This is the second of a 10-part series — presented by the Jamaica Observer — highlighting the murals which form an installation of public art along Water Lane in downtown Kingston. The initiative is part of the Paint the City project being curated by non-profit arts organisation Kingston Creative.

When architect and visual artist Richard Natoo was first shown the ‘canvas’ on which he was to create his mural along Water Lane he was bombarded by a rush of questions in his head.

What was this building like in the past?

Did it have balconies?

What if it could go down to the nearby shoreline?

Out of this frenetic conversation that raged in his head Adrift III was born.

He explained that his curiosity was fertilised by its proximity to the sea and what life might have been like during the prime of this building. He was content with the fact that he didn’t know and decided that this project would give him the opportunity to dream, to dream about how this building has faced the ocean all its life and has never seen its waves and never touched the ocean’s magic. He wanted this building to feel young again in all its Georgian and vernacular glory and to feel the ocean.

“This building is so close to the ocean. But unlike humans it doesn’t have legs to walk down to the shore, so I had to bring the ocean and water to the building… afterall it is on Water Lane. I wanted to give the impression that the water was rushing through the alley so I used the stingrays to give that impression, almost flying,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“It is interesting that about a week after the mural was completed a mantaray, similar to the ones represented in the mural, was spotted in the harbour. I guess it had come to visit its friends on Water Lane,” he continued.

Natoo worked with fellow visual artist and architect Kamaal Manboard to bring the work to life.

“Kamaal and I have a synergy. We both work as architects at Virtuoso [architecture studio] and have collaborated on art work before. So there was a really symbiotic relationship for this project. So it was good bringing this concept to life with someone who I knew shared my vision for the mural. I can say it was challenging working three storeys up on scaffolding in the sun. I recall one day it was so hot that I had to leave and go buy beach hats for Kamaal and myself. But I think it made it a much more rich and delightful experience, because at the end of the day when you came down from the scaffolding and looked up at what had been created you just wanted to go right back up and it didn’t matter how hot the sun was,” Natoo shared.

The artist is supremely pleased with his work and hopes the public will get the message he is communicating through Adrift III.

“I worked to create an immersive experience. I believe the artist should have a voice. If we continue to say what has already been spoken then the narrative will never change. I wanted to say something and I was not afraid to be an individual, that’s the only way we will evolve.”

Natoo describes himself as a master of a few trades and uses his work in art and architecture to balance each other, but if he had to chose one, he’d go for art.

“After high school I was faced with the decision to either got to art school or study architecture and I chose architecture. The truth is I saw art as my get away, and I thought if I made it my profession, where would I escape to? Architecture has helped me so much as an artiste. Just that problem-solving element… getting around problems. But if I had to choose one, it would be art… it’s my first love,” said Natoo.