Introduction:
Jo Reed is an artist that has taken up painting and illustrating life in Barbados. Her style of semi realism captures the daily life of Bajans as well as the nature that surrounds them, not being a local of Barbados and capturing the people of the island has given Reed a unique appreciation for life in Barbados. We asked Reed a few questions about her art below and the geography of the spaces she captures.
1) How would you describe your artistic style?
“I would describe my artistic style as being semi realism, narrative based and observational studies. I am really interested in colour, I like to vary the way I paint based on the subject and what I am wanting to convey in a painting, atmosphere and feeling. Sometimes with a strong graphic boldness and others soft and mysterious”.
2) Do you have any major artistic influences for your work?
“My artistic influences are the artists Paul Gauguin, Peter Doig, Casper David Friedrich and Henri Rousseau. I have a strong interest in philosophical and cultural ideas”.
3) How do your paintings represent life in Barbados?
“I think not being from the Caribbean my observation of life here is a unique perspective, I am very much involved in the cultural life, I like to portray the real Barbados, it's a constant learning and exploring of the culture, diving deeper and deeper into the life here. I have ultimate respect for the Caribbean people, as an outsider from another culture there is a tendency to look at things through the lens of your own cultural upbringing and impose those ideals on to the other place. This is something I strive not to do. I love to paint what is the ordinary everyday life here, things that people wouldn't necessarily see or notice who visit as tourists”.
4) Many paintings show the nature of Barbados, what is special about the scenery of Barbados?
“The very obvious beauty of Barbados is of course the incredible blue of the Caribbean sea and its relatively empty beaches. Coral reefs and colorful wooden houses perched on piles of brick.Then of course the tropical flowers and palms around the island. The East Side of the island is incredibly beautiful with its steep rolling hills and lush foliage. I am particularly fond of this I find it visually medicinal the explosive nature of the tropics ,and lush greens. Descending down to the wilder side of the Atlantic ocean, I like the juxtaposition of the old abandoned buildings being engulfed with crazy twists of vines sitting amongst this incredible natural beauty”.
5) What aspect of Barbados culture has stood out to you since being on the island? How does this inspire your art?
“The interaction between human and environment has been a significant interest for me in painting. Here there is a really strong connection with environment, I love to paint people in their element, the solitary figure on a beach in a moment of reflection, or interaction between people. The people I capture in my art have a way of carrying themselves that seems comfortable”.