Artists

McLaren

Born in rural St Thomas, McLaren went as far as the 6th grade in primary school, then left to take up an apprenticeship in coach building. At the turn of the century this would have been a viable profession but with the introduction of the motor car after the 1920's McLaren's skills became redundant. For the next few years he did casual work but then returned to farming on his father's land in St Thomas. His interest in painting developed out of a need to do more and he surprised himself, family and his neighbours with his own talent. In the years to come he would enter fine arts painting and drawing competitions with increasing success, finally coming to the attention of the Institute of Jamaica and the National Gallery of Jamaica who encouraged him to exhibit.

Unlike so many of Jamaica's self taught artists, McLaren is more of a folk painter than a visionary. His work is not guided by any need to communicate spiritual or mystical belief, instead he is interested in the simple depiction of everyday life. Here, the term 'naive' or 'haptic' might be an apt nomenclature for his talents. Subject matter is rendered in almost childlike simplicity, but the thinking behind each work is far from immature. Often the messages within his works are simple affirmations such as 'Life is what one makes of it', the statement that underlines his favorite of many self portraits.

As an alternative to formal training, McLaren developed his own techniques for resolving compositional problems of colour, form and distance in his work. Dark outlines are used to distinguish one form from another, colour is often applied straight from the tube, and although perspective is employed, compositional relationships are rarely accurate. But none of this matters in the face of McLaren's objective, which is to render what he sees in detail. And, as if to compensate the viewer, McLaren fills his work with minutae that is both an aid to understanding and also entertaining. In this way, his works take on an important documentary quality showing us aspects of life in a Jamaica that have changed significantly. The Jamaica, that McLaren depicts is sealed in time and harks back to an era when downtown was orderly (Parade Square, 1970), when gentlemen and women waltzed in each others arms, and when black people only attended their balls as musicians and waiters (Dancing in the Ballroom, 1978).

Moody

Born in Kingston to a well-to-do family, Moody left Jamaica at aged 23, initially to pursue a career in dentistry. This was not necessarily his first choice, he was already widely read in Chinese and Indian metaphysics and showed an aptitude for the arts. While still a student he visited the British Museum and was so affected by the Egyptian and Asian collections there that he taught himself to carve. By the time he had completed his dental studies in 1930, he had also become a proficient artist creating significant works such as Wohin (1934; Sacramento, CA, Adolf Loeb priv. co.), and Johanaan (1935; London, Tate). These gigantic heads are archaised forms that pay homage to Eastern philosophy rather than Greek classicism. They communicated an idealised and universal understanding of man's origins that went against the grain of fascist tendencies already apparent in prewar Europe. The success of these pieces and his first exhibition in Europe encouraged Moody to move to Paris where he stayed until the outbreak of the war when he was forced to flee the German occupation. After a hazardous journey across the Pyranees into Spain, he made it back to London in 1941 stricken with pleuracy that would plague him for the rest of his life.

Moody's wartime experiences and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima would have a lasting effect on his work as he explored the frailty of mankind and man's need for spiritual development. His postwar figures such as Three Heads (wood, 1946), although retaining their characteristic stillness also reflected his loss of innocence and concern for the fate of modern man.

Moody's ability to select and work with wood, releasing the movement and tensions of their grain have meant that his large heads have aged with dignity cracking and fracturing in ways that give even greater appeal, profundity and vulnerability as they mature. Moody's sentiments towards the Caribbean appear more positive. In 1964 he was commissioned to create a sculpture for the University of The West Indies. His metal sculpture Savacou (cast aluminium, h. 2.13 m) is a symbolic bird that harks back to Taino traditions intended to create pride in the Caribbean tradition and hope for New World civilization.

Moody died in England in 1985, but his sculpture and contribution to the arts in that country has gained greater visibility, championed by his niece Cynthia. His work can now be found in important collections such as the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate, London as well as the National Gallery of Jamaica.

Osmond Watson

Born in Kingston, Osmond Watson was a graduate of one of the first teaching programmes created by Edna Manley at the Jamaica School of Art and Crafts. In 1961, disappointed at the failure of plans for a West Indian Federation, he decided to travel to England with the intention of furthering his studies. He registered at St Martina's School of Art, London, but spent much of his time teaching himself through visits to view the African masks at the British Museum and works of the modern masters at the Tate. After a brief stint in Paris he returned to London and remained there until 1965. Back in Jamaica, he began teaching at the Jamaica School of Art where his students included Kofi Kayiga. He also began exhibiting regularly in single person and group exhibitions including the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1971, Ten Jamaican Sculptors, Commonwealth Institute, London 1975 and the SITES: Jamaican Art 1922-1982 exhibition in Washingston USA.

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