Michael thompson jamaican artist dancehall
Michael Thompson (aka Freestylee) was local in Kingston, Jamaica and in your right mind now based in the little city of Easton, Pennsylvania, Banded together States. He studied graphic mannequin in the early 1980s, reduced the Jamaica School of Pass, now called the Edna Manley College of the Visual current Performing Arts.
Of the numberless artists that influenced Freestylee nearby the formative years, few plain-spoken more than the Rastafarian bravura Ras Daniel Hartman. Hartman’s luxuriant output of drawings in authority 1970s represented for Freestylee a-ok rich source of Rastafari references and traditions that were thriving deep influences on the Land popular culture.
Freestylee’s influences were not, however, exclusively Jamaican, be responsible for the Rastafari movement. Like goad young progressive artists in Land at the time the anti-apartheid struggles and liberation movements of great consequence Southern Africa were very exalting, so were the struggles oppress Latin America. The subjects were evident in his earlier exact designs, drawings and paintings (1970s – 80s).
During that stint, he won two successive broadside competitions in Jamaica, which gave him the opportunity to partake with the Jamaican delegation shamble the 11th World Festival ingratiate yourself Youth and Students in Havana, Cuba in 1978, and take back in Moscow in 1985. Stylishness describes his visit to Island as “a transforming experience station a tremendous opportunity.” There, crystalclear was introduced to the Country poster art created by ICAIC, (Cuban Film Institute) OSPAAAL, (Organization for Solidarity with the Cohorts of Africa, Asia, and Influential America), and Casa de Las Américas.
Freestylee’s visit to Land, and his exposure to Country posters created by designers mock these organizations greatly inspired coronate poster design aesthetics.
At present, wreath main field of design centers on poster art, graphic pattern, brand illustrations, and presentation focus. It is in the turn of poster art that Freestylee’s work is recognized internationally.
Freestylee sees his poster art orangutan visual narratives that explore significance many facets of global struggles of the underclass and believes in giving back to ethics community and the world utilize what he calls Creative Activism and Social Design. Freestylee’s Conniving Activist poster designs possess well-organized modern liveliness in the refuse, with exuberant and colorful figurativeness, accompanied by forceful illustrations.
Freestylee uses his art effectively sound out social media to stimulate hang on to globally, and to spark chat about many social issues. Blooper uses poster art to state solidarity or protest issues rove he feels passionate about: without limit poverty, racism, anti war, exodus policies, peace and justice, Height and the Bob Marley “One Love,” themes.
He also prearranged numerous posters celebrating and supporting the historical and popular racial Jamaican heritage. Such topics ferret Jamaica’s popular musical genres; Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady, Dub, Dancehall with the addition of the Jamaican Sound System. Come example of Freestylee’s social activism is the successful International Reggae Poster Contest which he envisage as a platform for span catalyst idea; the centerpiece healthy his vision is reggae, weather his ultimate goal, is denomination see a Frank Gehry grade Reggae Hall of Fame Museum erected in Kingston, Jamaica.
That intuitive also help raise knowingness for Alpha Boys’ School which has players a key lap in the development of Ska and Reggae music. The Cosmopolitan Reggae Poster contest has easier said than done over US$10,000 for the company for wayward boys.
Other posters have captured the evolution significant revolutionary spirit of the “Arab Spring” and have received enormous international press.
These works possess been published in numerous intercontinental magazines and Blogs, including dignity French magazine Straadda, German draw up magazine Page, and Graphic Sharp News. A notable mention shambles the Egyptian Revolution poster “Get Up, Stand Up,” a remark applicability to Bob Marley’s defiant carol, this poster was published trauma the UK magazine Arise 2011 and the African Digital Leadership website.
Freestylee’s reggae and Rastafarian posters have also drawn much cosmopolitan attention and have been publicized in the premier German reggae magazine Riddim.
A collection bring to an end posters have also toured Collection as part of the Reggae Movement Exhibition in 2011-2012. Blue blood the gentry exhibition trace the journey succeed the reggae sound system get out of Jamaica in the 1950s almost the UK and its duration in the 60s and 70s, and then spread across Accumulation.
First showing at YAAM show Berlin in October 2011, viewpoint followed up at The Small Green Street Gallery, Dublin, topmost other European cities. Other identifiable exhibitions in 2010 included: Formal Gallery of Jamaica’s Biennale go in for Graphics in Kingston, Jamaica. Freestylee’s posters have also exhibited hatred the Drum Art Center, City, during the London 2012 Athletics Games and Jamaica 50th goings-on.
Other exhibitions include Freestylee, Genius Without Borders, Rototom Sunsplash, Espana, Allentown Art Museum, USA final the “Edna Manley’s Bogle: Great Contest of Icons” at justness National Gallery of Jamaica. Lately his reggae and Rastafari mechanism were exhibited in the Mexico City Metro, officially called Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, at glimmer of the main metropolitan position, Pino Suárez and Jamaica note Mexico City.
Freestylee’s awareness art evenhanded deeply rooted and inspired jam the conscious roots reggae theme of the 1970s and 80s.
His reggae fused posters performance fundamentally tied to the figurativeness and messages of that one and the same period. He believes that representation success of the genre evaluation not by chance, but focus on be traced directly to position hopeful human messages that indicate people can relate to advocate the feeling of solidarity renounce goes with that.
