Interview with Caribbean Artist – Jackie Hinkson – Pt.1

Jackie Hinkson

Jackie Hinkson is an artist who describes himself as “a Trinidadian who spent his childhood and youth with…broad-minded parents and five siblings.” He spent most of his youth in the heart of Port-of-Spain. The urban and extensive early rural experiences left an indelible impression on his mind. Here is a portion of the interview, see below for the entire interview.

Country House, Gran Couva

Architecture Caribbean: Who are your favorite artists (Caribbean and International Artists)?

Jackie Hinkson: There are many and they change from time to time. I am not familiar with the work of Caribbean artists outside of Trinidad. Sadly, there is very little exchange and communication between the Caribbean islands. Locally, in my youth, I greatly admired Sybil Atteck, Leo Basso, MP Alladin and Carlyle Chang. On the local contemporary scene I like the drawings of Eddie Bowen and some of the work of Lisa O’ Connor and Sundiata, and much of the work (particularly their earlier pieces) of the recently deceased James Boodhoo and Boscoe Holder The international artists I admire most (living and dead) are the early Renaissance painters Giotto and Piero della Francesca, the Venetian Titian, the Spaniards Francisco Goya and Diego Velasquez, the French painter Simeon Chardin, the impressionist Paul Cezanne, the American watercolorist Winslow Homer and the American Edward Hopper, to name a few.

Estate Cocoa Dry House

Architecture Caribbean: You were commissioned by the Trinidad & Tobago government in 1982-1985 to produce One Hundred pieces of work showing the “disappearing architecture” of the country, tell us more about this experience.

JH: Perhaps because I grew up in a typically fine example of an early 20^th century wooden, gabled-roof, fretwork ornate house, and perhaps because the humble wooden homes, the shops and barrack yards of Port-of-Spain and the rural and plantation architecture of Trinidad had left such an indelible mark on me, I devoted a large number of years to the capturing the traditional and disappearing architecture of the island. This Government project was an important chapter in this commitment. I traveled throughout the country searching for fine examples of the vernacular architecture and rediscovering many from my childhood experiences in the rural and coastal districts. Importantly, I always felt, when executing these works, that I was trying to do more than just record or chronicle, I was also exploiting these images for their emotional and symbolic potential, to allude perhaps to ideas about age or change or death or decay or simply to pay tribute.

Roadside Vendor, Tobago

AC: What’s the most challenging part of your work?

JH: There are several but if I had to choose one I would say to be completely honest to my vision (in my work) and to be not seduced by any notions, no matter how current or popular, that are not consistent with that vision.

Click here to read Interview Pt. 1>>

Jackie Hinkson’s artwork is rich in detail and recording history. His works on Caribbean architecture are a breath of fresh air, reminds us of days gone by, and serves as a record. It is a reference for our history in architectural detailing and elements of Caribbean architecture. It is valuable because it enables us as architects to find innovative ways to pay homage to our history in our contemporary designs and detailing. What are your opinions of the work of Jackie Hinkson?