LETTER: What Fresh CHOGM Eyes Will See

When we live with a sight for long enough, however unsightly, tacky, or downright offensive it may be, we become so accustomed to it that it no longer bothers us. However, it strikes fresh eyes differently.

I don’t know if the Bureau of Standards is expected to monitor billboards, monuments, publicly displayed plaques and depictions, but someone should.

On this occasion, let’s just look at a few of immediate concern in St John’s.

On the north side of Country Pond, there is an absolutely tacky depiction of what’s perhaps intended to be an adult male and female, along with a child, playing mas. Is that supposed to be a display of our artistic excellence, either in sculpture or costumes?

We go down now to the V.C. Bird bust, where more than a decade ago, someone clueless as to what to do with their parliamentary portfolio, but eager to be doing something, had that marvelous work of art transformed into a pretty-pretty Disney-like character. An infantile mind thought that painting a bust of a national hero, Father of the Nation”, with the brightest of colours, should impress all persons of voting age. The impressive work of art by the sculptor has been ruined. Some paint remover and some polishing can redeem it.

But that’s not all. Look at the kindergarten lettering beneath it, in a time when one can produce first class plaques at several places in Antigua, in a matter of minutes. Some place might even donate those, because we are looking at two words only; Antigua on one plaque and Barbuda on the other.

The other matter is a longstanding and major peeve of mine that cannot be remedied in time for CHOGM. The miserable-looking depiction of National Hero, King Court (Prince Klaas).

From the look of the depiction, Klaas would be a diminutive man with a small head and a miserable countenance. That’s not the image of a hero. It is not an inspiring image, and inspiration is a major reason for celebrating heroes. Even the most notorious European criminals in our region’s history are afforded the most strikingly noble appearances.

Let’s invite artists to submit depictions of King Court, based on his likely tribal and geographic origin, and his age at the time of his brutal execution. A strong-looking hero with a bold and intelligent countenance, especially one with whom we make that important connection through the eyes.

Our current depiction fails to evoke that sense of dignified defiance and intelligent rebellion that must have driven the man.

James Knight