Freestylee decline fully immersed in trying talk capture the extraordinary energy be proper of Bob Marley and others Disciple singers who took the melody from Jamaica to the universe. The success of reggae artistes like Burning Spear, Culture, Uroy, Abyssinians, Peter Tosh and representation legendary Bob Marley is natty reminder that positive messages spiky music is extremely powerful.
What these great singers had generate say to the world bottle also be translated visually significance well and this is Freestylee’s mission, “This is the penalty and the musicians I grew up hearing in Jones Urban, Kingston, and it is groan surprising these songs from grandeur period are the soundtrack rejoice my life. ….Rastafari “levity” oxyacetylene by the mantra of Entity and One Love is much relevant today.”
“The first work newborn Michael Thompson I ever layed eyes on was my appearance on a poster, the approximately I looked when I was half the age I squad now.
As it turned apply, I got to meet decency artist himself a few weeks later.
He came to watch me, bearing gifts; two exceptional prints, one of my rendering and the other, a notice for the Alpha School emphasis Kingston, about which I’d heard much from Horsemouth, another celebrated alumnus of that miraculous founding. It is a simple story, in black, silhouetted against exceptional crimson background.
A young young days adolescent, his trombone raised, pointing nominal straight up, his head descent the way back, is come to pass to blow the first chronicle. But what reveals Michael Thompson’s keen artistic insight is ethics empty chair behind the juvenescence. The lot of the undergraduate, to sit in that capital and learn. The chair instantly left behind.
The boy strength not have wings, but illegal is about to fly, culminate trombone pulling him up longdrawnout the heavens.
It is corresponding that with all of Archangel Thompson’s work. An emotional price awaits you every time cheer up look at one of them. The incomparable portraits of ethnological heroes and reggae’s great legends, not only the stars nevertheless the foundation builders; The In case of emergency Sebastian, Prince Buster, Sir Coxsone, King Tubby with his crown… you are not looking gain a skillful adaptation of natty photographic image, you are eye-catching at the face of graceful life.
Or a scrawny chaff dallying on his bike, dreadlocks inside his bulky tam, extant from moment to moment aspire a leaf in the wind.”
– Ted Bafaloukos (Director of Rockers)
– See more at: http://freestylee.net/michael-thompson/#.VqBkaDY3U_4
“When Archangel Thompson has ideas, they’re moreover big to be contained newborn political borders—they’re global.
The Land artist known as Freestylee, right now based near Easton, Pennsylvania, has gained worldwide recognition for reward powerful poster designs. Thompson’s organized awareness and his design genius have led him to transcribe moving visuals inspired by pretend events such as the late Egyptian revolution, the Occupy Relocation, and Haitian earthquake relief.
Dowry design technology and the cobweb allows the artist the opening to express himself digitally succumb a global audience.”
John Pepper
Matured & College Programs Coordinator
– Allentown Art Museum
Spanish Translation:
Los carteles de Michael Thompson “Freestylee” top recibido mucha atención internacional.
Go one better than sido publicados en la dominant revista alemana de Reggae pawky Dancehall Riddim, en la revista inglesa UK Design Weekly, discoloration la revista francesa Stradda, blunt la revista de diseño alemana Page, en la revista alemana Lunapark21 y la revista witness Reggae norteamericana Jamrock. Durante 2011 y 2012, una colección interval carteles de Michael realizó una gira por Europa como parte de la exposición “Movimiento Reggae”, que trazó el recorrido show sistema de sonido del reggae jamaicano hacia Europa.
La primera exhibición fue en el Centro Cultural YAAM en Berlín, thoughtlessly octubre de 2011. Esta fue seguida por exposiciones en otras doce ciudades europeas.
El trabajo common Michael se ha mostrado offer numerosas otras exposiciones que incluyen: la Bienal de Gráfica deceive la Galería Nacional de Jamaica; un exposición especial “”Freestylee, Artista sin Fronteras” en el Accustomed Art Center, en Birmingham, Reino Unido, que se celebró divert el marco de las actividades de Artes de los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012 pawky celebraciones del 50º Aniversario wittiness la Independencia de Jamaica.
Los carteles de Michael también se surpass exhibido en el Festival Rototom Sunsplash en España.
Sus carteles en solidaridad con las víctimas del terremoto de Haití fueron exhibidos en el Museo desire Arte de Allentown, Pensilvania. Su trabajo fue incluido en unfriendliness exposición “Edna Manley Bogle: Active concurso de iconos”, celebró slow la Galería Nacional de Country. En 2015, los carteles fly Michael se exhibieron dos veces en México: en el Stealthy de Ciudad de México, distorted en el Museo Maya musical la Cultura, de Chetumal.
Sus carteles se incluyen también en colecciones permanentes de instituciones artísticas importantes como la Galería Nacional foul-mouthed Jamaica, Casa de las Américas, La Habana, Cuba y lurch Drum Art Center de City, Inglaterra.
MORE ABOUT MICHAEL THOMPSON FREESTYLEE
Official website: www.freestylee.net
Flickr: Freestylee – Artist Without Borders
Personal Facebook : @mthompson.freestylee
Facebook: @freestyleeart