With consultation from the artist’s family and friends, and with the help of the Art in the Dancehall folks and Dan at the Limonious myspace page, I have been working towards a published volume of Wilfred Limonious art.

With over a 150 album covers to his credit, the late Wilfred Limonious is one of dancehall reggae’s most prolific illustrators. In the early months of 2010 I visited Jamaica to research the man and attempt to create a proper compilation of his work. While on the island, I was fortunate to meet with many of his music and design colleagues, his cartoonist contemporaries, and most importantly, his friends and family.

The book is well under way and we hope to be finished the layout in March.

In the meantime, this site hopes to honour the art, career, and impact of Wilfred Limonious, an artist who is as prolific as he is under-discussed. I will be updating the site on a semi-regular basis.

I can be reached at bateman.c.j@gmail.com

Enjoy

Christopher

Al Fingers and Shimmy Shimmy are bringing their Art in the Dancehall show to LA for the month of February. I will be there opening night (feb 2) to represent the Limonious massive.

Come check it!

Al Fingers is in New York this week to build some hype for his new Clarks Book. While there, he’s bringing his Art in the Dancehall to Miss Lily’s.

Check the posters here and check the shows if you are in the NY area!

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Al Fingers and Shimmy Shimmy’s Art in the Dancehall exhibition has a slick new website, which includes a short write-up about Limonious by myself. Thanks so much to the Limonious family for their cooperation, for Al and Shimmy for all the hard work, and for Power House for letting them use some of their covers.

Big news from Al Fingers specifically: his Clarks in Jamaica book is set to launch on November 19th  and we’re all super excited about it. First the GWG book gets released and now Al’s book on Clarks; two books that I’ve been waiting my whole life for.

In case there was any confusion, this new book delves into the culture of Clarks footwear in Jamaica.

In the Limonious book news, we finished shooting the last of the album jackets for our little book project. Now time to hunker down and piece this thing together!

Will update….

The Honda S90 was a very popular bike in Jamaica in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s. Probably its biggest reggae reference was Big Youth‘s “S90 Skank” where the screaming target kicked off the recording by revving an S90 engine in the studio.

In my opinion the bike looks amazing. I once had a line on one to buy but had to pass on it because it would mean signing on for a lifelong project repairing it.

In one of the very first Limonious-related interviews that I had someone do for me while I was a’foreign, the legendary Derrick Harriott dropped a serious bit about Limonious and his penchant for drawing the S90.

“…Limonious had some work during these different passages of time on dancehall music. You also had the S90 era and the Dub era. All these important because at the change of intervals, new graphic images are depicted on the cover of the albums. For example, S90 Bike era, you have the small scooter bikes with persons on them being shown”

Whether the bikes on Limonious‘ covers are S90s or not is not for me to say but I can say the following: on Toyan’s “Hot Bubble Gum” it is a definitely a Honda 450, on Papa San’s “Animal Party” it is definitely insane, and on the Winston Riley’s “DJ Explosion”, it definitely ah BOOM!

Some exciting dispatches from the Art in the Dancehall exhibit happening in the UK right now care of Shimmy Shimmy and my man Al Fingers. Some Limonious pieces are featured among a huge selection of Dancehall art, including a short biography and photo of Limonious from In Fine Style.

I am really honoured and excited to be a part of this. I am very much into Tony McDermott’s new style and the recreation of Buju’s Stamina Daddy suit by Daniel David Freeman!

Enjoy the pics below (all courtesy of Al Fingers from here, except for the stamina daddy suit, which is care of Gavin Lucas at Creative Review) and check out this write-up from Creative Review

I am very loosely (by way of Al Newman) contributing to this exhibit in Birmingham, UK with A tiny write-up about Limonious and a few pictures and scans from my collection.

Wish I could be there, but big ups to the UK for celebrating JA’s 50 right.

Check the whole festival’s brochure here

I am a little late with this news, but reggae vet King Stitt has sadly passed.

More info can be found here.

RIP

This week marks the anniversary of Wilfred Limonious‘ death.

Back cover for M. E. Spencer's "Jesus will carry you through" album

Back from Jamaica. I had a total blast. Respect to everyone that I met with and stayed with. The Limonious uncoverings were a bit lighter this time around, but the trip was well worth it. Hope to be back real soon.

Here is one cool find: