The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

PAYING homage to all the Bahamian musical greats is something that actor and artist Matthew Wildgoose will never grow weary of. As a member of the local art community, he knows firsthand the struggles of becoming established and earning recognition in the industry.

To this end, Matthew honoured some of the most iconic entertainers in the history of the Bahamas for the second time during his art show last week.  

The Bahamian Pop Art Show opened last week at the at the Balmoral Club, featuring 17 portraits of Bahamian icons in their truest form. These icons include King Eric & His Knights, Paul Meers, Eloise Lewis, Ed Moxey and The Boys, K B, George Symonette, Jackson Burnside, Joseph Spence, Maureen Duvalier, Peanuts Taylor, Blind Blake, Tony McKay, Count Bernadino, Ronnie Butler and more.

Matthew’s intent was to serve laughter along with education; to tell those who view his works about the people who have made their mark on the local entertainment scene.

“This is a theme that I think I can do forever. I think we need to always have a reminder of where we come from. That historical knowledge shows us where we are going and what direction we need to take,” he told Tribune Arts and Entertainment.

“Like I was telling someone the other day, let’s say if you did not know your great-grandparents and you find out all of a sudden online that they were kings and queens of a country far away. That would change the way you look at your life; that would change the way you walk; that would change the way you talk and the way you treat people. That is what I want to show people. We came from a bunch of talented people and that is the thread that connects us all as Bahamian people. We are rich in culture and we are very gifted people, and some of these people lived by their gifts and they made their living from their gift.”

When Matthew first explored this project almost a year ago with his first solo show entitled “Catch Ya Sef”, he himself was unfamiliar with some of the entertainers, but conducted as much research as he could. Although information about these entertainers exists, who they are and the skills they mastered are often not common knowledge.

Matthew said he wanted to share interesting tidbits about each person’s life this time around.

“I painted Joseph Spence last year and I featured him again this year because I believe you cannot have a show about Bahamian icons and not feature Joseph Spence. His music travelled across the continents and his work is still living today,” he said.

“Edmund Moxey was also a brand new piece that I did which I called ‘Jumbey’, because he was a larger than life kind of man. His spirit is still living today. A lot these individuals were not celebrated until their passing and that was the sad story about Edmund Moxey.”

“This is just a reminder of who we really are, and we cling to so many cultures and we do not know our culture and I believe that our culture should be known. We had and still have so many talented individuals here,” he said.

Since his first show last year, Matthew said he has striven to become better at his artwork.

“I am always growing every time I start a new piece. I am seeing that I am at a different place and that is the goal. I am my greatest critic because my next piece has to be better than the previous. As an artist I just want to keep growing because I see the number of people that I am inspiring with my work. There were many people who told me that they were inspired by the show and that they wanted to paint,” Matthew said.

Quitting his daytime job to become a full-time artist and actor was not the easiest decision, but Matthew said he knew if he was going to excel in his field he had to take a leap of faith.

He said inspiring people to take their gifts seriously is what he will spend his life doing.

“I want to inspire a cultural entrepreneurship in the country so we can have a successful nation. We like to sing this ‘independent song’, but many of us are looking for a hand-out and waiting for things to happen for them. We are afraid to go out there and make things happen. I cannot say that I was not afraid when I took that step, because it is intimidating; you do not know where the next dollar is coming from. But you have to make your own way,” he said.