IN my last column: CARIFESTA, The festival that awakens regional identity, I spoke briefly about the responsibility of the artist in documenting the history and making statements that represent the people within the society in which they live. I recently visited the art exhibition of the final year graduates of the E.R. Burrowes School of Art where young artist Alyce Cameron’s work spoke volumes. I was especially taken by her major task; six paintings surrounding the theme “Social Issues.” In this column, I’ll be explaining the artist’s messages in two of the paintings from this series: Earth Crisis and Darker than Blue.

The Artist
Alyce Cameron is a Guyanese artist and entrepreneur who is versed in several art expressions including painting, textiles and leather art. Her philosophy is: “I create art pieces not just to look beautiful but to educate, inspire and motivate.” Her theme is everyday life with glimpses of personal experiences. Alyce’s main objective is to leave a visual statement and legacy in the art world.

Of the People
Earth Crisis is an acrylic painting that addresses Guyana’s emerging oil and gas industry. It shows a large barrel of oil at the centre of the canvas with the words “hands-off.” Two strong words but in the Guyanese context has no power. We have the Venezuelan claiming half of the country which the artist skilfully portrays using a hand-painted with the colours of the Venezuelan flag holding a knife on the left of the canvas. The edges of our map are being chipped off as Venezuelans are currently seeking refuge in our country due to their own country’s crisis. Then there are foreign entities whose hands are already in the barrel and would appear to be taking the majority of what is deemed to be ours, leaving us with a meagre five percent that the artist portrays as the smaller barrel of oil in the foreground of the painting. Politics plays an integral part in the painting as the artist chooses to represent the two major political parties of the country in the middle ground of the painting. She decided to use three bold colours in the shape of an arch around the hands to represent the promise. A promise made to Guyanese of a good future for all. A promise we are yet to see bear fruit.

For the People
Alyce recalled that as a young girl she was often faced with cruel comments about her ethnicity. Questions were asked about things that would seem odd to explain, such as her hair texture and her complexion. “Who feels it knows it,” Alyce said. We all have emotions and though sometimes feelings get hurt, we must all seek to find a way to heal ourselves. For Alyce, she turned to paint. Painting gives her a free space to express her feelings and share her innermost thoughts. Thoughts that will evoke one’s emotions, empower you and allows for conversation and interaction. This brings me to the painting entitled: Darker than blue.

This painting speaks to the subject of racism, a situation that is not only present in Guyana but around the world. Darker than a blue is addressed to a particular ethnicity that Alyce sees as being victimised, oppressed and marginalised. “It’s the people that are darker than blue,” she said. In this case, she made it from the first-person point of view whereby the viewer can identify with the subject. The hand is stretched out and cover with African beads. It bids the questions: What’s next? What shall I do? Why am I always being a victim of whatever? Alyce made sure she stuck with the darker tones as an artist often uses blue to darken a colour. This piece was inspired by a song entitled; We People Who Are Darker Than Blue written by Curtis Mayfield. It’s about working together in unity not seeing oneself above the other.

These paintings are truly thought-provoking. So, if you’re a collector of art, art that is not only aesthetically pleasing but one that also addresses social issues these pieces are most definitely worth acquiring. You can contact the artist via her on Facebook and Instagram at Alyce McGarrel, on WhatsApp on 688-6950 or call her on 219-4079.