Art has been the historian of culture and landscape long before we had the camera. Art captures the moment; a story, a scene, a statement, ideas and emotions. In the hands of a skilled artist, landscapes transform into interpretations of a land, a country and a way of life; some with great leaps of imagination and fantasy. These picture stories can be mystic, realistic, conceptual or abstract.

I have observed that many of the most successful artists are not always the best painters. Greatness in art comes from those who tell us more than we can see for ourselves and make us see things differently.

There are many such artists in Barbados, leaving a legacy of vibrant landscapes and a tapestries of culture in a fashion similar to the group of 7 Canadian artists. Alison Chapman Andrews, with her giant leaps and bold interpretations show us how distinctive the island of Barbados is. Along with her are the landscapes of Martina Pile, Ann Dodson and the fanciful people and lifestyles of the island by Terrence Piggot, amongst many others.

This group sees the island in undulations, shapes and colours that are a surreal version of the fact. Like the group of 7, they paint what they see with bold stokes that wake us up to the beauty of the landscape: - sharp contrasts and simple forms pulled out of reality by observation of the simple in the clutter of abundance. These artists separate the trees from the forest to marvel at nature and its perfect form, symmetry and mystic resonance

Closely related are the abstract painters like Jamal Ince who says, “In my work I strive to create a form of cultural memory using what I call visual reasoning. Music, particularly jazz, has always been a major influence on my work for several reasons. The improvisational nature of the music has made it one of America's truly classical art forms born from modest beginnings.”

Abstracts see form and colour in a pure form, like the simple mahogany tree root washed up as driftwood on the shore, its form is pure and meaningful. We may conjure up meaning in the shapes but there may be no need to, form and colour resonate with our senses on their own.

Abstract Artists like Lilian Sten-Nicholson, blend some representational and sometimes mystic qualities into the abstracts, as in “And Still I Rise” where a fraction of a blue figure bends into and comes out of a swirling blue paint of water and waves.

Ras Ishi Butcher puts his abstract and spiritual paintings into perspective: “The process of painting or of an artist creating is an act of magic. It’s a ritual of endowing objects or images with beauty.”

The conceptual artists find form as representation. They include Arlette St.Hill: “As a Caribbean woman of African descent, my work reflects the challenges of the diverse yet rich cultural heritage of my people.”

Wayne Hinds, working with colour pencils and pastels on paper, leave a strong message in his art, like the naked tree in “lodging for many, home to none”. “As humans we are encapsulated by mortality, but as artists we can soar beyond the confinements of this shell, and live infinitely through our work.”

Mythology and spirituality are a popular genres in Barbados art with painters like Jill McIntyre: “My paintings are windows to my soul; I paint to celebrate life. I want my work to express my joy in being alive. I want people to feel happy and uplifted when they see my work.”

There are realists and representational artists too like Darla Trotman, whose paintings seem like a photo except when you look closely and see her distinctive touch, her play with colour and her character.

The people and culture of Barbados, the chattel house and everyday life have been captured by Gill Walker with her unique stick figures, who are surprisingly alive with form and movement. Many others, from Fielding Babb with his images of cane cutters and village life to Virgil Lancelot Broodhagen’s vendors, show the island’s lifestyles in the more vibrant colours of the Caribbean.

Art is always greater than its image, it is a mystery with a legacy no matter what its form...(Jill McIntyre)

By Ian R Clayton for the Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia

Barbados Craft Tours