Back in February, 2014 we issued an open call for advertorial and web interns to join ARC’s team to offer support to our existing editorial and social media team through the end of 2014. Today we feature journalist and contemporary arts blogger Trinidadian, Varala Maraj. Varala was born in 1992 and has been intrigued with the literary arts since childhood. She took a detour from the conventional business studies route she was expected to follow, and instead pursued her passion for writing with a BA Journalism at University of Westminster. During her degree, arts and entertainment became her favourite area of journalism and inspired her to start her own arts and entertainment blog.
To a large extent, her journalistic objective is to showcase Caribbean art, which she feels does not get the respect and appreciation it deserves. She considers joining ARC Magazine to be a natural progression of her objective and hopes to make Caribbean art even more visible to the global community.
Welcome Varala!
Varala Maraj – Greenwich Park, London, UK (May 2013)
ARC: What experiences do you bring to the internship position?
Varala Maraj: Throughout my degree, I devoted most of my time to projects that allowed me to delve into contemporary art critique and get hands on with design work and team management. In the span of three years, I was deputy editor of the student-run ‘Canvas’ magazine for quirky visual arts and production editor for the Culture section of ‘Westminster News Online’. I learned a lot about working within a team and managing a group of contributors against tight deadlines.
I think in a lot of ways, I walk the creatively muddled line between a journalist and marketer- as much as I love to write- I am always thinking of ways to capitalise on creative ideas, without bastardising art and culture in the process. For instance, during my time at Westminster, I developed and pitched my original idea for ‘Artrace’, a social network for artists.
I also previously worked as a media intern for video production company WinkBall and as a contributor and subeditor for The Guestlist Network newspaper and website. My eye for branding and design also encouraged me to become an Adobe Certified Associate for InDesign Web and Print.
And last but certainly not least, I am a Caribbean person. Living in London has exposed me to a culture of people who appreciate art in a way that I do not think many Caribbean people do. So, ironically, my time in London has brought me closer to home, making me keener to promote Caribbean art. In some ways, I feel it is my journalistic duty to promote Caribbean art as a writer- as a Caribbean writer. This makes Caribbean art a very personal thing for me, it is not just something that I like, Caribbean art is something that I feel strongly about.
Varala Maraj – 50th Independence Day outdoor décor project, The Waterfront, Trinidad (August 2012)
ARC: What are your career aims and what makes ARC Magazine a good fit with those plans?
VM: My ideal career would be anything that allows me to be creative- whether it is arts journalism, magazine design, multimedia creation or marketing, or perhaps even an amazing combination of all of the above. But, as a Caribbean writer who feels strongly about promoting Caribbean art, joining the ARC Magazine team feels like a natural progression for me. Also, within an established presence such as ARC, there is room for in-depth analysis, discussion and critique of Caribbean art. I very much anticipate using these more sophisticated elements of arts journalism.
ARC: What are your personal goals for the internship, or put another way, what do you wish to accomplish during your tenure with ARC?
VM: Since ARC’s objectives align so well with my own, we are both working toward the same goal: to give Caribbean art the global exposure it deserves. There are also several things that I hope to build on during my time at ARC, such as, how to develop more curated content and critical writing and how to effectively reach the target audience in a way that leaves them wanting more. I think these are important factors to any art publication in today’s information-overloaded world, and so I am especially excited to be a part of ARC now, as social media is in bloom.
ARC: What’s the contemporary art scene like in London? Do you have a thriving creative community there and how do you conduct outreach with them?
VM: As with most European cities, the people of London have an admirable level of respect for art and culture. As a result, the London art scene in general is understandably huge and has something for everyone. So within London’s contemporary art scene, there are many artists trying to stand out from the herd, which can create its share of controversies, debates and headlines. There is currently an ongoing trend with taxidermy in art -a ‘taxidermy revival’ some are calling it- which is so different from the way that taxidermy was initially used. Modern artists who use taxidermy are pushing the boundaries of the art form, in ways that some may consider morbid. But this is what contemporary art is all about now: pushing the boundaries. For me, this is what makes London’s contemporary art scene so engaging and refreshing.
It is often difficult to reach people in such a big city, but through using email and social media, I have been able to meet and interview artists, who have then gone on to personally invite me to their exhibitions. Social media is such a versatile tool that I can use it to promote artists’ work, while simultaneously building and preserving professional relationships.
Works by Sheena Rose.
ARC: What are a few of the biggest differences you can see between the local art scenes at home and in places you have lived outside of the Caribbean?
VM: In my opinion, the art scene in Trinidad and Tobago exists in tiny social circles. Fortunately, these circles are growing now, thanks to the Internet and social media. Indeed, we have a lot of talented artists, our fair share of galleries which facilitate exhibitions, programming and press which publicise exhibitions. Yet, as a newcomer, I had to actively search for events to attend. Had I not done so, I would have been unaware of their existence. I believe that art events in Trinidad and Tobago are practically invisible to most of the population. This is so different to what I experience in London; almost every train station is plastered with advertisements for art exhibitions and theatre shows. This says something about the culture of London- those ads are visible because advertisers know they can count on Londoners to attend these events and because of its contribution to the economy.
