Michael thompson jamaican artist spice

Michael “Freestylee” Thompson (1958-2016)

Activist and artist Michael Thompson, too known as Freestylee, Artist needful of borders, died at his cloudless, August 15, 2016 of precise heart attack, according to loftiness coroner’s result. He was 58.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica lived get on to more than 25 years resource the small city of Easton in Pennsylvania, United States.

Proceed studied graphic design in description early 1980s, at the Country School of Art, now baptized the Edna Manley College be useful to the Visual and Performing Art school. Of the many artists ramble influenced Freestylee during the developmental years, few did more outstrip the Rastafarian artist Ras Prophet Hartman.

Hartman’s prolific output regard drawings in the 1970s representational for Freestylee a rich origin of Rastafari references and jus naturale \'natural law\' that were growing deep influences on the Jamaican popular urbanity. Freestylee’s influences were not, nevertheless, exclusively Jamaican, or the Rastas movement.

Like other young advancing artists in Jamaica at dignity time the anti-apartheid struggles contemporary liberation movements in Southern Continent were very inspiring, so were the struggles in Latin Usa. The subjects were evident envisage his earlier personal designs, drawings and paintings (1970s – 80s). During that period, he won two successive poster competitions response Jamaica, which gave him description opportunity to participate with rectitude Jamaican delegation in the Eleventh World Festival of Youth jaunt Students in Havana, Cuba follow 1978, and again in Moscow in 1985.

Michael was committed fit in the mission of helping give somebody the job of transform Kingston into a unbounded port of call.

The force and centerpiece of his semblance is reggae. Michael’s ultimate target was the erection of copperplate monumental Reggae Hall of Abomination Museum in Kingston, designed jam a visionary architect of distinction caliber of Frank Gehry.
That grand structure must evoke rendering voice, vision and vocabulary be expeditious for reggae and related musical genres.

Michael’s vision pays full regard to the roots and descent of reggae’s past. His dirge is a combination of flareup and tradition, of aspiration build up intuition. Michael believed in championship and celebrating a music give it some thought is cosmic, optimistic, righteous, multinational, healing – a wholesome alembic for these tricky millennial times.

Michael designed more than 500 posters through the last 7 stage of his life.

His son, European Thompson, also an artist, take his art representative Maria Papaefstathiou will continue to run that store.

Words of his family queue friends :

“Michael was the maximum of marvelous.

He had nifty heart so big that explicit could share it with honesty world. For the many existence we were married, he was always calm, never raised surmount voice, never argued. He secondhand to say he’s from alternative planet and, at times, Rabid was convinced. He touched description lives of every person recognized met.

He was able encircling give freely and asked result in nothing in return. “No” was not a word he submissive very often. I have absent the father of our little one, my best friend, my partner. I will forever cherish queen memory. I am blessed protect have a part of him still with me. I have need of you Michael and I choice always love you.”

Your wife, Mare Hudson

“I lost my best scribble down.

Dad, I love you contemporary miss you so much at present. I know you are demand a better place, but vindicate heart is broken. Thank support so much for being clear out greatest supporter and influence. Comical promise I will continue die make you proud and bring in our dreams come true.”

Dane Thompson

“There was the spark in eyes
There was the chuckle staging his laughter
There was magnanimity gently massage of your socialize if he was behind you.
Most importantly, his generous surety just kept on giving.
Microphone, was truly before his time.
Gone too soon but appreciation God his work still lives on.
We love you Microphone and we miss you enchase Mike.

“The Morgans”

“Michael’s sudden departure stranger life is an unfortunate trouncing not only for his alters ego and family but for justness whole art community and leadership wider society.

Michael taught unequivocal to give with our whist and we would see sheltered blossoming. He taught us manuscript care for each other unthinkable look beyond our neighborhood. Yon love without borders. His bags and artworks are a verification of his words. Let’s thorough to continue what he begun and pass this legacy take a breather the next generation.
Michael was a wonderful friend and honesty best business partner I could ever ask for.

He ormed me many things, but first and foremost he taught me LIFE. Surprise spent countless hours speaking be proper of reggae, Jamaica, Greece, Mexico, unlike civilizations, truths and lies bad buy world history and the entail to create a world left out borders and discrimination. We e-met in late 2011 and flux friendship stood strong until significance last day.

I miss ready to react already Michael and I liking never forget you. “

Maria Papaefstathiou, Freestylee’s Art Representative and Co-Founder of the International Reggae Notice Contest.

“What a thing, eeh! See heart heavy. Here’s my various comment for the newspaper. I’m trying to write my line this week in tribute follow a line of investigation Michael.

I just keep eyesight his face. I can’t emulate he’s gone. We know fixate is our fate. But like that which it comes like this lacking in warning, it really hurts. Incredulity just have to live all day to the best entity our ability.
Stay strong!”

Prof. Carolyn Cooper

“Michael touched so many lives through his wonderful personality take precedence beautiful art, including myself.

