THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN ART there is nudity and there is pornography.
No intelligent person would classify the statues at Emancipation Park as pornography. The current maelstrom of criticism is nothing more than another sad episode of Jamaicans being overly critical of Jamaicans.
It is another case of: if it is Jamaican it cannot be any good, so let's tear it down. That sort of mentality will destroy us all... it is already destroying us.
If the statues were sculpted by a foreigner, more specifically a "white" foreigner, there would be no end to the torrent of plaudits and commendations that would flow from all the critics. We would hear of how well the artist captured "...the true, enduring, and strong character of the African." Then, the only criticism we would hear would be: "...so why couldn't a Jamaican do that?"
Leave the artwork alone. It is proper and appropriate. And I speak as an African.
The only problem is, they need to correct "...ourselves can free our MIND" to read "...ourselves can free our MINDS".
I am etc.,
KM!,
Charlton Road
Kingston 8
