Book and Art Review…The Artistry of Carol Crichton

Apr 21, 2019 Book Review…

Carol Crichton’s ‘Looking for the Perfect Frame’

Interviewer: Glenville Ashby, PhD

“You immerse yourself, and as you gain confidence at each level, you go deeper. It (art and life) is a journey, and like reading a book, you hope that when you get to the last page you will have discovered ‘who did it’ and why.”- Carol Crichton, Artist

Glenville Ashby (GA): Tell us about a little about you and your work.
Carol Crichton (CC): I am a Jamaican artist, wife, mother, grandmother. I completed art education at the School Of Visual Arts, New York. In earliest memories I always felt entranced by the art-making process. My work is an exploration of being, of finding echoes in the natural laws of earth, really, the universe.
GA: Some argue that art is more relevant today than any time before. Do you agree and why?
CC: Art has always been vital. Today, eternal truths are disregarded even more than before.
So the need for art is greater. Maybe art should be more integrated in our daily lives and less rarefied. The artist, Nari Ward, uses non-art materials, shopping carts, shoe laces, etc. Perhaps this approach could be a gateway for a greater awareness.
The great thing about being an artist is the way you create keeps you growing. As the work develops your mind opens. In 1963 I was twenty, in 2019, seventy-five. What a span. Truth and beauty change outwardly but the centre always remains.
GA: What defines an artist?
CC: A curious mind. A quick, original eye. Empathy and the willingness to see through the surface.
GA: Who were some of your biggest influences?
Eugene Hyde is a Jamaican artist that influenced me. In the sixties, Hyde brought new vigour to the Jamaican scene with abstraction but based on the imperatives of Jamaican people. It was a more rooted form of Jamaican expression. Other influences were Mexican Freda Kahlo, earlier American Pop artists, Warhol, abstractionists Elaine de Kooning and Basquiat. Today, I am moved by Jenny Saville of Britain and Mark Bradford and Ellen Gallagher of the US.
And I must add that I hold a special place for Wolmer’s High School in Jamaica where I was taught the bedrock of my practice.
GA: What is distinctive and unique about Caribbean art?
We’ve been trying to create a ‘Jamaican or Caribbean Art’ in the manner we view Caribbean music, food, literature, speech as distinctive. But it has been elusive till now. Many Caribbean artists are making great strides internationally. They are distilling the flavour and piquancy of our shared experiences in very sophisticated ways and have had their work shown in major museums and galleries. I have to remember Guyana is not an island but part of South American Continent.
GA: Can we easily distinguish between art in one Caribbean island and that of another (island)?
CC: Haiti and Cuba have a distinctive ethos. High on quality and content.

GA: How effective is the artist as a catalyst for social change?
CC: Art in all forms is a great catalyst. Post-colonial West Indies very much needs art to navigate identity and find unity and coherence. Our music, literature and sports have been vibrant and inspirational.

GA: What are some of your favourite and most celebrated pierces?
CC: “Looking for The Perfect Frame,” a work that deals with our individual search for identity, and “Roll Call,” that is a tribute to our ancestors.

GA: When is your next exhibit scheduled?
CC: Hopefully a small show at end of this year. My last show was in 2016.

GA: A word of advice for the young artist?
CC: Be true. Work as your heart tells you. You have to walk a fine line between income and your passion. If the two don’t always meet find a way to work in the two zones. Moreover, respect your craft.

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