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fro-Caribbean art can be called modern because, aside from the work of
itinerant artists, there is sparse evidence of such work in any of the
islands prior to the 20th century. With the exception of Haiti, the
schizophrenic nature of colonial societies meant that art was created by
European expatriates concerned with
 ©RGS exhibiting in the mainstream centres of their mother countries. Images from Johnston's archive, however provide important visual evidence of creative activity amongst the local population. |
 ©RGS The display of yabbas in Negro Pottery, Barbados also shows the retention of African influences in this artform.The array of clay items show a facility for pot-making that retained despite the experience of slavery. In A Jamaican Negro , the artisan who displays his skilled fan painting suggests a form of creativity developed to meet the needs of a tourist market. The production of souvenir items like the fan shown here still provides a living and has flourished into a viable craft industry. |
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he discovery of Johnston's archive has provided visual documentation about a period in the Caribbean's history which this far has been scant. One of its most compelling features is Johnston's capturing of every day scenes
that document normal life in the Caribbean at the turn of the
century. Along with portraiture, we are offered stunning landscapes,
bustling market scenes, sparsely populated country roads; genre
photography that gives a sense of people living close to the land. The
photographer's interests allow us to view their lifestyle in period detail.
They are bold, assertive images that speak about post emancipation
settlement, industry, cameraderie, resistance and independence. The images
present an alternative to the social historians' view that this era was one
of planter dissillusionment and peasantry resentments. They show people
coping, hustling and challenging the system for their economic viability.
