Years ago, when I was living back home in Guyana, every January an insurance company would give out calendars to its customers. The calendars were nicely printed on thick, glossy paper and usually showcased the work of a creative person or curated Caribbean folktales.

One year, the calendar featured an artist named Boscoe Holder. Till then, I’d never heard of the man.

I was, at the time, enthralled by the lushness of Holder’s canvasses – in subject matter, brushstrokes, and colour. His work so captivated me that I took an x-acto knife and cut the images from the calendar and saved them. Today, he still remains one of my favourite artists.

Boscoe Holder was born in Trinidad & Tobago in 1921. He was a dancer and a painter, and started dance companies in both Trinidad and the UK. After living in the UK for 20 years, he moved back home to Trinidad where he painted prolifically, and exhibited annually.

Holder’s paintings are vibrant, with confident impressionistic brush strokes and strong Caribbean elements. And the man had serious chops!

Just today, I read quote of Holder’s which has me thinking. The website quotes Holder as having said that he liked painting Caribbean people, especially the women “[…]because they’re so decorative”.

If this quote is accurate, then the women in Holder’s paintings are obviously being objectified. However, some may argue that all artists’ models are objectified to some degree. And in this (limited) sense, I’d have to agree.

On the other hand, seeing women as ‘decorative’ is something else altogether. The implication is that the woman exists merely for decoration and this belief does fill me with negative emotion.

Yes – words do matter because regardless of how we see each other and how we want to be seen, words have the power to shape, and ultimately re-shape that view. And while I can feel that quote actively having an impact on the way I initially felt about Holder’s work, I remind myself of two things. One – I don’t know whether the quote is accurate. Two – it was a single quote, taken out of context.

Those reminders put a little distance between me and any surge of emotion I may have.

Holder’s art is evidence that I can see. Stunning, vivid snapshots of Caribbean landscapes, people, and life.

Here are a few images taken from that calendar so long ago.

I attempted to reach out to Holder’s family to gain permission to post these images but was unable to reach them. Should anyone owning any of these images like me to take them down, please contact me.

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