that is made for and speaks from the street.

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lEADERS "ARE" sERVANTS NOT KINGS!

Matthew mccartHy

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Matthew mccarthy

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Matthew mccarthy

Matthew mccartney

URBAN ARTIST MATTHEW MCCARTHY “McCarthy began to question the need for large Multi-national organizations to fund street art project” ARTIST BIO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

In 2009 he began studies at the Edna Manley College, where he was immersed in a world of hidden opportunities that needed “tactical extraction”. To do this McCarthy developed relationships with his lecturers who carried him along on personal projects and exposed him to the inner workings of the Jamaican Art World.

From being an assistant for photographer, Marlon James, to animating cartoons with Yakub Grant for the Dub Poet’s ‘The No-Maddz, McCarthy passed up no project and saw potential in being a Jack of All Trades. It was in 2010 that he painted his first mural along side various other artists -his first taste of large scale artistic collaboration: a Digicel commissioned art mural covering 2000 + sq ft of aluminum zinc walls enclosing a city block construction site of what is now their new Head Office, Downtown Kingston. Digicel

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commissioned artists from six downtown art organizations and they were tasked with putting together creative teams for the job totaling nearly 40 painters, including young students from Edna Manley and Studio 174, self taught community artists, and established veterans in the art world.

This project however had a profound impact on McCarthy, because he realized that though the content of the murals were very much left up to the liberty of the artists, the conditions himself and other artists were left to work under showed him exactly how corporate giants felt about one of the most precious resources Jamaica has; creativity. The pay was barely enough to eat on a daily basis and return the days following.

Walking away sun burnt and poor, McCarthy began to question the need for Large Multinational organizations to fund street art projects.

McCarthy teamed with local artists Randy Richards, Taj Francis, Kaye Levene and Ikem Smith to form the Freshly Squeezed art collective which gave rise to multiple types of projects including music videos and television advertisements. Such videos as Protoje’s “Kingston Be Wise” and Acmatic’s “Silver Nimbus” saw the well oiled machines making their mark as young visionary story teller’s.

Among these projects, McCarthy again came face-to-face with another mural project that would allow more creative freedom and a fresh look on how to speak to the masses. In 2011 St. Mary’s Banana chips Approached the Edna Manly Visual Communications Department to have a

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Matthew mccarthy

team of artists conceptualize and execute a creative and innovative marketing campaign. which was spearheaded by lecturer David Soutar, Designer Kibo Thompson and the companies marketing manager Keina Mattis. McCarthy along with other students were tasked with illustrating various Jamaican activities that would be re-produced on large scale in front of audiences at various events. The project forced McCarthy to take another look at the society around him and draw from the iconic representations of Jamaican wall art, “road side shop” Signage and utility pole sign boards. This was an iconic sight during his childhood growing up on Red Hills Road.

What was more interesting was that these mural were to be done on the companies production boxes that would otherwise become garbage. The project p.30

saw 3 murals painted, one such done at the ‘Marley’ Documentary premiere at Emancipation Park that same year. The process was also carefully documented with the help of student video graphers and eventually displayed in the Olympic Village during the London Olympics.

This project again had an impact as it showed McCarthy the power of a motivated and passionate team can achieve in a very short space of time.

exploration along with the very intimate encounters with various individuals within the society as well as fellow students became known as “New” Jamaica.

This very experimental project involved a considerable amount of gracious donations of confident support and paint, a lot of paint, from many individuals, especially other artists attending The Edna Manly College. The project was chronicled at the College’s Final Year Exhibition eventually leading to being During his final year at The included in The National Gallery’s Edna Manley College, McCarthy New Rootz group exhibition. pooled from the wealth of knowledge he had accumulated McCarthy has again learned generously in the previous years another lesson and treats his art to answer a burning question that as well as himself as a student had plagued him for years. Could of the universe. Changing form these very same Iconic Images constantly and always looking of Jamaican Shop Art as well as for a way to push the cart further Utility pole sign boards be used as towards the grand market of the Jamaica’s very own framework street art explosionwhat he is for a street art Explosion? This hoping for.

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POLITICIAN AH FLOSS TRU DEM DANCE CYA LOCK OFF p.32

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Website: www.houseofthearts.org | Advertise: sales@houseofthearts.org Telephone: 1(876)894-7649 (Jamaica) p.33

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