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A new exhibition puts the focus on the fellas, exploring the various black, male experiences

NOTTINGHAM’S New Art Exchange presents The Meaning of Style; an exhibition that looks at the presence of young African Caribbean men in Britain over the last 40 years. A group exhibition, featuring a number of contributors, one of the artists is Gerard Hanson, who ventured to Jamaica to explore the way Jamaican lifestyle has influenced mainstream culture in the UK. Hanson and the exhibition’s curator David Schischka Thomas, tell us more about the project.

Why did you decide to document Jamaican lifestyles?

Gerard: Being the son of a Jamaican father and British mother, I first visited Jamaica 20 years ago as a young man, and was amazed by the people and their culture. The culture of this wider Diaspora has been a dominant influence on mainstream culture in the UK and my practice as an artist in recent years explores this. The new portraits commissioned by the New Art Exchange continue this exploration, with a focus on the style and fashion of young men within the dancehall and street culture of Jamaica and resulting polemic therein.

How did you create each image?

Gerard: Technically, the images are a combination of a single photograph printed onto canvas to start with, then altered and dressed with paint.

What is the purpose of this exhibition?

David: This exhibition explores young black men and the changing social, political and cultural environment in Britain from the 1970's to today. It also explores the transatlantic world, a term coined by Paul Gilroy, where modern technologies of international travel and communication have created a situation where diaspora cultures have become postcolonial and dynamic. The style, culture and politics of young black British men can only be explored in an international environment, a world 'dancing to the same beat' maybe, but possibly threatened by a global homogonous corporate 'machine'. Hence the work from Gerard, which explores young men from the dancehall culture of Kingston, Jamaica. The purpose of this exhibition to honour the input young black men have given to 'mainstream' culture, but to also question what is lost when one travels along this path.

Why did you focus on black men as opposed to women?

David: I have explored young black men in response to Barack Obama becoming the most powerful man in the world, and the history of demonisation by the media and society of young black men. The exhibition, however, recognises the problem of exploring black men without reference to sisters, mothers, daughters and girlfriends, etc.

Who do you think this exhibition will appeal to?

David: he New Art Exchange is situated in a Nottingham inner city environment with large African and Caribbean communities. The artwork is accessible to these local communities and has uplifting narratives from the 1970's, such as photographs of African Liberation Day marches and demonstrations in Handsworth Park, by documentary photographer Vanley Burke. This work is juxtaposed with painful truths that blight this same area today with photographs depicting the aftermath of gang violence. Young people will be able to relate particularly to the photographs and paintings, with a contemporary and dynamic style, and can celebrate what has been achieved, and what can be achieved in the future.

The Meaning of Style is at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham until April 10. For more information, visit www.thenewartexchange.org.uk

Published: 18 January 2010
Issue: 1406

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