Jacqueline Bishop interviews Jamaican artist Garfield Morgan in an exclusive feature for ARC Magazine. Morgan shares his background and training as an artist, his influences and inspiration for his varied practice, and the concepts behind some of his larger projects and exhibitions including ‘The Tarp Project’ – a socially engaged series of works using tarpaulins from the Jamaican marketplace. Read the full interview below:
Garfield Morgan.
Jacqueline Bishop: Garfield, I am delighted to have this chance to talk to you about your work as a visual artist. To begin, can you detail for us how and when you came to realize that you were a visual artist? For many of the Jamaican artists I talk to, this was a realization that occurred in high school; was this also your case? Did you feel supported in the decision to pursue the visual arts?
Garfield Morgan: Thank you for this opportunity Jacqueline and congratulations on all your recent successes. I have been fascinated with visual art throughout my life, but I knew from early that to be an artist was not the vision that my parents had for me. While attending high school, I met Pat Ramsey at the then Mutual Life Gallery who gave me very positive feedback on my work. Despite all that, I was torn between pursuing the visual arts and settling for a more traditional career. Several years later while working at a branch of what was then called the Workers Bank in Downtown Kingston Jamaica, I decided to attend Art School part time. Hope Wheeler, the then Director of Studies at the Edna Manley School for the Visual Arts, saw my portfolio and convinced me that I could have a bright future as a visual artist and encouraged me to attend art school full-time instead, which I did. It was a life changing decision and time has proven that it was one of the best moves I have ever made. At first my parents had misgivings about my decision but they, along with my friends, eventually gave me their full support and encouragement when they realized that I would not be swayed from my conviction.
Garfield Morgan, Cut from the same cloth.
JB: Can you take some time to talk about the training you have received as an artist – the institutions that you attended, the various bodies of work that you produced at these institutions and the media that you create in?
GM: I completed a diploma in Graphic Design at the Edna Manley School for the Visual Arts (EMSVA), which incorporated training in Basic 2D and 3D Design, Photography, Screen Printing, and Advertising Design. For my final year project, I developed the branding and advertising for a church, which up to now is something quite unprecedented in Jamaica. After graduating from EMSVA, I worked in several advertising agencies and eventually set up my own design firm, Graphic Light. I grasped the opportunity to do further studies in the visual arts when I was accepted to pursue a Master’s degree in Painting with a minor in Digital Media at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, Texas. During this period I came under the influence of a great team of professors who exposed me to a “non-objective” approach to art making which helped to liberate me from my very precise, hard-edged, predictable, graphic outcomes. I came to realize that there is much more to being a fine artist than to focus merely on representation and realism. After pursuing a Master’s degree, I went on to complete the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting at the said institution. My thesis exhibition titled, “Personal Archeology” was my way of symbolically exploring my identity and retracing my African ancestry via the use of the Adinkra symbols from West Africa. I employed a somewhat intuitive, non-objective approach, relying heavily on my feelings and instincts rather than on so-called “rational ideas”. I came to value the process involved in my art making much more during this period, as in most instances I hardly knew what the final outcome of the work would look like. I was mostly being led by my gut instincts.
In so far as the mediums I create in are concerned, I am extremely fortunate to have had some very good teachers, mentors and associates throughout my artistic life. I have had integral associations with draftsmen, graphic designers, textile designers, sculptors, photographers, cinematographers, new media and experimental artists and everyone in between. These affiliations have given me somewhat of a fearless approach to making my art and I regularly blur any lines of demarcation between the different genres. I believe that any medium an artist desires to include as part of his/her art, should be included. I am more than willing to do my part in removing any remaining boundaries or limitations as to “what art is” or what can be included or combined in the process of art making. I give my imagination free reign.
Like Marcel Duchamp, I think art should go beyond the retinal and engage people’s minds. Following on that concept, art for me is far more engaging and challenging when the so-called “everyday” or “non-traditional” materials are incorporated in the process. I am a visual artist who will use any means and or materials to initiate dialogue on any and every issue. I challenge myself to lure the viewer into my art by using media that he/she is familiar with, to then have them get new insights and see these materials in different ways.
Work by Garfield Morgan from the Tarp Project.
JB: I find the project that you are currently engaged in – The Tarp Project – very interesting, and it quite frankly raises some interesting questions for me. Firstly, can you take some time to explain and describe for our readers what this project is all about?
