#23 Paul Simmon

This is one of Paul Simmon's works that I like. I like that it is very simple and not very concerned with extreme detail. You can definitely feel that island flare that he is trying to portray in his artwork. You can feel the laid back feel of the island from the men sitting together enjoy a beer to the woman walking by carrying the basket of fruits on her head. I like the bold bright colors that are also typical in the tropics and I like his use of border.

Paul was born and raised in the UK. In 1970 when Paul was 21 he moved to the Caribbean, more specifically the island of St. Lucia. Paul first learned about batik while he was on a flight, that is where he read about it in an in flight magazine. In 1980 Paul was commissioned to make a number of pieces for a friend which lead to further commissions from people such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Princess Margaret. In 1981 his work was shown at the world bank in Washington DC. Since then Paul has created and managed several restaurants and batik studios on the island, many which combine food and art which make for a very colorful cuisine. His inspirations for his work come from the natural beauty of the island such as the tropical rain forest and its birds and flowers. He likes to give a Caribbean flare to his work.