Words by Jesse Serwer
The late Ras Daniel Hartman is the definitive illustrator of the Rastafari experience, known for his much-copied charcoal and pencil drawings like “Prince Emanuel” (sometimes called “Original Rasta Baby”). You may also have seen Hartman, who passed away in Tanzania in 1990 two years after his repatriation to Africa, as Pedro, Ivanhoe Martin’s best friend in The Harder They Come. When selecting our lists of 50 Great Jamaicans and 10 Jamaican Visual Artists You Should Know Hartman was a “must.”
It’s no surprise that Marcus Burrowes, graphic artist and founder/designer behind one of our favorite streetwear brands Rockers NYC (and the designer of the LargeUp T-shirt), counts Hartman as one of his primary influences. Like Hartman, Burrowes creates highly original art from a Rasta viewpoint. (Read our 2012 profile on Marcus here) and in fact he grew up knowing the late artist. That influence has manifested in the form of Rockers’ latest tee design, entitled Immortal Fire, a collaboration with Hartman’s estate taken from one of his last works.
“Ras Daniel was a family friend who influenced my art a great deal,” Marcus explains. “I grew up with his son Ato Heartman who is now in charge of his estate. The art on the shirt is taken from one of his last drawings. During that time his art was heavily influenced by Egyptology as well as Rastafari.”
The Immortal Fire limited-edition T-shirt and poster are available for $35 on the Rockers NYC store.
