The history of Art has proven on multiple occasions that some of the most timeless, exquisite art is made in the midst of crisis. If we traverse down memory lane back to World War II, our global society had experienced the evolution of sustainably impactful art styles and movements. Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and Minimalism all came into existence after the heart-wrenching crisis of this time period.
Fast-forward to 2020, and we are in the midst of crisis again as a global society; but knowing that history repeats itself, we can expect that revolutionary artists will emerge and bring hope to the masses through their creativity. One such artist is Von Hall. The Caribbean has not gotten its due global recognition for the contributions it has made to the visual arts, but individuals like Von Hall have the ability to change that simply because he is more than just an artist. Von Hall is revered as a fashion icon in his homeland of Barbados. There is a strong correlation between Von’s pristine fashion sense and the style of visual art he produces. This gives him the capacity to potentially evolve into a global artistic ambassador for the Caribbean. Von’s fashion has strong Eurocentric influences, as he is a lover of cardigans, scarves and well-detailed jackets that are tailored to precision. If he is not layered in these exquisite outer garments, he is likely to rock a button-down shirt with eye-catching, bold prints and patterns.
Von’s paintings are as audacious as his fashion sense. They are immensely colorful pieces with huge elements of identifiable symbolism like a flower, a cigar, a diamond or a bullet. He prides himself on being visually arresting, both in his attire and his art, and he is confident that this marketability could bring him tremendous success internationally. Regardless of his international artistic ambitions, the work Von has done in Barbados is commendable in itself. Von is a co-founder of 6PM Splash, one of the most compelling visual art shows and movements in the Caribbean. The youth in Barbados unequivocally lend their support and display constant admiration for the role Von and his team have played in exposing the next generation of Bajans to world class art.
6PM Splash has grown to become more than just an art show, but also a culturally impactful fashion-forward event. We asked Von how much we think his personal fashion sense influenced that and he said, “What I like to see it as, is that your fashion sense is always a representation of self. It’s an outward reflection of what’s inside. 6PM Splash involuntarily became the place where people wanted to be themselves, which is the perfect environment for what we wanted to create. It’s an event where people should feel safe in how they want to express themselves in a creative realm where there are no boundaries. People come there expecting people to be different and to be themselves.”
Von further expands on the vision behind the initial ideation of 6PM Splash by stating that: “We wanted art to be seen in Barbados in a different way. We realized that people really enjoyed the process of art being created, so we evolved the idea of art being absorbed in a gallery space where people would just stand and look at it, to actually being a space where people can see the art being created live, and that is what the event gave to them. We also wanted people to move away from seeing art as a hobby and we brought it to them from a perspective of being entertainment. Creativity is all about exploring new ideas to provide new opportunities. 6PM Splash is an example of us exploring an idea. Barbados had a huge void that needed to be filled in the creative realm, and so Shane Eastmond and myself fulfilled that “
In Von’s mind, the symbiotic relationship between fashion and visual art is never ending and that is reflected in his own stylistic reality. He shared with us, “I dabble a bit in merging art and fashion, and I design some of the clothes that I wear. I would sketch it out and then take it to a tailor to have it created, enabling me to bring to life my vision. So, l also merge my ability to imagine fashion concepts a certain way, and then bring them from sketch to reality.”
Despite having a strong hold in Barbados, Von is keen on ascertaining international success and indeed acknowledges that this will take a more cerebral approach. Regardless, Von believes that the work he and his team are doing in terms of cementing their place in the local market is the first step. “I always follow the model where, as you should build a foundation at home, then you can branch out overseas. After building a foundation at home, the next best thing a creative can be is authentic. You don’t want to put something out there that isn’t you and then people start to love it, then you have to maintain a persona that’s not real. That’s a very dangerous place to be.”
Additionally, Von emphasized how important it is for artists to not only create interesting work but to be interesting as an individual. “Sometimes people have crafts that are interesting, but when it comes to themselves they’re not as expressive as their work. People won’t just buy your work because it’s beautiful, but people will buy your work because you are beautiful. I would encourage any creative to aspire to be more interesting than their work.”
The perspicacity Von engages us with is proof that he walks the walk of being equally as interesting as his art. In addition to being a co-founder of 6PM Splash, Von has made monumental contributions to the art world in BIM. He created one of the largest murals as a solo project in the history of Caribbean art funded by the Caribbean Development Bank. The mural is about 45 feet in width and 35 feet in height. Von was also a part of the initiative recently put forward by the Barbadian government to honor their music legend Jackie Opel. Von was contracted to decorate his graveside with a tributary painting which he is rightfully very proud of. Von is making his national contribution to his beloved island through art, and shows no signs of discontinuing that contribution any time soon.
