Richard Mark Rawlins is one of the artists selected for the Jamaica Biennial, from December 6 until March 15 2015.
STATEMENT ON RAWLINS 046: FINDING BLACK
I think the control and presentation of one’s own image is an important concern. How you are perceived shouldn’t be defined by passing “poplitical” references which often make simplistic, stereotypical or racist depictions of blackness. Author W.E.B. Du Bois coined the term “double consciousness” to describe the African American struggle to balance being African and American. I would like to think that I, as a black man from the Caribbean, juggle a triple consciousness of sorts – one construct is framed by being Trinidadian, another by being black with entitlements and class privileges, and another purely based on a populist political conditioning by the media. It is in this triple consciousness balancing act that my work finds its way This isn’t a universal fight or martyrdom affair but rather a personal examination of my own “black programming”. It is, for all intents and purposes, a “Pantone” reference to my years on this planet. It is simply Rawlins 046: Finding Black. Finding Black is a series comprised of roughly fifty mixed media works on canvas created between 2013 to 2014.
STATEMENT ON #didyouhearyourself
Inspired by a recent series of political soundbites, reportage and utterances of a number of Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘alleged’ government representatives the installation by Richard Mark Rawlins titled #didyouhearyourself seeks to present, record, and investigate the notions of accountability, behaviour, disregard and contempt for the populace held by public officials in the course of their duties while in elected office, as well as the role of the media in said reportage. Through a series of thirty five text based works on canvas stained to represent the gutters and pavements of Port of Spain, (a nod to the concept of gutter politics), Rawlins hopes to hold a mirror to the holders of office and present the voting public with food for thought before they cast their ballot in the upcoming election. The content works all culled from the media, press, radio, television, twitter and facebook create a snapshot of one five-week month in the political life of the nation. Each piece is emblazoned with the abbreviation of the days Monday to Sunday, and the media bite representing just one of many of a series of unfortunate and ‘alleged’ comments by the aforementioned government ministers. These ‘bites’ include what should have been a private conversation about the country’s prime minister’s stewardship of the nation, responses and defenses to alleged sexual misconduct charges, sexual natured exposés and denials.
ABOUT RICHARD MARK RAWLINS
RICHARD MARK RAWLINS, is a graphic designer and contemporary artist. He is the publisher of the online magazine Draconian Switch (www.artzpub.com), and collaborator in the Alice Yard contemporary art-space initiative. His most recent exhibition, “STEUPPS” (2013), took place at Medulla Art Gallery, Port of Spain, Trinidad. He has had several solo exhibitions in Trinidad and was a resident artist in Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA (2012). His work has also been exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design, New York (2010) and in Kingston, Jamaica (2012). Rawlins lives and works in Trinidad.
