Brand Jamaica and the Artist
A Reminder: The ever growing conversation about Brand Jamaica and the role of artiste in the creation of this phenomenon has had me investigating our presentation of art in this country, with many disabilities, amidst a growing number of artistes. Could it have been much easier during the age of Louise Bennett-Coverley and her associates who were then interpretting our culture,while also making room for our culture to take the stage on the international market? But now we have so many varitations of our culture, beyond the black and white paradigms and its re-presentations, that Miss Lou struggled with and against; it is no wonder we are having a debate on the type of art we create, the kind of art that we dare put on the stage that Miss Lou carved for us and Bob Marley cleared for us. We are still in dialogue about the art that represents this country, especially since we are still struggling with issues of class while some are still holding on tightly to the...