MUSE: Kathleen Rollock

Book Project - 2019 to present

When I was a Lecturer at John S Donaldson Technical Institute, Kathleen Rollocks served as a Model for our Drawing classes. I knew that she was painted by Boscoe Holder and I constantly suggested to her that she tell her story of her experiences with one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most famous Artists.

Kathleen also worked at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts when I began Lecturing there in 2008. In fact, Kathleen is in demand also at (UTT)The University of Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2019 Kathleen sought me out to be her exclusive Writer to pen a memoir about her life experience with Boscoe Holder.

Biography of the relationship between the Artist Boscoe Holder and his Muse Kathleen Rollocks

Table of contents

1.Meeting Boscoe

2.First experiences as a model

3.Her life before Boscoe

4.Other Artists

5.John D, Costaat, UTT, UWI 6.Reflections on Bosco's legacy Chapter

outline/abstracts. Autobiographical memoir

Art History

Art Practice

Current Manuscript format, third draft

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Meeting Boscoe

He was standing under the Woolworth turquoise and grey awnings on Frederick Street, Port-Of-Spain that day. He was wearing precisely pressed,white three-quarter length pants topped with a white tailored shirt. His dis tinctively rich baritone voice intoning the statement, “I am Boscoe Holder, do you know who I am?” Kathleen had gone into town with her friend Jemma that morning. Jemma had known Boscoe, having posed for him before, and they had crossed the street for Jemma to speak with him when he uttered those words to Kathleen directly. Kathleen looked at him and cheekily replied, “I don’t know who you are.” She had instantly caught Boscoe’s attention. This spon taneous moment would spark a life long re- lationship. He asked her whether she would consider coming to his home to pose for a painting. He said that he would pay her $25. She was taken aback by how much that was. In 1975, that was very good money for something of which she had no idea, but clearly found intruiging enough to agree to. Kathleen was nineteen years old. She was tall, lithe, all cheekbones and angles at ninety-two pounds; soaking wet with recently shorn wavy, thick, black hair. Her skin tone was velvety dark brown. She arranged with Boscoe to meet him the fol- lowing day at home at 31 Industry Lane, Belmont. This was the home of Auntie Kay, that pioneering radio personality.

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Sheila, Boscoe’s wife was Auntie Kay’s daughter and she and Boscoe were living in the ground floor rooms of the two story house. Boscoe was in his early fifties, and the couple had recently returned from London. The living room of the ground floor had been pressed into service as Boscoe’s studio. Kathleen arrived the next morning accompanied by Jemma for nine o’clock. Boscoe’s routines were always timed. Painting from nine to eleven every day, he would then walk the short dis tance from home in Belmont to the Living Waters Restaurant in upper Port-of-Spain for lunch and then back to his studio for the evening evaluation of that morning’s work. Having had no experience and no expectations of what sitting would entail, Kathleen viewed it simply as a job. She sat in the same clothes which she had worn to travel to his studio. His canvas was already primed and Boscoe worked deftly and quietly, with paintbrush to surface. There was no music or conversation between them. The Artist painted and the Sitter, sat. Kathleen felt that Boscoe was sizing her up to see whether she would be suitable for the task. Would she be able to sit without fidgeting, slouching or touching her face and hair? Could she hold the pose and remain convincingly present at all times? She took to this prospect from the very first moment and it felt quite natural to her. The sitting lasted for three hours and Boscoe paid her as he had promised. Reaching into his trouser pocket, he placed the money into her hand and made ar- rangements for her to return the next day, at the same time.