Milton George (1939-2008), was a master of story-telling through his art. The satirical quality of his work is lauded profusely, as is his rich use of colour and distinctive brush strokes. Born in Manchester, he lived in Kingston for most of his life. He attended part time classes at the Jamaica School of Art and Craft, now the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. But he is still regarded as a self-taught artist. He had a brief flirtation with minimalist expressionism in the 1980s.
The late David Boxer, curator emeritus of the National Gallery, described him as ‘a born painter.’ George’s expressionist work was largely autobiographical, although he touched on socio-political topics sometimes. He won the Silver Musgrave Medal in 1987 and a gold medal at the 1994 Santo Domingo Biennial. His masterwork, Opening Night (1978), is on permanent display at the National Gallery. His daughter, Beverly Oliver, is also an acclaimed artist.