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On behalf of the Secretary-General, who is out of the country, I welcome you all to Colgrain House on this very special occasion – the celebration of the 82nd birthday of Phillip Moore. Phillip Moore is a Caribbean artist whose brilliance extends way beyond this Region’s shores. Helen Jackson, a good friend of mine, who is visiting Guyana for the first time as my guest, was most excited when I mentioned this afternoon’s engagement to her. You see, Ms. Jackson is very familiar with the works of Phillip Moore since in the early 1970’s, her art gallery in New York, Galerie Colibri represented Mr. Moore. She has very pleasant memories of that association so I hope you remember them too, Mr. Moore. Serendipitously, on this her first visit to Guyana, she finds herself at an event honouring an artist who impacted on her life thirty years ago. Could this be mere coincidence? I think not. I could not bypass this opportunity offered me by fate, to gain a deeper, personal insight into the artist Phillip Moore. Phillip Moore, among his many outstanding accomplishments, was the first Caribbean person to be honoured as Artist in Residence at prestigious Princeton University. It was during the three-year period after that sojourn at Princeton that Helen sold the works of this impressive artist and acquired some for herself. Helen recounted to me a Phillip Moore story that remains salient in her memory thirty years later. During his first winter in North America, Mr. Moore was fascinated by the gradations of colour, the shimmering effect of light refracted on snow, and the shadows that were created. This awakened consciousness of snow altering the landscape inspired him to create a series of paintings “ White on White”. Phillip Moore’s art is an expression of his spirituality. He defines art as “divinity expressed” and it is in this context that he looks at the art of others for what it symbolises. He tries to ascertain that the “symbolism or idea is something to inspire man to develop his inner spirituality and faith in his brother-man to bring about a better and peaceful world.” It is only fitting that today Mr. Moore is being feted and celebrated in his own country, following recent honours that have been bestowed on him by the Governments of the Republic of Suriname and Jamaica. I am sure that we all know that Mr. Moore received a special plaque from H.E. Runaldo Venetian commemorating his participation in Extraordinary Exhibition of Distinguished Artists that was held during CARIFESTA VIII in Suriname and that very soon thereafter he was inducted into the Jamaica Hall of Fame. As Caribbean people, it is critical that we recognise the contributions and value of our own icons. I wholeheartedly welcome and support this event today, which celebrates the work and life of one of the Caribbean’s great living artists. In the current global environment where the value of culture and the cultural products of small developing states are steadily being eroded in a system regarded as the “globalisation of culture”, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to trumpet our own champions and to hold their work up as examples of excellence for all to see and appreciate. However when we all agree, as in the case of Phillip Moore, that we have a treasure who could fulfill any criteria by which excellence is determined, we must make every effort to promote and showcase these talents to the world. Phillip Moore’s creative genius has spanned many decades and his consistent efforts to use the medium of his art to inspire us to deeper spiritual introspection, to help us recognise the Divine in ourselves and each other, can only serve to create better human beings in those of us who have had the privilege of coming into contact with his work. Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy therefore to join with everyone here today in acknowledging this signal honour to Mr. Phillip Moore and to congratulate the organisers of this function for demonstrating that prophets do have honour in their own land. I wish you, Phillip Moore, a happy 82nd birthday and as many more birthdays as you wish. |
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