Errol Brown is an artist living and working in Kingston. His works 'House of Dread', 'Lion on the Rock' and 'Untitled' are currently on view in the exhibition Intuitives III at the National Gallery of Jamaica. Here he discusses his work with Dr. Jonathan Greenland, executive director of the National Gallery of Jamaica.

Mr. Brown, can you tell us about your sculpture, House of Dread?

Greetings. I get that piece of wood off a truck that come in from Bellevue when I was in captivity. That piece of wood named lignum vitae. They did cut down the lignum vitae tree, dem use them mek meat boards.

Where were you in captivity?

I was in prison. I get piece of wood to buy in prison because in prison like this now these brothers now sey if you have money you can survive in prison, but through me is an artist most of my money go to materials. Anyway I get that piece of wood to buy and no man can walk past it - all dem come look pon it and say man just cool ... is a king inside the wood that holds up a whole nation of rasta people - so is called a 'House of Dread'. All dem locks contain a nation of dreadlocks pon it.

So there's a nation contained within the dreadlocks of the king?

You see like that man looking far pon de work - looking far - you see reason why me come out with those type of works - is because a type of meditation, of vibes I find myself in a because through I used to isolate myself and find, push out, take out of the art any time I hear them call out.

You had the piece of wood and you heard the figures in the wood calling out?

Listen this - that piece of wood there - I couldn't just tek it up and work on it so - I just a few days put down and I hear them calling out one by one, one by one. Is the inner man had a connection to the order. Is an iritical feelings bring out those type of work. You see the way I work I don't like imitate a next man a work, I always try to create a piece of work.

Where does the power come from?

Well, you see that power now come through the ancestor vibe ... I couldn't do anything else you know or think of anything else. I am professional in other things but this one is the main one what have me here and there ... you see art inside a person - clean, clean .... can't envious over a next man work and if you're doing a piece of work, and a next man wan know how fi do it you can't hide and do it and him don't see it and him come back and see it finish. I don't work that way; I allow you to come see what I am doing. I preach you to try catch what I am doing so you can master a piece of work - that is my gift.

When I am doing a piece of work I just concentrate on that piece of work. If you see me sit down 3-4 hours and not working, I am still working in my mentality - that is how I work. I am always thinking about work in my mentality. I love art work more than anyt'ing. See the spiritual and my artwork it is one because artwork come out of my spiritual vibes. If I don't have them I cannot get such a special work. And you see when I done that 'House of Dread' you have brethren - dem don't stop come look pon a piece of work - the brethren and brethren come and sey: "Me like how you do it and how dem a sit and how de locks come up and how the face come up ...."

So it was not just for you but for the other inmates?

Yeah.

How long did it take?

Roughly four months.

What tools did you use?

See what I start with is a file. I get a file and beat up the wood, beat up the angles ah wat push up in the piece of wood. I beat up the file and sharpen it. Most times when I was in prison have to use the concrete.

I'm assuming in prison they don't let you have those kind of tools?

Well, I tell you something ... from you in yourself as an inner man - if you don't have respect for yourself, no man going to have respect for you. Well, I is a man like this - as a Rasta from my young days coming up - when I in a captivity I don't try to give myself no unnecessary work, I just see to it an burn my herb and tek my exercise and when the man dem see how I flex and dem ting, because I not trying to gain respect from any of dem I just hold level and through Rastafari I-man can position myself in any situation and feel comfortable. I give thanks when a next life come and a next life come. So I man rest. When yu really check pon de time, how de time a run, can't run the time, you just have to just still and meditate. See, if your future - you a force open a door, it never open, piece must tear off and when piece tear off, that's your future here so, if you lose part of your body or some part of your brain, dem a say you a mad man well I step over those things.

So the people who run the prison they understood because of the type of man that you are?

Well, in the prison I do carving for exhibition in dere - if you fight with your tools and ting dere you have no authority to have any tools so I do not fight with my tool, so I get respect and de man dem allow me my tool. They allow me to work and carry me a next work fi carve. In prison I met another artist, him name 'Lionhead' - a good sculptor - that reason why he get that name - him have a gift fi making animals - any form of animals ... but he don't have the touch - see when I do a piece of work, when it reach a certain stage you just like it, you just like it. My work now, the work I doing at the moment now, I going through that work piece by piece and I create another work in my mentality.

So when you finish a work you are already thinking about the next one?

I will just do a piece of work and meanwhile I doing it I have a next piece I create in my mentality. If animals in that work you can hear them ball out sey they want to come out so see when I done this I just tek up the piece of materials and tek them out.

Why did you first start sculpting?

Well, it's an inborn thing. I tell you. When I realise what I am doing I do a great piece of work because when I was a little youth it is a tradition in the family line, but in the family line I was one of the top artists because when I see them doing work until this day I cannot compare none of the work.

See the conclusion of this article in next week's column: Inspired. Intuitives III is on view at the National Gallery of Jamaica through November 4. Original works by Intuitive artists are available at the National Gallery Shop. Please call us for more details at 922 1561 or email us at natgalja@cwjamaica.com.