Interview with Clayton Rhule

Clayton Rhule  is a painter, sculptor and graphic artist. CRhule design studio is an integrated creative shop, which offers marketing, artistic and advertising solutions. He specializes in  Branding, Print Media, Publications, Photography and Fine Art. Clayton completed studies in Art at the Edna Manley College of Art & Design, Jamaica and a Masters in Graphic Design in Italy.

• What does the Caribbean mean to you?
  A melting pot of cultures and races. A prude and extremely talented group of people even with more similarities between them than they know.
• What if anything is the significance of location – what role does location play in your understanding and experience of the Caribbean?
  Being from Jamaica I feel that we have a lesser appreciation of the Caribbean experience or should I say the Caribbean community. One reason is the fact that we are so independent and  also close to north America. The islands of the Lesser Antilles and the eastern Caribbean share similar ideals and are closer. Many travel to each other’s islands. That creates an interchange of cultures that I find is priceless.
• Can you relate a story from your past that seems to describe your experience of “Caribbeanness”?
  When Trinidad reached the world cup and Jamaica didn’t, we celebrated along with them. It was disheartening seeing we were so close but the fact that Trinidad got there, made us feel it was not all lost.
• Can you share a piece of your work/project that speaks to the issues that we have discussed?
  My aesthetics are built upon my people…  the depth of their character and the vibrancy of their sexuality and the ways they express that.
• In what ways has Caribbean culture been used as a politico-economic tool? What role has location, the artist, media played in this?
  Jamaican politics have been using popular music to drive their ideals and to get votes for a long time. The popular culture at the time was created when what was promised wasn’t received. If you think of reggae music and dancehall, this was their voice and it was a reaction at how they were treated. When you go to a political event the same songs that express the feelings of the people and what they need is the same songs that the Politicians play to get the masses on their side.
  On a more positive note the things that our musicians and artists and sportsmen and women have done in their respective fields can only be described as phenomenal. Their popularity worldwide has drawn much interest to their islands of birth.