Christopher Gonzalez
Saturday, August 9th, 2008Jamaica is mourning one its most controversial sculptors, Christopher Gonzalez. He was the artist that nearly created a full scale riot, after unveiling his statue of Bob Marley. It is no mean feat getting the Rastafarian’s in a tizz over a memorial, but he succeeded. Hmm, it seems, when the government commissioned him in 1983 to create a monument to honor Jamaica’s favorite son, they were not quite expecting what they got. Instead of a lifelike bronze they got a whole lot of interpretation. The iconic dreadlocks falling from Marley’s head, all the way to the ground, where they became part of the earth, did not impress. Nor did the lack of likeness to their legend. The public were horrified and the backlash gave the Prime Minister, Edward Seaga, no choice but to order it removed by JDF soldiers no less. The statue was sent to the National Gallery to hide, whilst a new statue was commissioned by a more conventional artist, Alvin Marriott. Still, I bet Alvin sweated over his design.
If that little fiasco wasn’t enough for Gonzalez, he moved on to offend the Catholics. Did no one warn him NOT to make certain parts of Christ’s anatomy too well endowed. Ah, but wait, there is more, can’t offend just one denomination, Anglicans got a taste of Gonzalez too. He caused a stir when he depicted Christ as a Negroid in a commissioned work for St Jude’s Anglican Church. So rest in peace Christopher, your work here on earth has been done!
