Visual Culture: Robin Clare’s Jamaica Project + Dancing Words

Words by Jesse Serwer

It was the good people at London’s Shimmy Shimmy who first first brought visual artist Robin Clare and her Jamaica Project to our attention last year, and since then we’ve been kind of obsessed. Hailing from Jamaica (via Belize) but currently based in Sydney, Australia, Clare’s recent work is inspired by dancehall culture and more specifically the advertising of it, specifically the brilliant aesthetics of Jamaican party promotions. For her latest series, dubbed Dancing Words, Clare takes inspiration from popular dances such as Pon Di River, Pon Di Bank, the Butterfly and Shell Dung, with repetitious prints illustrating the steps’ movements.

Meanwhile, clothing brands have taken of note of her great eye. Rub A Dub Clothing has made several T-shirts from her designs; design-savvy Brooklyn label Mixpak Records tapped Robin to design their tasteful Schlachthofbronx Jump and Wine T. Visit her site to see more of her work and buy prints, and read Shimmy Shimmy’s excellent interview on her inspirations here.