Denzil Forrester: DJ Mix, c. 1998

Dominated by bright shades of yellow and green, DJ Mix is a characteristic example of Denzil Forrester’s practice. The figures’ distinctive clothing and expressive movements reflect the dub and reggae scene, which continues to inspire the British-Grenadian artist’s work. 

Revealing his debt to early Cubism, the artist plays with perspectival depth and transforms the revellers into a cacophony of forms that mimic the pulsing rhythm of the music. 

The painting vibrates with the energy of the nightclubs where Forrester sketched in-situ during the 1980s and 1990s to the sound of Jah Shaka and his roving sound system. Each sketch was dictated by the length of the record, roughly four minutes long, with the next beginning in sync with the changing soundtrack. 

Forrester still uses his early drawings to formulate the compositions of his works on canvas today. The energy of these gestural sketches is expressed in this painting through frenetic, angular brush strokes that capture the dynamic atmosphere of the dance floor.