GM: In a nutshell the Tarp Project is about the human condition. It involves me negotiating with the vendors on the immediate outskirts of the Coronation Market in Downtown Kingston, Jamaica to acquire their old, worn tarpaulin in exchange for brand new ones or cash. At a very basic level I am exploring the aesthetic potential of the material. I am looking at this tarpaulin that has become a byproduct of our culture. Part of what I am doing is investigating the potency of the material, the sensory, the political, the cultural and the economic. I think about the way objects circulate and I use this material in ways that challenge the audience to think about it in the different ways that it functions in our world, its effect on the environment and how we dispose of our waste. In this engagement I give the tarp a different life, a life in art.
I also use the tarpaulin as a canvas on which I explore various themes. In my most recent exhibition, The Persistence of Memory, I took the viewer on a kind of silhouetted historical journey and created something of a memorial in order to engage in a dialogue. I referenced the silhouetted figurative images from the cross section of the Transatlantic ship that transported Africans as slaves into the Caribbean and the Americas. I presented the images standing upright, which is in itself a victory, demonstrating our survival beyond the middle passage and as harsh as the lives of the vendors are, they continue to overcome, using the tarpaulin as their material of entrepreneurship. I painted targets on the silhouetted images to invite discussions around the idea that people are targets, be it racial, economic or social. The different tarpaulins in the installation were stitched together using bright coloured thread to give a sense of hope.
Work by Garfield Morgan from the Tarp Project.
JB: Of the Tarp Project, you say that it functions as a series of “negotiations with vendors…of the Coronation Market” in Kingston. What exactly do you mean by this? How specifically do you try to get a viewer to see this negotiation? Whose “voice” – yours, that of the vendors, some other combination – would you say becomes heard or is portrayed in these negotiations?
GM: Each piece of worn tarpaulin that I collect from a vendor is the result of a negotiation with that particular vendor in order to arrive at a consensus as to how much and the size of the new tarp or cash that they will settle for in the exchange. In terms of these negotiations, there is none of it that is visible in the final artwork or installation, other than to say that each piece of tarp is the symbol of a negotiation that took place. The dialogue that occurs between the vendors and myself, though not featured in the final outcome, is an important part of the process of constructing the work. For every negotiation there is a personal connection, as the tarp tells the story of the vendor and also of my engagement with him or her. Therefore, embedded in the work are all the exchanges and experiences involved in the process, but in the end it is predominantly my voice. Though the tarp for me is a metaphor for the people, their voices, though enshrined in the tarp, do not scream. It is only upon investigation of the material and in the asking of certain questions that these voices are revealed. The tarp, which carries with it the smell of the market, also affords the viewer another sensorial experience.
JB: Continuing with this project, you have described where the vendors sell their goods as “makeshift, peripatetic…worn and weathered.” For you, the tarpaulins allow you to explore “the aesthetic in the struggle.” Can you take the time to explain what it is that you mean by this, and how the tarp functions to help you engage this aesthetic? Why is this exploration so meaningful for you?
GM: To clarify, it is their shelters that I described as “makeshift, peripatetic…”
A major part of my investigation is looking at the aesthetic potential of everyday materials. I draw much inspiration from the concept of the “readymades” made popular by Marcel Duchamp in the early 20th Century. The worn tarp, though a symbol of the vendors’ struggles and entrepreneurship, has for me evolved into a cultural object, as most Jamaicans can relate to tarp even though their use and or association with it may vary considerably. This “everyday material”, the tarp, which would otherwise end up either in the Caribbean sea or clogging our landfill; I have made into an art object which an audience can now engage in a new and interesting way in a completely different environment. For me, this is an act of alchemy, which underscores the power of art and this particular material.
In thinking about the potency of the tarp, which has become a “by-product” of our culture, it engages in several aspects…the sensorial, the cultural, the economic etc. It asks questions about the environment and waste, and forces us to think about the way objects circulate. The audience is challenged to think about this “everyday” item in completely different ways…aesthetically and otherwise. There is even an element of subversion inherent in the use of this material as based on the rung of society from which the used tarp emerges. It ends up becoming art and is included in a space which was once the preserve of “high art.”
Work by Garfield Morgan from the Tarp Project.
