Gordon Solomon: Cultural custodian

Based on the Brac, where he lives with his wife Alta and their family, Gordon Solomon has his own studio on the Sister Island. He has been a long-time member of the art collective Native Sons, and his mixed-media work features in the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) permanent collection as well as many private collections on-island and overseas. The art captures and celebrates the culture of his beloved homeland.

Gordon tells Catherine MacGillivray about his life and works.

WHAT IS THE ‘SPOTS OF LIGHT’ TECHNIQUE FOR WHICH YOUR ARTWORK IS BEST KNOWN?

It is colourful, and random. My focus is really on capturing ideas, and then using different techniques that will suit the subject. For example, most of my maritime art uses my spots of light technique (e.g. the painting ‘John Samuel Solomon’, NGCI permanent collection).

There are a few portraits I used spots of light to create, but this subject and technique is seen in my other art pieces, like my Caymanian culture artworks. In this particular art form, it is entirely new. I created spots of light because expressionism and impressionism were more appealing, and it was a little freer and not as ridged – like realism – when doing portraits.

WITH NO FORMAL TRAINING, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP AS AN ARTIST?

With no formal training in fine art, I’ve had to rely on what comes naturally. My philosophy is that I learn as I go. I feel that if I were trained, it would be like I was someone else, a mere imitator, but I have been inspired by other artists.

HOW HAVE YOUR ART AND STYLE CHANGED OVER TIME AS YOU HAVE BECOME MORE EXPERIENCED?

I have a variety of styles: Spots of light, Cubist, knife-and-sand, linealism, and drip, are done in oils. Then, there are watercolours, gauche, and acrylics. In the beginning of this interview, I mentioned mixed media, as most of my art goes through a few stages of creation. For a typical 48” x 56” oil-on-canvas, the first stage is to stretch the canvas then prime in colour, pencil sketch, acrylic black over pencil, then Georgian oil paint. So, there are a few layers, which I don’t mind, because this art form takes time.

As of recently, I have begun mixing the styles (for example, ‘Harold Picky Head Boy’, NGCI permanent collection). And, in my 2018 exhibition, ‘Life on the Colony’ series, you can see this mixture of styles throughout. This theme is new to Cayman’s contemporary art scene and “considered a divergence for the artist”.

SINCE YOU MOVED FROM GRAND CAYMAN TO THE BRAC, IN WHAT WAYS HAS THIS CHANGE OF LOCATION IMPACTED YOUR WORK IN TERMS OF SUBJECT MATTER, INSPIRATION AND PRODUCTIVITY?

Now that it has been six years on Cayman Brac, my productivity has increased by having a dedicated place to concentrate on art and music.

My talent also stretched into music and, in 2020, I produced my first album on Cayman Brac “Good Enough to Eat” which features my wife Alta’s poems, and my musical arrangements.

My current subject can be considered part mental health, part identity. The current exhibition (summer, 2022) is entitled ‘Bracish’. I did not grow up with my mother, who was from Spot Bay, Cayman Brac. My siblings and I were raised by our father, who is from Rock Hole, Grand Cayman, so I am identifying myself as ‘Bracish’.

WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR ART CAREER, INCLUDING NOW?

At my core is the story of my people, and how I can best tell it is with visual art. For years, the truth of our forefathers was not readily accessible in educational formats. As a matter of fact, in my high school time I never learned about the art of shipbuilding, thatch-roping or other unique qualities of our people, but I did learn the steps to the quadrille dance in primary school under the leadership of Ms. Marie Martin. So, it is the not-having, that is my muse.

As I grew artistically, our population did as well and, with that, a few Caymanian educators, poets, and artist began to tell their versions of their Cayman stories. This galvanised my imagination as to how can I contribute my talent to this ‘movement’.

ARE THERE ANY OF YOUR WORKS OF PARTICULAR PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU, AND WHY?

Most of the art I create is hard to let go of. The time, energy and inspiration are worth holding onto, but when you let them go, they find a home and others to appreciate and love them. I estimate that I have created at least 200-plus paintings in my more than 20-year career, and there is no place to hold all those.

More of Gordon’s work can be found at gordonsolomon.com.