Photos by Anthea McGibbon
LEFT: 'Almost Alienated 1. RIGHT: Superb Self-Search.

Anthea McGibbon, Gleaner Writer

When you live in Jamaica you learn to 'tun yuh han mek fashion' Jamaican-style, as two artists demonstrated with exceptional skill last week.

At The Devonshire, Jamaicans were invited to end their search for fantastic furniture, while at the Mutual Life Gallery, Nosbourne Lee literally justified the cause of piling junk metal.

Diverse by design, the show at The Devonshire was a lustrous example of mixing the arts - unique furniture by Natalie Black, complemented by the paintings of Andrene Lord and sculptures by Melina Brown combined comfortably as a marketable living room suite.

From buildings to furniture

Having migrated from England to Jamaica, Black turns her designing eye from buildings to furniture. A necessity to find furniture fitting to her palette spurred her into a career of designing furniture and, for purposes of filling up her large townhouse apartment, she fashions local material, usually taken for granted. Along with a few imported materials she fashions bamboo, guango, straw, leather, reeds, local Spanish elm and poplar wood to contemporary works and accessories.

At the opening not all the pieces were well received as impacting, even among the "aaahs" of the friends who experienced the comfort at first sitting. With the exception of three main pieces, the 'Bamboo Ring Side' cabinet among the more popular, the creative element was more worked out in the smaller objects and accessories, such as the lamps, vases, wall hangings. In the other pieces, there was hardly any overall applied creativity, apart from the fact that supporting limbs, such as the arm and legs of the varied chairs and tables, were made from bamboo or other material of Black's choice. Additionally, in one or two instances the laborious layering and splicing of the bamboo drew some focus.

Notwithstanding, through her company, Enbee Designs, Black properly emphasises well the laid-back nature of Jamaicans, processing the elegance of simplicity in her creative use of natural material. The show is a good pointer to her future explorations after she has recorded what her Jamaican counterparts within this field have done.

Discarded material

Challenging conventional ways of thinking businessmen who buy and sell scrap metal, Nosbourne Lee joined the rat race of collecting discarded material with a different purpose in mind. Since 2000 Lee, who possesses a "fecund imagination", has been fashioning metal into impressive works of art.

His show, which opened at the Mutual Gallery, according to guest speaker, Lt. Col. Lincoln Gordon, a noted attorney-at-law, challenges the orthodoxy of recycling found and discarded material. Gordon, a board member of the Mutual Gallery, is himself committed to the progress of young Jamaicans, and the advancement of Jamaica as a nation. In applauding the ingenious efforts of Lee, especially the usage of farming tools in 'Reapers Relics', he made notes of the artist's traverse through history and provision of an African linkage example in 'Ashant Annacy II?' and 'Gone Global at Finger Tip'. 'Reapers Relics' was a personal favourite of businessman Winston Donald.

Describing the works as "very creative, inspiring and unique", Donald thought the 'Reapers Relics' presented a proletarian element to the show.

Reflecting different cultures, this piece is an extended use of commonly used farming tools. The assemblage included a sickle, mostly used in European society; a rake, mostly seen in North American films; a typical cutlass used by average Jamaicans. For balance in design the sickle's tip is extended by a ratchet knife, and the piece combines into a new aesthetic tool telling tales of varied cultures and history.

Lee is not unique in his transformation of discarded material, as he is in line with renowned artist Jim Shores, who creates assemblages environmental art from discarded objects.

However, as a Jamaican, Lee's creations from junk, junk, junk and more junk is dynamic, as he uses anything from bolts, padlocks, cutlass, mufflers, spanners, springs, chains to a JPS metre box in his assemblages.

Final outcome

There is no guess at what the final outcome is and what the artist might have wanted to create, as the finished images are identifiable from a 'Real Rover', 'Two To The Task', to the two 'Almost Alienated' figures. So remarkable that we are forced to forgive the sometimes clumsy joining.

Especially given that he is not a trained welder and has only just begun working with metal in 2000.

Extending his mind with diligence, the placement of each used item is purposeful, but one drawback is in the instances of applied paint which reduces the impact then. However, the application of black paint works to create new dimension in 'Tall Lengthened Torso', some may argue, and further where paint was beforehand applied it was best left, as in the rhythmic 'Almost Alienated 11' and 'Superb Self-Search'.

The prolific artist, who those who know him say is "always encouraging everybody to do art", has risen above the call to be an average artist as seen in 'Breastplate of the Bold'.

Among Lee's strong warning against a "crab culture" are 'Fish Feed' and 'Tidal Turbulence', where he strives to portray his commitment to empowering those around him. In 'Fish Feed', each fish is being eaten by the next, which is larger in succession. You understand in the chain of events, as with normative human behaviour, that there are still larger fish, even a shark, which will eventually move in for a feast.

The viewers, in particular Jamaicans, are therefore alerted to the necessity of survival skills and assertion of themselves. In other pieces, such as 'Storm Stiller' and 'Flame of Freedoms' Lee strengthens his social commentary and encourages Jamaicans to take advantage of how we have 'Gone Global' with technology at our fingertips.

In addition to his metal assemblages he delves into other areas of art, such as painting and ceramics and teaching with passion. At the opening a few of his students and friends from Central Village were present to confirm this.

They may not be well-informed experts on the arts, but the ardent supporters say that Lee, who is more than good in anything he touches, continually motivates them. Interestingly enough, Lee learnt welding from watching schoolmates in high school days, but is precise in his handiwork, with a few hiccups. Only for one piece, 'Tall Lengthened Torso', was assistance employed, and only due to a temporary mishap in one eye.

'Self-Study Assemblage' is a true reflection of the artist who, dressed in a shiny dark grey silk shirt for the opening, fitted in with the displayed works. Of particular note is that in this piece the padlock used is positioned to be falling away from behind the figurative image, expressing a move to freedom and progress.

Two of his painting students claim to be influenced in all they do by Lee, who himself did art education as his major at Mico Training College (now Mico University College). Lee's thirst for knowledge is still being addressed at the Edna Manley College, where he is a part-time student, and there is little wonder what lies ahead, judging from his application to junk.

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