Abstract

ABSTRACT


“COME DOWN SELECTA”- Capturing the Dancehall Phenomenon Through the Album Art of Wilfred Limonious
Audrey Arthurs
This thesis examines the artwork of Wilfred Limonious (1949-1999), who illustrated hundreds of vinyl album covers for dancehall music, a sub-genre of reggae music, during the 1980s and 1990s. In this thesis dancehall music is regarded as a personal, musical response to inner-city struggles, oppression and the repeated denial of opportunities to improve standards of living and community safety. Using a satirical, comics-like style, Limonious illustrated the musical scene and inner-city lifestyle of Kingston, Jamaica; his art replete with razor sharp wit and humour yet imbued with empathy and respect for the men and women he depicts. The only scholarly work to date that discusses Limonious’s work is Christopher Bateman’s exhibition catalogue In Fine Style: The Dancehall Art of Wilfred Limonious (2016). My research sets out to situate Limonious’s work within the history of comics, by comparing his work to countercultural comics and to a number of Black (American) artists who drew Black characters during the early and mid 20th century. This thesis also draws on interdisciplinary scholarship to frame Limonious’s art: cultural studies, histories of Jamaica, musicology, and gender theory. More specifically, the thesis focuses on gender dynamics in dancehall culture, which takes the form of flashy clothing, bling, exaggerated erotic performances, and fantastical violence. This thesis examines the gender dynamics in his artwork, while focusing on the hypersexual performances of both men and women in the dancehall space and on dancehall album art.