Rastafari in The Visual Arts

The image in the bottom left-hand corner of the previous work of art brings up another concept of Rastafari that is represented visually by many Rasta artists; that is the concept of"I". Rastafarians do not believe in the use of the word"you"or"me"because it suggests a difference between"you"and"I". The Rasta mentality is that all of mankind is equal, and there should be no distinction between"you"and"I". When referring to his fellow man, the Rastaman says"I and I", even if speaking to a non-Rastafarian (Barrett,144). The phrase"I and I"does not only address whoever the Rasta is speaking to, but is also inclusive of God and all creation; the Rastaman is speaking to anyone and everything all at once (Snider, 2/25). In the bottom-left portion of Faristzaddi's beautifully colored drawing is a photo-collage of a peacock feather superimposed over a human eye. The peacock has a mythological background; that is that the bird's feathers received their eye-like patterns from the death of the watchman"Argus", who had one hundred eyes and only closed two at a time to rest (Ovid, 22). Perhaps this double use of eye imagery has to do with being aware at all times ("Watch your back in Babylon"). Another reference to the eye in Rastafarian speech is the word"seen", which is used as a questioning of clarity in communication. To the Rastas, vision is not simply through the eyes, but also through the entire body and spirit. A biblical quote also found in"The First Itation"explains the significance of the eye:"The light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body is also full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."-St. Luke (Faristzaddi, First Itation). This quote also reveals the concept of"one eye", and being either full of light, or tainted by darkness. The concept of"I"is the most evident in the speech of the Rastafarians and their alterations of words such as:"Itation, Irie Ites, Ital, Ipreme, Idren, and so on. This concept, along with the"One Love"concept is also one of the Rastafarian beliefs that is shared naturally by many other people whether religious or not. One can feel the gaze of the eye, and have a connection with the piece of art while also being spiritually connected to their personal god.

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Another of Millard Faristzaddi's colored pencil drawings, which can be viewed on the following page, is an excellent example of one of the main themes of the Marcus Garvey Movement; that is, the"back to Africa"ideal. In this interpretation of the solar system, the sun is represented by the star of Solomon, which has a black heart within it, and the nine planet float in their respective orbits. To the left of the sun is the earth, and on the earth is an oversized image of Africa in green, gold, and red. The Rastafarians believe that all roots of mankind originated in the continent of Africa, and since the Rasta's ancestors were forcibly taken from their homes in Africa and sold into Jamaican slavery, the Rastas feel that they should be able to return to their rightful homes. Africa is Heaven (Zion) for the Rastafarians, and Jamaica is Hell (Babylon).