Kesi Asher, Staff Reporter 
'Legendary Lyricist' (2005), by David Betton, on display at the National Gallery. - Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
BOB MARLEY looms large at the National Gallery in downtown Kingston. An exhibition of his life and work is currently on display and will continue until November 5. The intention is to pay homage to Bob the internationally acclaimed musical genius in the year that he would have celebrated his 60th birthday.
"We are celebrating the year. Since there are so many things happening on his birthday, we just stretched it out to the year he would've turned 60 if he was alive," explained Dr. Jonathan Greenland, director at the National Gallery.
The organiser and curator of the exhibition is Petrina Dacres, head of art history at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. "We tried to do something to honour Bob Marley. Our exhibit is just one of many things done to honour him. We wanted to do something unique," said Dacres.
Most people are aware of Bob's visual side and the exhibition shows just that. The exhibition is divided into two sections: The introductory section deals with Bob Marley the artiste, the man in concert, while the second part focuses on the man behind the music.
The Robert Marley Foundation lent some items for the exhibition. One, a unique poster of Bob Marley with the signature red, gold and green colours down his face, greets those who enter the corridor leading to the rooms where the exhibition is mounted. In addition, posters and Nigel Scott pictures of Bob in concert are also on loan from the Robert Marley Foundation.
A DVD, Legend, the Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers, also courtesy of the Foundation, shows Bob Marley doing interviews and performing. "When the National Gallery approached us with the concept, we wanted to make it a part of our 60th year. We were happy to work with them, as they are a national icon," said Stephanie Marley, who heads the foundation.
The works of art occupy two large rooms and a narrow corridor. The rooms are smaller than the other areas of the gallery which are open, but they are bigger than average-size rooms.
'BOB A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS'
In the first room of the actual exhibition, a multimedia display entitled 'Bob A Man for All Seasons' plays the instrumental of Sun Is Shining, the music audible through headphones and the visuals shown on a flat-screen monitor. The music is soothing and the melodies are clean and low. "This is not a typical National Gallery exhibition, with music. Usually, it's always silent," said Dr. Greenland.
These interactive pieces add life to the exhibition and an exciting feeling overcomes the viewer. "I heard the music and I started singing and dancing, I love Bob's music and the kids love it," said Marcy, a visitor from overseas who went to the gallery with her children.
No matter the medium, Bob's character comes pouring out on canvas. On display were posters, pictures of previous public monuments of Marley, paintings, rubber armbands, charcoal/pencil drawings, a digital video and a trunk with newspaper clippings. Also on display were drums, wood sculptures, ceramic pottery, textiles, acrylic on canvas, earthenware, oil on hardboard, transfer print on canvas, oil on linen and acrylic on cotton items.
All of them reflected a different side of Bob Marley. "He is like a combination of so many people, Nelson Mandela, Che Guevara and John Lennon, in that he was highly intelligent and was a cultural icon that died so young," said Dr. Greenland.
There is also Rastafarian documentation and early paintings of the belief system's subjects.
The Trench Town Culture Yard assisted in the research stage and Rockers International played a part in gathering album covers.
"The album covers demonstrated how Bob and other musicians affected the Rastafarian and Jamaican culture," added Dacres. The presentation of the album covers (on loan from Tuff Gong studios) depicted the various stages in Bob's life the young angry radical Bob, through to the spiritual icon and on to the thoughtful Marley.
Paintings that stood out were 'Reggae Tree' and 'Time Will Tell', a reflection of harsh social realities, paired with soothing words from Marley's Three Little Birds. Another painting that caught the eye was 'Dem Belly Full', which showed Bob Marley in the centre of pictorial reflections from his songs. 'The Man and His Music' shows the names of his songs in his locks, which could translate to Bob's music being a reflection, hence creation, of his mind. 'Turn Your Lights Down Low' and 'Legendary Lyricist' were also sights to behold.
"The response has been good. People are coming, especially young people, to the gallery who have never been before. I'm excited about that aspect. I think it's going to be a positive thing, to encourage young people to think differently about going into the arts," said Petrina Dacres.
REWARDED
The persons contributing to exhibition at the Gallery will not go without reward. All contemporary artistes were invited to submit works that celebrate Bob Marley, and out of the pieces submitted seven judges chose 31. Stephanie Marley and Mark Weinberger, advertising and creative designer, were among the judges. "I was happy to be a judge. There were things that I could see that the other judges couldn't see in choosing the pictures, being around Daddy for all these years. Also, there were things that the others could see that I couldn't see. It was a complementary group of judges," said Marley.
She continued: "I think the artists did a good job; there were different expressions of this one man. I'm happy there is a good complement of artistic form."
VIEWERS' VOTE
The winners will be chosen by viewers' vote. At the awards ceremony to be held on Sunday, October 30, at 11:00 a.m., the artist with the most votes will win $100,000 and a holiday at a Sandals resort. The second-place artist will win $50,000 and a holiday at Sandals and third place will also win a Sandals holiday and $25,000. "I invite the public to go, view the exhibition and vote and get an appreciation of the man," urged Marley.
"Bob Marley is mediated through the visual media. We know he is all those personas through the images that circulate in photographs, in posters, in album covers, in public monuments, in paintings and sculptures and in television interviews. Visual media enhance our vision of Marley and, it is true, vision and knowledge are often interconnected. The cogency of Marley's musical elegies continues to be an inspiration for us all," said Dacres.
"By presenting contemporary art, representing a variety of different styles and concepts that are inspired by Bob Marley, the exhibition 'Homage to Bob Marley' takes note and honours the interesting dialogue that began in the 1960s and 1970s between music, art and ideology that continues today," she said.
