Artist Leopold Barnes (right) discusses his concept of the sun in his work with (from left), Joshua Higgins, Carolyn Cooper, Ray Jackson (partly hidden in background), and Edna Manley student, Brenton Campbell. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Anthea McGibbon, Gleaner Writer

The number seven is, biblically speaking, God's perfect number. Accordingly, three members of the Jamaica Guild of artists last Sunday invited four friends to complete 'Seven', an exhibition recently opened at that venue. The seven Artists are members Ray Jackson, Rafiki Kariuki, Leopold Barnes; and guests exhibitors are Paul Napier, Everard Powell, Donnette Zacca and Lancelot Fearon.

In his 13 showcased pieces, Leopold Barnes' signature sun is pronounced, reflecting the artist's high importance on God as the 'light of the world'. According to Barnes, the sun is a source of energy and inspiration, and is the most important element in his work. He interprets struggles, which he says are inevitable to all life forms, and texturises the canvas to varying degrees, and with varying designs to emphasise this. In 'Grandma's House' the texture is a whirlwind of strokes.

Eye catchers

The strength of 'Aquatic Animals' lies within the concept of three fish swimming in different directions. At the top, a dual-toned fish moves vertically to bask in the rays of the Barnes' signature sun, which is more prominent here than in any of his other works seeking hope. To the left of this largely yellow fish is a frantic red fish going left horizontally, unsure of the direction he should take, and so he is almost caught. At the bottom is a blue fish moving in the right direction. He is calm as, apparently, he has already been for energy and oxygen.

'House on the Rocks' is another eye-catcher among Barnes' abstracts, which he uses to explore the different moods and reactions in his environment. His mixtures of colour are fantastic, as he blends unique hues not found on an average palette.

Ray Jackson displays his two loves - pastels and oils - with reverence. Equally appealing, the main difference lay in the width of the strokes which in the oils are thicker. You could not get enough colour from his 'Fruitseller', a typical representation of young children selling fruit in the market, as Ray's limitless use of colour is intense.

In 'Music Boy' (oil on canvas), Jackson's treatment of the plaits of the little boy practising the flute in his hometown is interesting his hands are steadied on the flute, the plaits are dancing to the notes the boy plays. Jackson's 'Mother and Child' and 'Empress' are equally strong.

Shying from the typical art expressions, Rafiki Kariuki immersed himself in a 'Reconconstruction Face Lift' series, which would have been more impacting if done at a larger scale. Working in mixed media, the artist uses materials such as gauze, and photographs in his works which explore an increasingly popular ritual cosmetic surgery. Kariuki, who says this particular series was first influenced by pop star Michael Jackson in 2002, now focuses on the number of Jamaicans who have become addicted to concealing their natural beauty.

Photographs of portraits, excepting for the eyes, are torn away or partially covered with medical gauze in simple designs that send a resounding message. However, in one of the pieces where added colour is painted, the emphasis is on bleaching, another addiction for black persons who lack confidence in their God-given beauty.

The work of Lancelot Fearon'sportraits are among the strongest of the works overall in expression. The artist says his subjects are mostly of family and close friends, and evidently, these persons are patients for the artist's timely stroking. The artist says he is influenced by the draftsmanship of Barrington Watson, the movement of Alexander Cooper and the colours of Albert Huie. The combination has resulted in works that are strong in the use of colour and brilliant strokes, as the artist develops his own independent style, that's filled with emotion.

All his pieces are impressive, but particularly arresting is 'Oh So Sweet', of a youngster who is drunk, and depicted with a spliff in his hand with his clothes - a tuxedo suit in disarray. This is one observation the artist makes of an adapted lifestyle by Jamaica's youth the conjured image is somewhat disturbing, there is no denial that Fearon's combination of colour and strokes in his attention to anatomy is powerful. The swerve of the boy's body under command of the bottle of liquor he has just downed is skilfully addressed.

'Issues with Fertility'

Guest photographer, Donnette Zacca, spoke of 'Issues with Fertility' in her black and white photographs of long roads winding away from eggs in the stillness of time.

Addressing the listeners, Wain Iton, former general manager at Jamaica Stock Exchange, discussed the collected works as an embodiment of a lot of hard work. As an art collector for over 20 years, Iton says his mission is taking Jamaica's art to a First World market.

Referring to rivals Christie's and Sotherby's who this week are in gear for garnering U.S. billions of dollars in art auction sales, Iton described art as a 'very big business'. Eventually, his hopes are set on seeing Jamaican art sold for what they are worth - U.S. billions. He made reference to The Gustav Klimt (1907-12) sold at US$135 million, and noted that there are Jamaicans who could sell art for good prices if they are exposed properly. Lancelot Fearon, in his view, is one such artist.

Although he opined that identifying a "body of art as Jamaican" in the English-speaking Caribbean was a monumental task, he appraised the country's infrastructure in art as being way ahead in the region since the 1920s. Highlighting the lack of business sense of many artists, Iton yet encouraged viewers to ensure they seize every opportunity to get what the artists "did not see". To identify Jamaican art that shows integrity and quality, he said, is an additional challenge.

Sharon Fox-Mould, president of the Jamaica Guild, explained that cultivating a business sense among artists is one of the guild's priorities. Artists, she said, are taught on "presentation, marketting and business".

Anthea McGibbon, a graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, has more than 10 years experience in the fields of journalism and the arts. Contact her at islandartattack@yahoo.co.uk or anthea.mcgibbon@gleanerjm.com.