Graffiti on the main street of St. Andrew

Graffiti on the main street of St. Andrew

On the side wall of the Total gas station located at the intersection of Barbican road and Old Hope road, this graffiti painting is covered with playful colours, child like imagery and words. Ironically there is nothing playful about this image as it allures to various problems within our Jamaican Society. Phases such as, big up Jamaica, Justice 4 all, bawling out equal rights, though shall not kill, we are poor people, peace and love,  etc. are entwined with images of flowers, children, people crying, cars and houses. The primary focus of this composition is injustice, poverty and crime while asking for peace, love, equally and justice.  Centrally located and undisturbed by the chaotic structure of the composition, is  the black silhouette image of a big man, dressed in a formal suit and is elevated by several very small men. Written immediately below this image is the phase, “slavery people.” This can be identified as the representation of the ‘big men and the position they hold within the society. The politicians, pastors, area leaders, business men and all those who remain undisturbed, because they are being held high by the masses are the ‘big men’ within the society.

Here the structure of Jamaica is being classified as modern day slavery, where the poverty level is high, crime and violence is rampant and the ‘big men takes advantage of the situation. In Jamaica it is impossible for the average working man to maintain a good standard of life on minimum wages, with the cost of necessities always on the rise. Hence the average working man is always hungry and therefore always looking for an opportunity to make a little extra money; and for those without a job the situation is worse. This makes the lower class of society valnuable to exploitations, which encourages criminal activities. Politicians are so often accused of being strongly associated with criminal elements, which often forces different areas within the society to support one political party or another, to the point that it is widely accepted to be true. This is often viewed as a way to elevate out of poverty, hence criminals are role models for the younger generation within the lower class society; and the cycle is set to repeat itself. On the other hand, the children of the ‘big men’ in society are exposed to the finest qualities of life that money can buy. They go to the best schools, see the best doctors and are almost never interrogated by the justice system. It is widely known that the politicians get their election funding from the business sector, thus making politicians and business men alike, apart of one big happy family.  The work evokes all this and more about the Jamaican society.