From left, 'Goodhope'; 'Cooling Spring' and 'Deep Meditation' by artist Webster Campberll
Sana Rose, Contributor
AFTER HAVING done exhibits both on Jamaican soil and abroad, Webster Campbell is now staging his seventh solo exhibition at Gallery Pegasus in New Kingston.
Since graduating from the Jamaica School of Art (now the School of Visual Arts at Edna Manley College) in 1984, the artist reports that he has enjoyed good response from the public and is even able to recall previous showings of his work that were sold out.
Campbell's imagery for which he is best known is the sceneries where old houses are the main subjects. The quaint structures are represented with sincerity that creates charming scenes of old time architecture. The painter admits that he is mostly attracted to old buildings as he sees himself as "a historian, recording things of the past." He recalls memories of structures that were homes for many persons and that still can be found.
FAVOURITE SUBJECT
The titles of the paintings in the present show tell us that he has travelled across the island St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, Manchester, Clarendon, St. Ann, St. Mary and St. Catherine in search of his favourite subject. A few portraits (old people and children), two river scenes and still life arrangements of old clay and enamel vessels handed down to him from his grandmother are hung alongside the old house images.
The still lifes in particular embody an intimate storytelling aura of their own that recalls the steadfast fascination of Italian painter Giorgio Morandi with simple objects painted without the colourful flamboyance of Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne or Jamaican artist Albert Huie but infusing the serenity of Frenchman Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin.
The oil and acrylic images are sometimes combined with selective texture that simulates life scenes by utilising a consistent gritty texture that appears to be sand over the entire surface of the canvases. Overall, Campbell uses an almost monochromatic palette a pervasive brown fills the scenes, representing the hues of the clay pots, skin, brick and wood. This palette needed to be enriched with other colours to show the shifting tones on the aged subjects.
The colour temperature changes little in the pictures with regard to the direction and strength of light. In fact, the direction of light is often unclear thereby creating flat or barely three-dimensional forms and ultimately scenes devoid of drama. Atmospheric perspective (the subtle transitions of dark to light tones in keeping with the distance of objects) gives way to linear perspective.
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
In some pieces, however, the architectural elements appear to be toppling over due to the slanting vertical lines (of walls, doorposts etc.) that in effect upset the compositional balance of the pictures. This can be seen in works such as 'Alley Anglican Church Clarendon' and 'House with Tank St. Ann'.
It is obvious that aged people, objects and architecture interest Webster Campbell. In essence, the things of old with their own histories, stories and imperfections.
SKELETON
The architectural works are his strongest and in these, he does make some effort at composing the images well to lead our eyes through the scenes but the 'skeletons' of objects, people and buildings the underlying structure that would help to create sound subjects in the scenes are not thoroughly considered.
The paintings adhere to the representational vein but fall short of completely convincing realistic depictions due to the formal weaknesses of the pieces. Some of the weaknesses include a tentative or absent light source to produce contrasting tones, which would also add drama; as well as unsteady and inconsistent perspective lines and tame colours that do not reflect the richness of skin and aged objects.
As Campbell seeks to honour the beauty of age, the structural elements of his paintings need to be given more priority so that the scenes will pull us in even more than they do now, recalling memories of days and things past.
The exhibition continues until August 9.
