CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Christopher Gonzalez on Jamaginations.Michael Robinson, Gleaner Writer
There is a new kid on the block in the Jamaican art market.
Jamagination is a primarily web-based art dealership specialising in prints. They boast a collection of artist-certified prints that rival the originals even to the discerning eye. The prints are all produced using giclee technology.
Giclee prints are high resolution, high quality reproductions. The inks are pigment-based and lightfast and the resolution so high as to produce smooth colour transitions instead of dots like your desktop printer. The resulting print is printed on canvas or paper, and is of archival quality which will last for decades to come.
easily navigable
Jamagination's website is easily navigable and boasts an interesting cross-section of Jamaican art and artists. From Christopher Gonzales, the painter and sculptor who gave us the critically acclaimed Bob Marley monument, to Nakazzi Hutchinson, arguably one of Edna Manley's more prolific graduates in recent years. The roster, which certainly doesn't stop there, features the likes of Alexander Cooper, George Rodney, Patrick Waldemar and Juliet Thorburn.
The prices on the site are reasonable for the most part, considering the quality of the reproductions, and are actually a good deal on some of Jamaica's more talented artists. Carl Abrahams, the website's featured artist at last visit, also happened to be on special at some attractive prices.
self-described 'art lover'
Founded by self-described 'art lover' Wayne Gallimore, Jamagination made its foray into the international art world this past August at Décor Expo, where they had a booth. A lot of
interest was generated and Gallimore said he made some invaluable contacts. In a business which owes as much to networking as to strategy, Jamagination seems to be starting off on the right foot.
Although the website is a recent venture for Gallimore, he has been a student of the business of art since he purchased his first piece at 18 years old. An established businessman, he thinks an international presence is necessary for the success of this business. And it is.
international competition
Ever since the Internet opened up the global marketplace, it has become imperative for any business, and Jamaican businesses in particular, to be competitive on an international level. For a web-based business, that means your marketing material has to look first-rate and you need to be everywhere. Since a virtual business has no physical location, more has to be done to create and increase web traffic, preferably directed to your site.
For Gallimore and Jamagination, this means hitting all the relevant trade shows, registering the website with search engines like Google and Yahoo!, and generally creating a buzz in the real world, hoping it will all translate into more hits on the web. And more sales. Our artists will certainly benefit from the sales and the exposure.
The target market is the young professional crowd across the diaspora, both locally and overseas. Not a bad shot, given the number of expatriates and the prevalence of dancehall internationally. Gucci released a red, green and gold line last year, and we've all seen Puma. In the few weeks following the release of Jr. Gong's latest effort Welcome to Jamrock, U.S. stores have trouble keeping it on the shelves.
The expatriates alone are a potential market of millions.
Jamaica and all things Jamaican are hot right now, and like the original Gong said, "strike the hammer while the iron is hot." Seems like that's exactly what Jamagination is doing, and it looks like good things are in store for Jamaican art's new kid.
