Abstract

Abstracts

The painting at left, ‘Guiana Emergent’ – Oil, 24” x 18” (1966, McWatt) was created to visually represent key events in the social and political evolution of British Guiana leading up to its independent state. It is constructed of a central block representing 10,000 years of occupation by Native Indians who migrated from East Asia and inhabited the Upper Amazon Basin, South America in the land now called Guyana. This core is surrounded by the numbers 4-9, indicating years from the 1400’s to 1900’s. Varying marks indicate key historical events during that period. Among events referenced are arrival of the first Europeans at the end of the 1400’s, decimation of the Amerindian population in the early 1500’s, shifts between colonial rule by Dutch and British settlers between the 1500’s and 1900’s, arrival of the first African slaves in the mid 1600’s, the slave rebellion in 1763, abolition of slavery in 1834, arrival of indentured workers from Madeira in 1835, indentured laborers from India in 1838 and the labor uprising in 1905. The work culminates with the depiction of civil unrest followed by colors of the national flag of Guyana reflecting its independence from British rule in May 1966.