Petrine Archer-Straw (26 December 1956 – 5 December 2012) was a British artist,

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

, and

curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...

who specialised in the art of the

Caribbean people Caribbean people are the people born in or inhabitants of the Caribbean region or people of Caribbean descent living outside the Caribbean. The Caribbean region was initially populated by Amerindians from several different Kalinago and Taino ...

."A tribute to Petrine Archer-Straw"
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 23 December 2012. In the words of

Eddie Chambers Edward Chambers (born March 29, 1982) is an American former professional boxer. He challenged once for a unified world heavyweight title in 2010. He was ranked as the fourth best heavyweight in the world by '' The Ring'' at the conclusion of 200 ...

: "In her work as an artist, academic, art historian, writer and curator, Archer-Straw consistently challenged the prevailing orthodoxies that treat Caribbean artists and cultural practice in geographical, racial and artistic isolation. In essence, her position was that we cannot fully understand or appreciate the practice of Caribbean artists without due consideration of broader factors such as migration, history, identity and, above all diaspora – the scattering of many black people beyond their ancestral homeland of Africa."

Early life

Petrine Archer-Straw was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England, to

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

n parents, and was raised during the 1960s in an atmosphere of "... racial pride, and activism".''Back to Black'', p. 35. Her father arrived in England in 1955 as a linotype press operator and subsequently sent for his family to join him. Archer-Straw notes that her home was a hub for the community.''Back to Black'', p. 36. These were extremely formative experiences for the young Archer-Straw, who also recalls how she "would do the rounds n Sundaywith my father, .... joining in house to house campaigning and, in the summer, attending the numerous rallies and protest marches. However, this community work eventually drew the ire of the right-wing

British National Front The National Front (NF) is a Far-right politics, far-right, British fascism, fascist list of political parties in the United Kingdom, political party in the United Kingdom. It is currently led by Tony Martin. A minor party, it has never had it ...

and the family subsequently moved to

in the early 1970s, where Archer-Straw finished high school and started university.

Education

Archer-Straw earned a theology, history, sociology B.A. degree at the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

(1975–78) and later earned a cultural history M.Phil. (1983–87) at the same institution. She was also trained as an artist at the Jamaican School of Art (Diploma, painting, 1979–82). She received degrees from the

Courtauld Institute The Courtauld Institute of Art (), commonly referred to as The Courtauld, is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art and conservation. The art collection is known particularly for ...

at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

, where she earned an M.A. in art history and a PhD (art history modern,

Negrophilia The word ''negrophilia'' is derived from the French ''négrophilie'' that means "love of the Negro". It was a term that avant-garde artists used among themselves to describe their fetishization of Black cultures. Its origins were concurrent wi ...

, 1994–95).

Academic career

Archer-Straw published numerous books and catalogues, including ''Eugene Palmer'' (October 1993, in collaboration with Jane Norrie), ''New World Imagery'' (October 1995), ''Negrophilia: Avant-Garde Paris and Black Culture in the 1920s'' (November 2000),Michael Rogin
"Mon Pays"
''

London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published bimonthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of Book ...

'', Vol. 23, No. 4, 22 February 2001, pp. 21–23. ''Fifty Years, Fifty Artists'' (May 2001), and ''Back to Black: Art, Cinema and the Racial Imaginary'' (June 2005, in collaboration with

David A. Bailey David A. Bailey (born 1961), is a British Afro-Caribbean curator, photographer, writer and cultural facilitator, living and working in London. Among his main concerns are the notions of diaspora and black representation in art. Biography Bai ...

, and Richard J. Powell). Additionally, she taught at the

at the

(lecturer, 1994–95), served as the first Head of Art History at the

Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, (formerly Jamaica School of Art and Crafts), is an art school in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1940, Edna Manley pioneered evening art classes at the Institute of Jamaica's Junior Centre but it wa ...

in Jamaica (2002–05), and served as a

postdoctoral research fellow A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, h ...

(2005–06) and

visiting lecturer In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting scientist, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic fo ...

(from 2006) at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

Ithaca, New York Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...

. She completed a two-year residency as a faculty guest in the

Telluride House The Telluride House, formally the Cornell Branch of the Telluride Association (CBTA), and commonly referred to as just "Telluride", is a highly selective residential community of Cornell University students and faculty. Founded in 1910 by Amer ...