JB: As well, oftentimes you exchange the old and tattered tarp of the vendors for new ones that you supply. You note that this transaction “facilitate[s] an exchange of worlds-of-views and values.” Can you share with us some specific examples of what you mean by this? And how do you understand your role vis a vis the vendors in the market? In other words, am I correct in sensing that you seem to be in a position of power regarding the vendors who are happy to receive the newer tarp?
GM: This market system remains an important part of Jamaica’s cultural history. In my associations with some of these vendors, it goes beyond a mere exchange of either their tarpaulin or their produce, I have actually developed what in my mind are some lifelong friendships. Outside of the market scene, I communicate with some of them and that affords me an insight into their world, which if not for the original tarpaulin negotiation, would probably never have happened. As a result of our association, I am less inclined to be judgmental about them or their circumstances, and I am now more informed as to why they make some of the decisions that they make.
There is power inherent in any transaction and it is no different in the tarpaulin negotiations between the vendors and me. On the surface it might appear that I am in the power position, however that is not necessarily the case. The situation is that I have a need for a product (the worn tarp) that is no longer of any use to these vendors, yet they benefit by getting either a brand new one or cash. I know of no instance where the owner of a worn out tattered product is rewarded with either a new one or cash. Also, in my attempt at any negotiation with them, they are at liberty to refuse any offer I make them. I recall an instance where I bought a piece of tarpaulin from a vendor who bragged to his friend that he had had a very lean day in the market and yet was able to acquire cash from me which far exceeded the sales for his produce up to that point.
For me, all peoples have a shared humanity; regardless of colour, race, creed or social standing, and in that regard we all belong to the same human group. In terms of perceived societal restrictions, I am supposed to occupy a different class position from the vendors. Despite this however, I have developed meaningful relationships with some of these vendors which go beyond any bartering of goods or negotiation for tarpaulin.
Though I am using a material that is representative of a particular social class, I am by no means exoticizing the vendors. Based on the material and where it comes from, it is inevitable that questions will be asked about the experiences of the poor, however my concerns are much broader than that. My reason for using this material has nothing to do with where it comes from but more because of the way it looks…the beautifully weathered, worn exterior. Tarpaulin is a material that almost all Jamaicans can identify with even though everyone will associate with and experience it differently. It just so happens that the tarpaulin that is of interest to me is located in the Coronation Market area and that is specifically because of how it is used and how it deteriorates in that space.
Part of my conceptual interest is to rethink the materials of the everyday, which sit squarely within themes that I have pursued in my previous works. My interest is not entirely to tell the story of the poor; it is partly about asking questions about how the present and the past link together. Though the vendors and I are from different places, our worlds are not so distinctly different based on some of the experiences that my parents had when they travelled to Kingston from St. Elizabeth in search of a better life for the family. Though I did not live their experience, it has instilled in me a social consciousness and an absolute respect and reverence for people who are willing to undertake challenging tasks to improve their lot and that of their families.
Garfield Morgan, Consumer Bird.
JB: I am curious to know some of the artists whose work you pay careful attention to and why? I ask because what you are doing with the Tarp Project seems to fall squarely into what curator and critic Nicolas Bourriaud calls Relational Aesthetics – which pays particular attention to “human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space.” Is there any justification in this reading of your work?
GM: In pursuing The Tarp Project, I took much inspiration from Brazilian artist Jose Bechara, who is mostly known for his “experimental and diverse use of methods and materials.” Jose would purchase the truck coverings from the drivers who travelled the Brazilian countryside and later expose the material to an oxidation process in his studio. For Jose, the used material comes with a story and its imprints are a commentary on its travels in time. I very much like the idea that this used material already has a story and is then combined with other marks and elements, which create new associations and meaning.
For several years now I have admired the work of German artist Anselm Keifer. I like the fact that he uses materials in their natural form and the sense of authenticity it gives his work. I am captivated by his courage to “confront his culture’s dark past” and his use of what has been called “encoded sigils” to process the past.
El Anatsui is an all time favourite of mine. His use of metal bottle caps, flattened and stitched together with copper wire to appear cloth-like is for me simply magical. I sense affinities between his work and mine in terms of the use of the everyday material and exploring its potential. Inherent in his work are investigations of economy, culture, waste, environment and the movement of material and how these connect to human existence. Some of these very themes are at the foundation of my work.
