They will rob you of your chastity

Utility poles disfigure what was once a Virgin Island paradise.

Ian Nain's portentous book "Outrage" records a journey he made from Southampton to Carlisle in 1955. It constitutes a horror story of insensitive postwar town planning. 

If today, the ghost of Ian Nain was to make a similar journey in the British Virgin Islands, he would unearth the same scenario. Not only does the East End look like the West End and all the places in between, but they are collectively doing their best to look like a smaller version of Miami or Dubai. Fifty years ago, Virgin Island poet Sheila Hyndman prophesied what was to come, but no one heeded her warning. 

The writing was on the wall in the 1970's and it has been downhill ever since. The island's fixation on wealth, corruption and a disastrous hurricane has hastened the decline. Once the natural environment has been ruined by insensitive development, beautification is like putting lipstick on a pig.

After viewing hundreds of images and hours of video footage related to the BVI’s recovery from hurricane Irma, it became clear that sensitivity to the built environment has been sadly lacking. Ugly utility poles are a case in point. Their impact on the natural environment is worse than that of a hurricane. The flooding of low-lying areas is related, not so much to rainfall, but to indiscriminate cutting of the island's terrain with backhoe and bulldozer. Nature has a way of building back without scaring the landscape.

The opening image is a stretch of road that runs between what was once an idyllic cove on one hand and a fertile valley on the other. The images below show the proposed West End Ferry Terminal and the East End Visitor Welcome "Facility".

 This documentary tells of Ian Nain's fight to save Britain from the blight of Subtopia. 

The title of this post is taken from Sheila Hyndman's poem To Virgin Gorda.

Censorship by devious means

If an offence come out of truth, better is it that the offence come than that the truth be concealed. (St. Jerome)

Over the years I have corresponded with the US National Coalition Against Censorship on matters relating to censorship in the Caribbean and elsewhere in the world. Usually, the issue is with authorities censoring work.

However, I have recently met up with what appears to be selective censorship by surviving members of a deceased author's/artist's family. I can only assume that it is done for the sake of propriety. Presumably, there is something in the deceased person's work, beliefs or life history, that they would rather keep hidden from public scrutiny.   

To guard against my own work suffering the same fate, I have instructed my family that, after I've gone, nothing shall be censored. All is relevant. 

On the subject censorship, I admire blogger's stand on freedom of content and the fact that the author of a blog post owns the copyright. This is diametrically opposite to Facebook's censorship of the nude and content that has no copyright restrictions. 

My blog has a large following from artists and art students in countries where blogger is banned, regardless of content. They have to resort to devious means to access my work. Their tenacity gives hope that freedom of expression will prevail.

My dear friend, the Virgin Island poet Sheila Hydman, prophesied, All that will be left is an old forgotten poem like mine. I fervently hope that her life's work, in its entirety will be remembered. 

The Nude: from the perspective of artist and model

The artist and model. (click on the image to view video)

My recent posts have delved into the relationship between artist and poet, whereas my latest video explores the creative relationship be artist and model. The video supplements my book Notes on the Nude.

I hope my video will inspire a new generation of artists to pursue the challenge of working from the nude model and likewise, inspire a new generation of models. 

In a future video I will explore the relationship between artist and musician. 

A footnote to my previous post on Sheila Hyndman

In a recent article I wrote for the press that I had titled "Remembering Sheila Hyndman", the editor substituted my frequent use of Sheila's Christian name for "Ms Hyndman". Thus, in a stroke of the pen, making the intimate the impersonal. 

I doubt that Sheila - sorry, Ms Hyndman! - would approve, for she disliked editors making changes to what she wrote and I share Sheila's aversion. But as this editorial correction verges on the humorous, we'll let it pass.

It reminds me of a line in Leo Robin's lyrics "Miss Brown to You".

But go slow, oh, oh. Don't you all get too familiar. 

Sung here by Billie Holiday.

Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade. (Sheila Hyndman Remembered Cont'd)

A portrait of Sheila that I painted while we were working on "Reflections".

Those you never touched in life, you will touch now. 

Those who never knew Sheila the poet, will know her now.   

(From the eulogy to Sheila by Jennie Wheatley) 

The legacy of a creating artist - whatever art form - depends on the attention given to their work after death. As Sheila's "active force" while she was with us in the world, I consider it my task to ensure that her legacy lives on. 

The title of my post is taken from Shakespeare's 18th sonnet.