Carolyn Cooper | Bryan McFarlane, a Maroon at large in the world of art

Born in New Nanny Town in the hills of Portland, Bryan McFarlane is a visual artist whose work manifests a global African identity. The naming of McFarlane’s birthplace reflects the history of colonisation in Jamaica. The original name of the town honoured its founder Nanny or, more accurately, Nana, a fearless leader of the long-sustained Maroon wars of resistance against British domination.

With typical arrogance, colonial administrators renamed New Nanny Town in the 1760s. It became Moore Town or Muretown. The Maroon community was branded with the name of an acting governor, Sir Henry Moore. Born into the planter class in Jamaica, Moore represented the interests of British colonisers. With the support of the formidable Maroons from across the island, Moore crushed the stunning revolt against enslavement led by heroic Chief Takyi.

The Maroons of Moore Town are now stuck with the name of their imperial collaborator. Nana must be rolling in her grave. Perhaps, it’s not too late for these Maroons to reclaim the dignity of their original name. Even more urgently, they and the other Maroon communities who colluded with Henry Moore, need to make reparations, however symbolic, for their betrayal of Chief Takyi and the brave freedom fighters he led.

NEW WORLDS OF POSSIBILITY

Bryan McFarlane exemplifies a new generation of Maroons who claim ancestral origins and, simultaneously, explore new worlds of possibility. From New Nanny Town, McFarlane has travelled the globe. His creative work reflects his journeys of discovery. His artistic vision is a rallying cry for a revolution of the spirit. Like the abeng, McFarlane’s art is an instrument of liberation.

McFarlane’s latest exhibition, “Fragments of Time III,” opened at the Olympia Gallery on February 15. Located in a distinctive building conceived by the brilliant civil engineer A.D. Scott, Olympia is the largest private gallery in Jamaica. For more than two decades, its director, Rosie Thwaites, has sustained A.D. Scott’s unique vision of an apartment building combined with a centre for the arts. The permanent collection of art in the complex is breathtaking. So many other galleries in Jamaica have folded. Rosie Thwaites must be commended for her commitment to keeping the Olympia Gallery open. It has not been easy at all.

The arresting works in McFarlane’s exhibition document the culture of the places where he has set up his mobile studio: Jamaica, of course. Then, there is Senegal, Ghana, China, Turkey, Brazil and more. One of the most moving pieces in the exhibition is “Muslim Women at the Window.” It evokes a sense of longing to escape the limitations imposed on women who are confined in domesticity.

Another striking image is “Ritual Object V,” from the West African series. It suggests the art of divination. Sacred objects are illuminated through what appears to be stained glass windows. Similarly, in “Shrine,” from the Turkish series, McFarlane conjures up a mystical space, lit by candles and lamps. In the depths of the painting there seems to an open door leading to revelation.

CRAFTING STRUCTURE OUT OF CHAOS

I asked McFarlane what the concept “fragments of time” means to him. He gave a rather poetic answer, itself fragmentary: “Pieces of real time scattered in our personal subjective space versus real time/space during what marks very important periods of my life (our lives). Viewing the micro and macro perspectives as life manifests, reflecting and while wanting to deflect with some wrenching.” That wrenching deflection is the constant preoccupation of the artist, crafting structure out of the chaos of everyday life.

McFarlane’s very first solo exhibition was held at the Olympia Gallery in 1976. He was 19 years old. In almost half a century since then, he has exhibited widely across the globe. “Fragments of Time III” is the latest in a series that began with a major solo exhibition in 1988 in Boston. In 2018, “Fragments of Time II” was mounted at the Olympia Gallery. This is what McFarlane told me about the current version of “Fragments”: “Family and ancestry are important in this exhibit but very personalised with a time element that relates to my extended Maroon family.”

On Saturday, April 13 at 11 a.m. there will be a conversation about the exhibition at the Olympia Gallery. Guest panellist will be Dr Martina Tanga, art historian and curatorial research and interpretation associate at the Museum of Fine Art, Boston. The public is invited and admission is free. This not to be missed exhibition will remain open until April 20.

One of the speakers at the launch of McFarlane’s exhibition was Richard Byles, governor of the Bank of Jamaica. In 2022, the Bank published Golden Treasures: A Selection of Bank of Jamaica’s Art Collection. Unbelievably, this spectacular book is not available for purchase by the general public. It is gifted to beneficiaries at the bank’s discretion. On Friday, I called the office of the Governor for an explanation of the policy. I couldn’t get an answer. But I did manage to get a copy of the book which includes a militant essay by Bryan McFarlane, “Thoughts on the Centrality of an Art Collection.”

McFarlane makes this declaration: “Art is needed to lift our nation. It has a role in eliminating poverty. There is no more devastating mental condition than poverty of the soul and spirit. We have survived the Middle Passage through our artistry, whether in music, dance, spoken words or visual arts. These expressive impulses we have harbored in our beautiful bodies, and they have become our gifts to world culture.” Bryan McFarlane’s body of work is, most certainly, a global treasure. The abeng is sounding across the hills of New Nanny Town and far beyond.

Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a teacher of English language and literature and a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.