kamea gallery - prints - Haile Selassie

The repetitive image of Haile Selassie in this piece points to the overuse and commercialization of images relating to the Rastafarian lifestyle and Reggae music. Many people wear the Rasta images such as the Lion of Judah and the Star of David in the characteristic red, gold, green and black colors without knowing what they mean. These images have been romanticized and drained of meaning by excessive exposure like the image of Che Guevara, who was not just a revolutionary but also a ruthless murderer. On the other hand, the image of Haile Selassie, who is revered by Rastafarians, is relatively unknown. The rectangle on the right side of the image as well as the colors of the piece were inspired by a painting entitled Flags by Jasper Johns which pictured an American flag in its complimentary colors. Similar to Flags, if viewers stare closely at the center of the rectangle for sixty seconds and then close their eyes, they can see an afterimage of Haile Selasie pictured in front of the traditional Rastafarian colors. While the Jasper Johns image was later used as the poster for one of the first protests for the Vietnam War entitled Moratorium, this image is not meant as a protest against Haile Selasie or the Rastafarian religion, but rather tries to convey the idea that viewers should internalize and understand the colors and symbols that they see and wear.

Haile Selassie