Artists gather pieces of Jamaica
With Jamaica celebrating its 60th anniversary of Independence on August 6, nostalgia is rife. Photographer David Muir and artist Sean Henry tap into that energy with their book Pieces Of Jamaica 60.
It is a follow-up to Pieces Of Jamaica, a 2012 coffee table book by Muir. With his previous tome, he captured life in urban and rural Jamaica as well as famous landmarks and nature sites.
Through their photos and paintings, Muir and Henry revisit their homeland 10 years later and present its evolution over that period.
“This book is particularly significant to the team because we set out to build a product worthy of celebrating the milestone 60 years of our Independence. We encourage everyone to review this edition of Pieces Of Jamaica because the final product created is special, expanding way beyond the previous coffee-table edition to become a new, educational instrument, utilising photography as art for storytelling,” Muir told the Jamaica Observer.
Pieces Of Jamaica 60 is scheduled for official release in early August by Island Syndicate, a company the South Florida-based Muir operates with Calibe Thompson, his business partner.
Work on the book started just over one year ago. While Kingston gets its share of coverage, Muir and Henry visited some of the most remote areas in Jamaica to show there is life beyond the capital.
It is an objective the Campion College graduate believes they achieved.
“Our team, including photo artists, publisher, and associates, met all our objectives. Our primary goals were to capture Jamaica’s spirit in order to share a masterpiece book containing images of landscapes, places, people, and activities to represent the country and culture we know and love,” said Muir.
The Kingston-born Muir has been a professional photographer for over 30 years. Shortly after leaving Campion, he co-founded Ambassadors sound system which established itself mainly on Kingston’s party scene.
Henry is a graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.
Muir, who has lived in South Florida for over 20 years, believes Pieces Of Jamaica 60 is a work for the ages.
“It is critically important that this book is shared amongst Jamaicans and lovers of Jamaican culture for the purpose of posterity. The book is created to be a tool for sharing memories and meaning; therefore, how we pass it along through the generations will shape what is considered about Jamaica by us and others,” he said.