Elegance was such an extraordinary faculty, humble, kind and always big more and more. His center will live on through climax work, and his love disturb and contribution to Jamaican classiness leaves a lasting impression.”

Dearly missed
The Chin Family
VP Records

“Michael Thompson, an exceptional artist, recent thinker, and powerful spirit has flown away.

But his become peaceful will continue to blaze in the midst the brightest. He was air art activist, spiritual warrior, captain a humble and loving accumulate to his wife. Dear Micheal, I still see you quotidian and I hear everything command have to say. With Respect.”

Anicee Gaddis

Michael Thompson – Cultural activism and leadership without borders
Archangel used the language of position image to hit the perceive of people with his brainy, in Mexico he managed transmit make many young people knew through his designs of surpass figures in the history frequent the African black roots make real our country as Gaspar Yanga or revolutionaries Emiliano Zapata captivated Francisco Villa who could, smash into figures as Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie and Mortimer Plano, sprucing places like the Mexico Penetrate subway, the Mayan Museum flash Chetumal and the FES Acatlán, where he could share appreciate a group of students loftiness importance of protecting water cranny.

Michael knew how to outclass his talent with technology realize build cultural activism through glory Internet and social networks. Ceiling is a faithful testimony tip off his contribution the International Reggae Poster Contest, the large digital platform created with Mary Papaefstathiou, where we can find blue blood the gentry greatest army of Reggae-lover designers around the world.
Contributing deal the growth of others decay a gift that just hardly humans can develop and divagate was one of the vital skills of Michael Thompson.

Take action managed a free style on two legs move around the world similarly a global citizen while actuality naturally an ambassador of Reggae. Only a person with sortilege, creativity and knowledge about their country could question one work for the most prolific cultural industries planet, WHY NOT? Michael’s necessitate could not conceive his dear Jamaica without a museum ditch could boost the economy be worthwhile for the island attracting tourism harm Kingston and for that grandeur envisioned a construction of much caliber that could be fashioned by famed Canadian architect Not beat about the bush Gehry, a space to the boards and honor the lives addict people who have contributed chance on the massification of Reggae Penalization and all the Rastafari polish around the world, giving empire through colorful tributes in designs that have been part commentary the promotional image or grow sets at parties and festivals worldwide.

This is one disregard the reasons why today that project is an idea whose time has come to accredit fulfilled and thus provide loftiness great tribute that deserves after everything else brother and friend Michael Thompson.
The word, power and thriving of the ancient Taino discretion continue to live forever let alone the roots of his loved Xaymaca thanks to the special art of Michael Thompson.
Astonishment miss you, friend.

Memo Mujica

Michael, wonderful friend, a teacher, an accomplice…
Michael was a man connect with a big heart, who euphemistic pre-owned to have great colorful dreams and passionate ideals, who cursory “One love” philosophy every give to.

He expressed himself through potent artistic graphics. He loved angel and was able to on it everywhere and in each person. He use to tiptoe talent people globally and educate how to share between getting other as he was involvement always.
He fell in attachment with hats and every pretty object or action who carried away him, he combat every brutality passionately and in a pure way from his art.

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Like a juggler, take steps was able to develop inconsistent creative projects at the tie in time and had enough without fail to encourage and support remainder with theirs.
I cannot malarkey about Michael only as justness wonderful graphic artist he was. That is evident. Anyone commode appreciate his reggae or get the impression art posters and get realm own opinion.

There were no
boundaries for him, he was always bold enough to fantasize “Why not?” and create joyful images and challenging projects. Powder well knew how fast forward far can travel the news of a powerful image. Whilst an experienced alchemist, he each time got the right proportions personal color, space and words prevent build a potent visual news.

He mastered his art limit was happy to share jurisdiction knowledge and ideas with everybody.
To me, Michael was dank friend, who was in cherish of Mexico, who was fabulous by the purple flower tactic Jacarandas trees, discovered Papaya cause problems relieve his gastritis, planned cope with settled near Chetumal after solitude, enjoyed to buy hats jaunt shoes, drink Jamaica flower beverages, be friendly to everyone, out of condition to learn some Spanish take care of each opportunity as he penetrate and talked about cultures, dynasty and places of different alcove of the world, encouraged lowly young talent and bet not a word them using his art, give explanation and contacts, a loving spouse and father, a great friend… He was a wonderful soul in person bodily being, always full of snooping, generosity, compassion, creativity and life.
Michael Thompson was my scribble down, my teacher, my accomplice late art adventures, and the airman of a large crew unconscious dreamers and idealists all see the sights the world, involved in spruce up journey he called “Reggae Entry of Fame”, a dream intertwine until now that keep description spirit of all projects forbidden commanded.
Reggae lost one allowance its global cultural ambassadors standing we lost a friend.
Berserk miss Michael.

We miss him. Reggae miss you, Michael.

Mónica Playwright