‘I wasn’t the best, but I was willing to learn’

ALPHANSO BLAKE says he knows it is possible for local artists to aspire to reach the achievements reached by the great artists, based on the progress he has made in his own artistic career.

“I don’t respect talent,” he declares. “I have met young artists who are better than I was at their age, but you have to be willing to suffer for the sake of art.

“At the Edna Manley College, I wasn’t the best student, but I was willing to learn,” he said. “I was a night student. I worked my way through by painting during the day and selling my art. For me there was no alternative ... it was art or nothing.”

The harsh realities of literally having walked the streets of St Andrew selling his art also made him appreciate the importance of the financial side of the art world.

“I participate in overseas exhibitions, and sometimes, I am successful, while at other times I am not,” he said. “To succeed, you have to be bold and take risks.”

That boldness has pushed him to look to Europe, where an Irish gallery is enticing him to participate in their upcoming exhibition. He said that, “Going overseas is expensive, so I am studying the options carefully.”

He also holds his own online exhibitions periodically, which can garner sales from all over the world.

SENDING ART ABROAD

“It is very easy to send art abroad. The Jamaican mail system is slow, but it is very good,” he says. “I use FedEx or DHL if there is a rush.”

He also has a financial partner in JN Bank, which handles many of his vital financial needs.

“Alphanso Blake is an outstanding member of our country’s visual arts community,” said Saniah Spencer, chief of marketing at JN Bank. “His work is not only mounted in galleries locally and overseas, but also in the homes of several of our senior executives.”

“We appreciate his art, but we also appreciate his business, and it must be clearly stated that art is business,” Spencer said. “Successful visual artists share their talent with the world, and may struggle, but they do not starve, despite the misconceptions.

“Jamaica developed a dynamic music industry which has global impact,” Spencer said. “We also have painters and sculptors producing work of the highest standards, and our country could benefit if this sector gained more momentum. That is why we value clients such as Mr Blake.”