Another difference I noticed is that London has a lot of museums and galleries that operate free admission and are usually packed with students from field trips and visitors in general. Also, when I visited Paris, the queues were longer to enter The Louvre than the Eiffel Tower on some days. You may argue that this is understandable since The Louvre is iconic and known for its masterpieces. But then why do we not treat some of our local art like masterpieces worth queuing for?
I also think in some cases, Caribbean people interact with art in a similar way to fashion. Fashion lines debut in Europe, then make their way to the US, from where Caribbean people import it. Similarly, most art techniques are first experimented with abroad, which pushes foreign art boundaries and later inspires Caribbean people. A major factor influencing this is the fact that the art sector in developed nations is well respected and well stocked, allowing artists to buy whatever materials they want. I think we need more of this in the Caribbean, so that local artists can have more artistic facilities, access to resources, and media to choose from in order to inspire them to experiment and innovate. We have a lot of talented people in the region. Their creativity should not be stifled.
ARC: What are five words that you would use to describe yourself?
VM: Passionate. Creative. Ambitious. Hard-working. Jovial.
ARC: Do you consider yourself an artist? What do you think about some people’s reluctance to call themselves an ‘artist’?
VM: I do not consider myself an artist. I am a writer. But I suppose my interest in design work and advertising means I can be considered a ‘creative’. I am attracted to creative things and creative people. I always have been.
I think people are typically reluctant to do something when they are insecure about it. People’s reluctance to call themselves an ‘artist’ often directly relates to the stereotypes these people associate with artists. If you were raised to believe that being an artist means ‘you don’t have a real job’ or ‘you weren’t smart enough to do anything else’, then the chances are you will be reluctant to label yourself an ‘artist’. It’s a shame that some people still treat art as such- but this is a problem of society at large.
Photography / lighting: Laura Ferreira Studios.
ARC: Through your blogging experience you have been able to see how social media has changed the visibility of Caribbean art. What are your thoughts on the progression of how artists are now using these tools to gain visibility?
VM: Social media has really helped in making Caribbean art more visible. Trinidadian digital artist Laura Ferreira has built her career and earned international commissions just through sharing her work online. I think now, more than ever, social media is especially powerful for artists because it has become so visual. Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram all have a pictorial approach, as opposed to a news-feed format.
But with this new approach comes a new language, filled with hashtags, sarcasm, humour and open participation for things like ‘Throwback Thursday’ and ‘Woman Crush Wednesday’. I think artists and art publications should capitalise on these opportunities. Social media serves as an easily accessible platform for the audience to get to know an artist/art publication. So an artist or art publication can share their original content, in addition to external media they know their audience will appreciate. In doing so, you get to build your brand into a virtual ‘friend’ who gives the audience the kinds of things a good friend gives: advice, relevant information, food for thought and of course, laughter.
ARC: What are some of your concerns for Caribbean art as it moves and evolves?
VM: If by moving, you mean spreading across the diasporas and becoming more globally visible, then I think this can be a positive thing for the artists themselves. In the process, the region can also benefit from some international publicity. However, this press and recognition does not exactly address the lack of respect and appreciation that some Caribbean people have for the Caribbean art community. So while our artists may become more visible abroad, my concern remains with the mentality of our Caribbean people toward the local art community.
As for how Caribbean art is evolving, I must admit that I am quite happy to see so many Caribbean artists doing so many other things than painting coconut trees. Although there is nothing wrong with paintings of local flora and fauna, I do appreciate artists using new, innovative media, which is largely based around my personal interest in contemporary art. Still, there is the risk that Caribbean art can lose its ‘Caribbeanness’ as the popularity of coconut trees declines. Fortunately, there are so many artists who achieve a certain ‘Caribbean aesthetic’ without the coconut trees, artists like Sheena Rose and Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné among many others.
Technology has also acted as a catalyst for the evolution of Caribbean art. The Internet has allowed artists to showcase their work through websites and social media, via which they can develop and promote their brand. E-commerce via online stores has also facilitated a means of importing new and innovative media and art supplies, which has given rise to so many new techniques being used locally. Digital arts have also developed through the advancements in technology. So I think, overall, Caribbean art is undergoing a positive evolution, bringing with it, many new and exciting things. If our art stayed the same forever, then it would be further marginalized and made invisible.
Works by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné.
ARC: What are your feelings on arts journalism and criticism in the Caribbean?
VM: As someone who writes about the arts sector, I understand the importance of finding the right balance between promoting art in a positive light and delivering a sound critique. As an independent blogger, I am generally a positive reviewer, but as I progress within an established publication like ARC, I aim to develop a more critical approach. I think there is a lot of room for more critical writing with regards to Caribbean art. This adds a level of sophistication to writing, which is something I think Caribbean arts journalism is currently lacking. This kind of writing comes from people who are interested in art, and are not just reporting on an art event. Art critique analyses a body of work, or collection, or art movement and does more than describe the art. It delves into the history behind the technique, the artist’s inspiration and compares the work to other art, to set it into context, so the reader can gain a well-rounded perspective of the piece/collection.