From left, 'In memory of Nappy II' and 'Lightwatcher 1'.

Anthea McGibbon, Gleaner Writer

Two artists emerged on the Jamaican canvas, exhibiting for the first time, while a new gallery was opened on Constant Spring Road, on Sunday, November 19.

At Oakton House, Hagley Park Road, Stacey-Ann Hyde's first solo exhibition, 'Life outside the real world', was the outworking of the pragmatic support of the Jamaica Cultural Development Centre (JCDC) for the Visual Arts. Further in the cool of St. Andrew, the Creative Framing and Art Gallery was officially opened with 'Duets', the exhibiting works of two artists, Dr. Arlene Rose for the first time and her tutor - the established Owen Beckford.

In discussions with The Sunday Gleaner, JCDC's Sana Rose and Michael Nicholson revealed that from the yearly visual art competition titled 'Studio 7', the most outstanding amateur artist is chosen for scholarship and promotion. Subsequent to copping the Studio Art award in 2005, the JCDC's feting of winner Stacey-Ann Hyde is a model of what can be expected of the centre, according to the representatives.

Stacey-Ann Hyde's exhibition was fully sponsored by the JCDC and the Heart Trust/NTA. The theme, 'Life outside the real world', resulted from a desire to venture outside the real world to gain survival skills to exist in the real world, she describes as "difficult for artists" like herself.

A full-time claims officer at the Kingston Wharves, Hyde says she was not taught necessary "survival skills" at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, where she graduated an honour student in 2003 (diploma in painting).

Sound support

At the opening, there was sound support for the artist in realising her vision - to see artists surviving in the 'real world' - while daring to be different. A vision she shares of the arts in general, being responsible for the procurement of the highly talented Cohesian Band which kept the atmosphere festive.

Hyde was described by guest speaker Denise Hunt as a highly talented artist who was always "quietly curious". However, the 11 pieces were not representational of the calibre of work to be expected of Hyde, and hinted at her lack of composure.

Her works, especially the 'Blue Square' and 'Wall Light' series and 'In memory of Nappy', are enigmatic, minimally relating to their individual themes. 'In memory of Nappy', done in honour of her dog, was controversial, as viewers interpreted the image as any animal but the dog depicted. On the other hand, this clever use of illusion was a common strength of her abstracts.

Hyde's pieces seemed rushed, with thin application of paint, lack of depth in interpretation of the spotted styles, and requiring the assertion of her earlier works at college. Perhaps a gesture of the artist's struggle to find her niche in both the art world and the 'real world'.

The strength of the show overall was the concept as particularly illustrated in 'Light Watchers I and II' and 'Remember the Love'. 'Light Watchers I and II' depict a youngster looking out from the dark into light, a play of Picasso's chiaroscuro effect.

This chiaroscuro effect, however, gave depth to some of the works, especially 'Afterglow', by Dr. Arlene. The show, 'Duets', attracted a comfortable crowd in the one-room gallery.

Beckford is himself an '80s graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, where renowned artists such as George Rodney and Christopher Gonzales tutored him. Evidently, he gained more than a development of his skills there. He takes us back to the early days when the French master Edouard Manet tutored Edgar Degas and Berthe Morisot. He himself is involved in tutoring pupils on the impressionism techniques he has mastered, but unlike Manet, he exhibits with them.

He is not shy with the brush, and explores mixed media such as charcoal, conte crayons, pen and ink, manifesting his fascination with Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn.

3-D appeal

Although Beckford's 'Solomon and Sheba' could summarise the show its objective, theme and execution, his 'Faberge' and 'Gabriel' dominated. In 'Faberge' he applies actual paint tube tips creating an impacting 3-dimensional appeal of the female breast. The paint tube tips and the breast are both symbolic of the 'milk of life' for the artist, who emphasised paint as the 'financial lifeblood' of artists generally. The back glow is alluding to the divine nature and sainthood of the woman, while the egg-shaped drapery enshrouding the figure represents fertility.

His works are focused on women he describes as the 'epitome of beauty', and there is social commentary in at least two of his pieces - 'Rough Life Easy' and 'Dawn'. The 'Rough Life Easy' series deals with Jamaica's working class and Beckford's 14-month exile from his Kingston home is portrayed in a few pieces.

The excellence of his short 'broken' brush strokes falls short of being mirrored in the work of his pupil by a slim margin, and in some instances the works of both artists looked similar at a quick glance. However, Rose's works are more refined with a smoother blend in her strokes, resulting in a lack of lustre and purity of colours seen in Beckford's work. Perhaps Rose's works are representational of what her tutor's work might have been in his earlier years.

Rose's works display promise but provided she develops her own independence in style as has begun in her 'Madonna and Child'. In this piece, the strokes are better applied, resulting in a higher radiance of the colours. There is a woman and a child. There are three flying doves, positioned triangularly, reflecting the liberation of the artist. This work is for the artist the most challenging piece, but truly reflects the beginning of her expression of the learnt technique at its best.

She has done well in demonstrating both the mastery level and teaching skills of Beckford, and in all exhibited works composition is strong. Rose's 'Afterglow' hints of an influence of Rembrandt van Rijn through her tutor in her successful flirtation with light and dark colours. The stark weakness in this piece was the chiselled treatment of the prostrate female.

Beckford captures the character and physical attributes of the woman, while Rose features the moods and lifestyle of the woman, with finesse. Beckford's work is more expressive of emotion and hope than Rose's pensive pieces.

Together, both artists bear out the themes of love, unity, and femininity in their works. Gallery owners, Tom and June Scarlett, were elated by the success of the gallery's first exhibition, which garnered sufficient sales, despite its late start.

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