Cornell Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since ...

. She taught the Caribbean Dialogs Live! course at TASP 2008 (

Telluride Association Summer Program Telluride Association Summer Programs, or TASPs, were selective six-week educational experiences for rising high school seniors offering intellectual challenges beyond secondary school level. Description The programs were designed to bring toge ...

) with Professor Petrina Dacres.

''Negrophilia''

Archer-Straw's book ''Negrophilia: Avant-Garde Paris and Black Culture in the 1920s'' focused on the fashion for African artefacts, themes and emblems in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

of the 1920s, including figures such as

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

. The book inspired a jazz album by

Mike Ladd Mike Ladd is an American alternative hip-hop artist. Based in Paris, France, ''The Guardian'' once described him as "the king of the hip-hop concept." Early life Mike Ladd was born in Boston, Massachusetts. As a child, he lived in India and Zimb ...

, ''Negrophilia: The Album'' (2005), on

Thirsty Ear Thirsty Ear Recordings is an American independent record label. It was founded in the late 1970s as a marketing company for the then-unnamed alternative music field, and expanded to issue its own records in 1990. Thirsty Ear came to prominence ...

.Joe Tangari
"Mike Ladd: Negrophilia" (review)
Pitchfork, 30 January 2005. The album's lyrics combine references to the milieu that Archer-Straw defines with references to the civil rights struggle in the US and more recent pop music;

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

said: "its best moments are stellar and exhilarating" and scored it 7.2/10.

Curator

In addition to her academic work, Dr Archer-Straw was a consultant for the development of the

National Art Gallery of the Bahamas The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) is an art museum located in Nassau, The Bahamas. It was the first institution of its kind in the country's history. Announced in 1996 by then-Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham, the NAGB was part of a ...

, and also curated numerous exhibits mainly related to

Caribbean art Caribbean art refers to the visual (including painting, photography, and printmaking) as well as plastic arts (such as sculpture) originating from the islands of the Caribbean (for mainland-Caribbean see '' Caribbean South America''). Art in the C ...

and

Jamaican art Jamaican art dates back to Jamaica's indigenous Taino Indians who created zemis, carvings of their gods, for ritual spiritual purposes. The demise of this culture after European colonisation heralded a new era of art production more closely relat ...

, including: *

October Gallery October Gallery is an art gallery in central London, England, established in 1979."About Us"
October ...

, London: ''Home and Away: 7 Jamaican Artists'' (1994–95) *

Royal Academy of Art The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

, London: ''Africa: The Art of a Continent'' (1994–95) *

Hayward Gallery The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre in central London, England and part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings (the Royal ...

, South Bank Centre: ''New World Imagery: Contemporary Jamaican Art'' (1995–96) *

The British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

: ''Photos and Phantasms: Harry Johnston’s Photographs of the Caribbean'' (1997–98) * National Art Gallery of the Bahamas: ''One Man's Vision: The Vincent D'Aguilar Collection'' (2000) * National Art Gallery of the Bahamas: ''Past, Present, Personal: The Dawn Davies Collection'' (2002) * College Art Gallery, EMCVPA: ''Fifty Years-Fifty Artists'' (2003–04) * College Art Gallery, cage EMCVPA: ''The Vivian Virtue Collection'' (2005)

Death

Petrine Archer-Straw died unexpectedly, aged 55, on 5 December 2012 at UWI Hospital as the result of a

sickle-cell Sickle cell disease (SCD), also simply called sickle cell, is a group of inherited haemoglobin-related blood disorders. The most common type is known as sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying p ...

crisis., ''

ARC Magazine ''ARC Magazine'' is an art magazine covering contemporary Caribbean art and culture. It was founded in 2011 as a non-profit print and digital magazine publication with an active web following. ''ARC'' profiles established and emerging artists li ...

'', 5 December 2012.

Notes

by Petrine Archer-Straw
List of books by Petrine Archer-Straw
Amazon.

Petrine Archer.com
a website built by Petrine Archer-Straw
"Rest in peace, Petrine"
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 9 December 2012. {{DEFAULTSORT:Archer-Straw, Petrine 1956 births 2012 deaths Artists from Birmingham, West Midlands British art historians British expatriate academics in the United States Caribbean art British women art historians Deaths from sickle-cell disease People with sickle-cell disease