Alex Smailes: Does the term 'Caribbean' or 'Island Aesthetic' mean anything to you?

Alex Smailes.
Photo by Ryan Goodman

Alex Smailes is a photographer and a Director at a Brand Engineering Agency
in Trinidad and Tobago — Abovegroup Ogilvy. 

Alex:  At first it's easy to stereotype and answer on gut reactions, such as: Barbados understands style & grace, has historic preservation laws in place, immaculate public services that work and keep organic roadside development at bay. In terms of innovation, for years they have had rain water collection and mandatory solar heating. Many areas are serviced by electrical and fibre optics underground rather than ugly overhead lines. Someone invented a garbage bin that fits into a hole in the ground with a clip lid, so dogs don't strewn rotten food and nappies over the streets each morning. Vagrants are actually part of the solution and provide a fantastic, profitable glass recycling programme. Okay – mostly human functional aspects, but ultimately it adds to the general aesthetic by allowing the environment, urban or countryside, to breathe.  

Smaller islands from old English, Dutch or French equally influence a tranquil harmonious relationship with the human footprint and the surround space people live in. It feels quieter, a sense of calm, colour palettes blend with the surrounding hills or forest. Jamaica with its hundreds of years heritage is proud and celebrate the historical classic buildings they have left. Even Haiti, Port au Prince once the richest, most developed and most strategically important island nations had almost been caught in a time vacuum and (prior to the earthquake) was still one of the most beautiful cities in the Caribbean. If you scraped away the decades of blood, sweat and tears.

Trinidad, my island of residence inspires me everyday. From handmade iron burglar proofing designs that are clearly influenced from art nouveau, deco movements. A hand painted sign at the side of the street, by someone who could not decide what he was trying to sell on such a small sign and wrote- Water nuts. I sometimes presume watermelon, sometimes coconuts depending on supplies, price or mood. For my personal work, it rains for half the year here, much of my photography work is dark, grey, moody, backdrops of unpainted breeze blocks, a recycled galvanize out of necessity not social consciousness, a wooden door now a wall.

Unfortunately, there is a greater force of distaste spreading, on the grand scale it is felt in the urban development plans of various governments, destruction of green spaces, walkways, spaces for humans to interact, eradication of historic buildings. Major design decisions are in the hands of just the wrong people and committees. On a smaller scale, one of the worst destroyers of our daily aesthetic – the deadly combination of photoshop and affordable large format vinyl printing. This will or has already destroyed our daily visual journey I'm afraid.

Thankfully I'm surrounded everyday by very talented and driven people willing to learn, push themselves and absorb from the global community when needed. They figure out how to produce work that is locally relevant, yet to international standards. I truly believe we can keep chipping away and producing great work that stands out and is noticed.

It's up to the older generation of trained creatives to share knowledge and experience, if the younger ones listen, we may be able to keep the aesthetic killers at bay for a while.


Alex worked on his first book, Trinidad and Tobago, for the first two years after returning to this country. Published by Macmillan, it was designed by Gareth and represented the first joint project between the two. Along with third partner Sam (who is now based in London), Abovegroup was formed shortly afterwards.

*Photos of Alex's book courtesy Abovegroup Ogilvy

Island Identity... Does the term Caribbean or Island Aesthetic mean anything to you?

I'm starting a mini series asking questions about 'Caribbean or Island Aesthetic.'

So between colour palettes, design work and beautiful pictures, expect to get some discussion about this from some of the designers, writers, artists, creative directors, directors and other friends of mine.

Some of these interview answers will be presented in written post and later a few will be video recorded. I hope you find the answers to these as interesting as I do and you share your views!

Island Identity 1.

Richard Mark Rawlins is a Graphic Designer/Photographer/Artist/Creative Director, working in advertising in Trinidad for the last twenty years. Rawlins is the publisher of the online magazine Draconian Switch (www.artzpub.com) . Draconian Switch is currently in the GLOBAL AFRICA PROJECT at the Museum of Arts and Design.

Richard Mark Rawlins
photo by Rodell Warner

Does the term Caribbean or Island Aesthetic mean anything to you and if so what?

I think it's a matter of perception, exposure and age.

Island Aesthetic

Age:

At 44 I am a post independence child. That means that I was part of a new movement heading towards a nationhood building.

The smallness and expectation of "ISLAND" culture never entered into my psyche at all. Black power was another nation shaping thing in a sense that set to put the "islandness" of things in another place once and for all.

I had aunts and uncles in UWI involved in the movement, that was about 'black pride'. That shaped me.

Pride in self and seeing yourself as beautiful was foremost.

Exposure:

A decade of living in a north america opened my mind to a bigger world of possibilities, but not a wanting for replacement of what I had. If anything it left me with an even bigger sense of pride and place and appreciation for what I had an where I came from.

All my national pride moments came from a place of "countryman " pride vs island pride.

While I understand the clichéd...a small island nation that went before a Ms. Universe, or a Miss Worldor a Hasely Crawford or an Ato Boldon or Dwight Yorke or Brian Lara, the bigger understanding was always nationhood and people power.

Perception:

I don't work in an environment or rather I am not around many "foriegners" or expats. 

My country is seen through my eyes as just that "my country". I really don't ascribe an aesthethic to it other than a love of "BREEZE" blocks. In recent times I've heard the "island" culture discussion coming from my own people, and I guess I would have to link it to their relationships to the large amount of Europeans that are now working  alongside them.

I think the fraternization has created a psuedo-aesthetic actually. One in which the local re-inteprates their landscape through foriegn eyes. So much so that they themselves see their country as an island and adopt terms like the 'locals' , when they themselves are the locals.

Final analysis:

The discussion should really be around Banana Republicanism and the Carnivalesque adsurdity of our Political systems rather than about our Caribbean or Island Aesthetic.

Draconian Switch is an Art and Design e-magazine published in Trinidad and Tobago by Richard Rawlins with the collaboration of a group of artists, designers, and writers. The Magazine’s primary goal is to feature the work of CONTEMPORARY artist currently working in Trinidad and Tobago or with GLOBAL Caribbean connections.