BULLS EYE
Bulls Eye is a series of large-scale paintings exploring the cultural exchange between Jamaica and the United States. Tracing how music, dance, and visual storytelling have moved between the two cultures over the last hundred years. Drawing on the bold graphics of vintage comic books and the visual language of dancehall culture, I wanted the works to take on the scale and drama of romanticised cinema posters, reframed through a distinctly Jamaican lens.
The work references a short run comic from the 1950's titled Bulls Eye by comic artist team Simon and Kirby, the comic followed the adventures of a western sharp shooter who also went by the name Bulls Eye. I have also always been intrigued by early dub and ska music lyrics and visuals which often reference kung-fu and western movies that were being shown at the time. Inspiration also came from one of my favorite movies, Jamaican cult classic 'The Harder They Come', staring the great Jimmy Cliff, and told the harrowing story of folk hero and gun-slinging outlaw Ivanhoe Rhyging Martin.
Through saturated colour, crisp linework, and layered narrative cues, Bulls Eye interrogates the crosscurrents between two cultures and the shifting authorship of their shared visual mythology.
The Youth, acrylic on paper, 70cm x 50cm
Bang Bang, acrylic on paper, 70cm x 50cm
Tropical Thunder, acrylic on paper, 70cm x 50cm
Bashment Uprising, Acrylic on Cotton Rag, 50cm x 70cm
Badda Den Dem, Acrylic on Cotton Rag, 50cm x 70cm (Sold)
