Windows into Jamaica: The Art of Michael Lester
Lester in his home studio in Belmont, Jamaica, ca. 1960s-1970s
Michael Lester is known for his incredible use of perspective, accurate rendering of distances, and stimulating colorful compositions throughout his repertoire. One can witness these characteristics interplaying with each other in these three artworks from the Garlandstone Arts Collection, Wicked Boy Morgan (1962), Woman in Tenement Yard (1955), and Yachts at Port Royal (1953).
Recently undergone conservation treatment and restored to its original presence, Wicked Boy Morgan, plays on the legend of Sir Henry Morgan the infamous high-seas privateer and governor of 1600s Jamaica. The position of the dog guarding the treasure chest in the bottom left corner is most intriguing, as it perhaps represents the ‘Sea-Dogs’, English privateers of the 1600s that ransacked Spanish colonial holdings throughout the Caribbean and made Port Royal, Jamaica the epicenter of the Caribbean pirate era.
Woman in Tenement Yard, uses perspective in a manner that makes the viewer seek ocular harmony. Once discovered, you find that it is perspective from above, looking down, with a large, ripe breadfruit tree prominently taking the forefront, and a woman with her back facing the viewer, tending to a task. The lush foliage that is representative of Jamaican tropical forests is especially eye-catching and a continued motif in Lester’s work.
Yachts at Port Royal, not only brings together elements of the first two pieces, by using the motifs of the anchors and palm fronds, but it also renders the distance from the two figures walking towards the boat accurately. Thus, leading the eye of the viewer to the background, which gives a perspective of depth, capturing Lester’s artistic mastery.
Collectively, the three paintings exemplify Lester’s command of perspective and composition, offering timeless reflections of Jamaica’s landscape, culture and enduring narrative.
By: Martin Kret, Garlandstone Arts, LLC Archivist and Collections Specialist