Archer The following is a reprint of the article carried last week. It was written by Dr. Petrine Archer-Straw, but was incorrectly attributed to Dr. Jonathan Greenland.
Although sympathetic to popular culture, as an art historian I have been taught to be critical and discriminating. This is not always a good thing because that education can also turn you into an art snob, dismissive of anything that does not follow the respected canon of fine art.
So it was with some skepticism that I attended the opening of the National Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition hosted at the National Gallery in collaboration with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). Established in 1963, the NVAC attracts hundreds of entrants of mixed artistic abilities. For the first time, however, it was on view at the nation's premier institution for fine arts, a political milestone after decades of JCDC attempts to land a decent venueand more specifically, to get 'a foot in' the National Gallery's doors. All this made me apprehensive about what art I might find on display and the standard of the exhibition.
Immediately apparent at the opening was the optimism and excitement that the show's big audience seemed to generate.A mixed crowd packed the lower gallery while hundreds more streamed upstairs, lining the mezzanine and stairways. This was unusual for the National Gallery where art lovers have grown accustomed to the same faces and sometimes even the predictable hybrid art.
As might be expected of a popular competition open to the public with no restriction on age or even artistic skill, this exhibition brought many new visitors to the National Gallery.
They waited impatiently for the security guards to 'fly the gate' so they could look at the inner galleries while hundreds more streamed upstairs, lining the mezzanine and stairways.
Many anxiously flipped through the exhibition's finely illustrated catalogue or stole glances at the photography and works by intuitive artists mounted upstairs.
The catalogue explained that 202 of the 424 entrants whose works were on display won awards ranging from merit certificates to bronze, silver and gold medals. The best real estate, of course, went to Michael Parchment's entries that won medals in all three adult categories. In particular, his gilt sculpture/assemblages depicting biblical themes were complex layered forms bursting with a light and dynamism that anticipated their gold medal status, a remarkable achievement for a self-taught artist.
Work rewards questions
For those who might have questioned why some works had better rewards than others, the judges (reporting separately for both adult and children's sections) explained the challenges in evaluating such varied work and how entrants might improve submissions. Encouragement seemed to be the order of the day and the exhibition reflects a new era of collaboration and even compromise between the sometimes intimidating National Gallery entry rules and the more open-ended JCDC regulations.
With his expert eye, Curator David Boxer did his usual expert job hanging this show, making the most of stronger works by showcasing them, and camouflaging weaker images with careful placement within subtle visual narratives. All the works benefited from simply being in the National Gallery's museum-like space. Careful hanging, lighting with professional labelling and cataloguing afforded them a status that enhanced their inherent qualities.
Given the integrity such expertise brought to their work, and the seriousness and rapt attention of viewers, the artists could only be proud. It's perhaps the same kind of pride found in the early days of Jamaica's Independence when institutions such as the National Gallery were established. Since then, the Gallery has worked hard to establish itself as a prestigious, world-class institution. This very exclusivity and its international museum standards have brought the Gallery grudging respect. Yet, when those standards are viewed as discriminating, maintaining artistic values that are more international than local, the perception will likely be that it has failed to embrace its own.
The 'glasnost' between the Gallery and our JCDC festival friends creates new issues, of course. Some believe this exhibition could compromise principles the Gallery has fought to establish. Art connoisseurs may suggest that broadening access to the National Gallery will concede quality. This situation is not peculiar to our art institutions. The Royal Academy's Summer Show that opens its doors for one season to professionals and amateurs is one of London's most popular exhibits. Most critics, however, say that it is also crass. Such criticism is rooted in a mistrust of what the populace has to offer.
In the case of Jamaican art, that fear has been linked to our poor art education and an ambivalence to our African roots. Tellingly, much of the work NVAC, especially in the painting and youth sections, were far removed from Africa and replete with mundane still-life and nature themes that still reflect an insipid mimicking of European fine art traditions rather than a true expression of our own Caribbean cultural forms.
On the other hand, the photography on display was lively, experimental, innovative and sophisticated, suggesting that academic training is only one route to creative expression.
The lesson here is that discriminatory practices, while often upholding values, can also stifle creativity.
We would do well to harness the energy returned to the National Gallery through this watershed exhibition. It presents opportunities to promote important methods of selection and presentation to a wider audience, and also to learn from, listen to and appreciate one another's perspectives on art. The respect afforded this exhibition by the National Gallery represents a true embracing of ourselves and our own standards without self-discrimination.
Dr. Petrine Archer-Straw is an art historian and curator.
