African gentleman 1 profile

Green in a canyon of concrete

Throughout the Aylesbury centre at the back of the famous east street market is concrete, to see a tree is quite an event. Maybe things will change and we will see more trees eventually

Many hands......

We all have our models and examples of good work practices. When you live in a community where animals roam freely especially elephants, what better example for weeding a garden can

you get from an elephant. My dear friend as depicted in this sketch used her arm to clear my garden of weeds promptly (just as a elephant would use its trunk)

Inflated Power

Power is depicted by the nature of your attire and height of your trousers or your shoulders. The higher your trousers the more powerful you are. Many men spend the day hoisting up their trousers to their chest. As a counter to this phenomenon, younger men are wearing their trousers as low as they can to depict false vulnerability.
One can feel dimunitive in front of a puffed up power house of air and maggots only if you allow it.

Space to think

Space is an important commodity within the inner-city. Space is also a scarce commodity only for the wealthy and trespassers. If you can find a space hold on to it. The space created by the first generation is quickly usurped by the next generation or immigrants or refugees or simply those that the authorities deem as more deserving.
There is no personal or community control of space it is a a commodity with which the powerful will dispose of at will.

Committee meetings were quite a gas, with the protestant work ethic I was acustomed to when someone called a committee meeitng I would attend at the designated place on time. The chair, secretary, and treasurer all one person would attend whenever where ever he felt like. I found myself isolated and excluded, because due to cultural affinities a large contingent of the community would attend to support this lone committee in his endeavours, especially at the expectation of the authorities.

Strip Comic of Paranoid Community Centre

We as members neede somewhere to go and somewhere to care for others that had nowhere to go. Apparently considerable money was made available for this centre, but only the , chair, secretary and honorary treasurer knew about the money. This was a confederacy all contained in one idiot, the person who maintained all these posts and created minutes to support this fradulent status. Every one else was a volunteer or client.

Hollow Blackman

I always wanted to create and maintain a comic strip, but I never knew where to start. Within my community of African bretheren including those from the diaspora such as myself, there is a constant feeling of suspicion. At first I was caught up in this paranoia. My good fortune I went to school with others of African culture therefore I very quickly came to realise what great friends and hardworking colleagues they are.
Whereas thos of us meeting for the very firs time considerable fear and trepidation of sterotypical behaviour exists.

Security at Work

My job was to remain in a small hut for 12 hours per day and radio into the head office every hour. This was a job in the country-side away from anyone. fortunately I occupied my time by becoming more observant of my surroundings.

Whoever beats the drums keeps the peace

I had a rare opportunity to capture the owner of the drums and the community centre. But how can someone own a community centre I hear you ask. Only between a Jamaican a Sierra Leonian and the community of subscribers to this community centre can this be resolved. Thhis is an important lesson in innercity comunity development.

More Drums

Charcoal on A3 Paper £60

We all had our differences as we tried to create the tower of Aylesbury Babel. Jamaican and Sierra Leonian working together as one. Nevertheless each one has their own agenda, Mine was just to draw.

Interior with Drums

Fascinated by the interiorand the social ambience of a set of un played drums. The calm before the storm.

Private Drums Public Community Centre

In fairness I had a bash when I was not drawing this set of Drums in charcoal.