I think that there are elements of my work that partake in aspects of Nicolas Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics. To the degree that Relational Aesthetics, “takes as its subject the entirety of life as it is lived,” then there is definitely an affinity with my work as the tarpaulin that I collect is the product of people’s lived experience. It is not something that is trying to imitate or mimic the vendors’ reality… it is the substance of their reality.
Kyle Chayka has said that even a discussion can constitute a relational aesthetics event, and in that context my work falls squarely into this concept. I come from a tradition of having the audience engage the artist about his/her work in the exhibition space and I am always excited to invite discussions with and feedback from my audience about my work.
Garfield Morgan, To all the people.
JB: With titles of exhibitions like ‘Memories Dreams Reflections’, ‘Primal Echoes’, ‘Bodies of Evidence’ and ‘A Bricolage of Identities’ it is quite clear that identity is important to your work. Can you firstly, take the time to describe the works produced in the various exhibitions, the titles of which I have listed, then tell us how identity is invoked in these works?
GM: These exhibitions have allowed me the additional opportunity to explore different aspects of the identity theme. Memories Dreams Reflections was an exploration in charcoal of random images of people who looked like me and had predominantly black African features. I was deliberate in my choice of subject to execute, as some western media houses, seem to always attach negativity to the image of the black man or woman. My intention was to use a time honored medium to represent blackness in all its grandeur and complexity.
Primal Echoes was my first exhibition after I was introduced to expressive painting and non-objective art making. This exhibition title represents my re-connection with what was for me my true “self”… the part of me that I yearned to be in touch with. The process that I used to inform these works was stripped bare of logic and preconception. I tried to undo years of having people’s opinions influence my art by going within and allowing my feelings and imagination to be in charge and not worry about the visual outcome.
Garfield Morgan, Enmeshed.
The title Bodies of Evidence is double entendre and references instances of mass killings. I used plaster of Paris to cast humanoid figurative images which at once questioned how in the face of bodies of evidence, no one is held accountable when the lives of innocent people are destroyed, especially when the destroyed bodies are in evidence. Plaster was my choice of medium in a symbolic attempt to heal a broken nation.
A Bricolage of Identities explored the idea of the many different cultural and historical influences that inform one’s identity. I again referenced the Adinkra symbols to represent old cultural influences and combined them with visuals of modern advertising and media. I incorporated magazine clippings, acrylic paint, tar and oil to depict urban scrawl, using a semi-intuitive stamping approach which yielded results that were somewhat unique and unpredictable. This diverse and unique blend of media and method is symptomatic of the peoples of this region and the melting pot that is the Caribbean.
Garfield Morgan, Agony & Ecstasy.
JB: After receiving a Master’s degree and a Master of Fine Arts both in painting from the Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, in the United States, you returned to Jamaica to continue your career as a visual artist. Can you give a sense of what the scene is like for young visual artists right now in Jamaica? Where are some of the places you have exhibited?
GM: The traditional gallery space has shrunk over the past years with the closure of especially the Mutual Gallery that had regular exhibitions in which young artists could participate and become known. Places to sell and have discussions about art are also few. Despite these challenges, however, I think that there are still some good opportunities for young artist to make an impact and engage the Jamaican art community. NLS, the New Local Space, located at 190 Mountain View Avenue, has regular open calls inviting artists to submit proposals for residencies or just to rent their heavily subsidized space and have open studios and or exhibitions.
It was while renting the space at NLS that I did rigorous investigation and experimentation on the Tarp Project and I was able to engage, interact with, and get feedback from the wider art community via NLS’ mailing list and affiliations.
In addition to doing good work, artists who want to make a mark will have to be equally diligent and innovative in finding and or creating the space in which he/she wants to exhibit.
I have had exhibitions at the University of Technology (UTECH), The Olympia Gallery, Grosvenor Gallery and most recently at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Arts at the University of the West Indies (Mona) and I was able to sell my art while exhibiting in some of these spaces. In addition, I have had the good fortune of having my work shown at the Beijing Biennale in China. More recently my art was shown in Finland, France, Brazil, Germany and the United States of America. In each of these instances the feedback has been very positive and encouraging, and as a result I have been invited to be part of upcoming exhibitions that will be held in some of these spaces. I am extremely happy to say that though I am currently based in Jamaica, my work speaks to a very wide international audience and stands up to rigorous scrutiny.