Barrington Watson.

Roadblock, 1979
Oil on canvas
The Munro Collection
‘Roadblock’ is an oil on canvas painting done by artist Barrington Watson in
1979. Watson is an artist from Jamaica who got most of his artistic knowledge
from different art schools in Europe. Watson was one of the leading artists of
the post-Independence period in Jamaica, whose work represents a turning point
in the development of Jamaica’s cultural and artistic aesthetic and
professionalised the local artistic practice. Along with Eugene Hyde and Karl
Parboosingh, he established the Contemporary Jamaican Artists’ Association
(1964-1974) and was the Director of Studies at the Jamaica School of Art,
introducing the full-time diploma.

His painting shows men and women gathered in a small protest in a rural
setting. In the foreground, there is a group of big rocks (one being carried by
two men), a large red metal object stripping of colour leaning on the rocks, a
group of people standing in the area and two men attending to a yellow metal
object. In the midground and background, there are more people along with
trees on both sides adding to the landscape. There is also a high fire in the
midground being controlled by a woman in a pink dress.

In this painting, the elements of line, form, colour, space, and value are used.
Throughout the painting, a lot of curved lines are used to make up the
landscape. There are also a lot of sharp straight lines used to add more depth to
the clothes worn by the people. The painting also has a lot of organic forms with
smooth textures. Form was added to this painting by using colour and value.
These elements were used to add a three-dimensional effect to different parts of
the painting such as the people and their clothes, the rocks in the foreground and
the large red metal object. The effect was given by darkening the value of
colour used in certain parts of the objects and people to add depth. Space is used
to add a sense of distance between the foreground, midground and background.
In this artwork, overlapping, placement, size, and detail was used to imply that
effect.

Movement can be seen in this artwork through the raging fire in the midground.
It can also be seen by the people, such as: the woman in pink attending to the
fire, the two men carrying the rock in the foreground and the two men attending
to the yellow object. It is also seen by the man with the dreads in the foreground
moving towards the middle and the man in the power stance. Variety is seen
through the colours of the clothing ranging from light to dark and cool to warm.
The intensity and chroma of the colours used in this artwork create a balance
between cool and warm tones. In the painting, the dark colours and tones used
for the skin tones and setting appear balanced against the other areas created
with lighter, brighter colours. Emphasis is seen in the top middle of the painting
as there is a light circle providing a sort of focus point for its audience. Contrast
is provided in the artwork through the light and dark colours, the different
shapes being used and the difference between the smooth and defined textures.
The mood and actions created by the people provide a sense of harmony.
Proportion was used along with space to differentiate the different areas of the
painting and create distance between them. It was also used to create the people
with the right sizes and body proportions.

This painting seems to show a roadblock being formed in the foreground. There
is also the fire in the midground that is brought to the audience’s attention
through the light circle. I find that what the painter decided to depict creates a
mix of a busy but calm mood by the small protest and the elements and
principles used help to add to that effect. The facial expressions and body
languages that are used also depicts the purpose of the different people being in
their set area. The open area and the trees tell me that it is a rural community.

I personally would not change anything in this painting as I believe that all the
elements and principles of art were beautifully used and bring across a
wonderful theme. It is a satisfactory representation of an organized protest in a
small community therefore it is a representational artwork.