educationSeries: Passages and Memories with David Boxer
Portrait of David Boxer (1945-2017), Jamaican artist, art historian and curator, and of his recurring themes: slavery and colonial history (the Passages and Memories of Colonization series), death, Hiroshima and the self-portrait.
David Boxer (1945-2017) was a Jamaican artist, regarded as one of the most important contemporary artists, art historians and curators in the Caribbean region. He began his training as an art historian, which is very evident in the many references to the field included in his work. His main influences include Francis Bacon, whom he met while writing his thesis on him. Over the years, Boxer worked on selected themes that he often revisited. One of them was slavery and its remnants in Jamaican society.
Diaspora: Chorus of Souls, 2003-2005. Collage on paper, 22 × 17 in, 55.9 × 43.2 cm
He explored themes of colonial history mainly through two series: Passages and Memories of Colonization. Death is also present in many of his works, often identified with AIDS and its impact on the deaths of loved ones. Another theme linked to death is Hiroshima, which he depicted extensively. He considered himself a member of the World War II generation, since he was born in 1946 and grew up in a postwar atmosphere. Self-portraits are a constant element of his work, appearing on their own or sometimes as part of more complex compositions.
STILL LIFE WITH CHRYSANTHEMUMS, 2003-2006. Mixed media on paper, 20 x 28 in, 233-6112
STILL-LIFE – FUGUE, 2003-2004. Mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48 in, 233-3950
HAVANA POSTCRIPT (FROM PASSAGE INSTALLATION), 1997-02. Mixed media on wood, 84 x 96 in, 213.36 x 243.84 cm, 233-6116
QUEEN VICTORIA SET WE FREE, 1996-2003. Mixed media reconstruction, 34 x 56 x 8 in, 233-5055
TRIPTYCH RENAISSANCE, N.D. Mixed media on paper, 20 x 37 in, 50.8 x 93.98 cm, 233-2111
Still-Life – Fugue, 2003 – 2004. Mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48 in
St Sebastian’, 1993
