THINGS THAT MATTER
Sun, 12/04/2016 - 12:00am
Pledge of Allegiance: Independence Art Exhibition
“Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
“Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.” (Somerset Maugham)
“Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” (Leonardo da Vinci)
Barbados does not have a long and hallowed tradition of fine art. There are of course some important works in the Cunard Gallery at the Barbados Museum, such as the amazingly detailed A Prospect of Bridgetown in Barbados by Samuel Copen (!693) and the impressive painting of Governor Robinson going to church (circa 1742) by an unknown artist. And the greatest of all paintings in the island is the altar painting in St. George’s Parish Church: “Rise to Power”, often called “the Resurrection”, by Benjamin West, President of the Royal Academy.
The earliest known “home grown” Bajan painters were the Victorian water-colourists Samuel Poyer and his wife Carolyn. By the mid-20th century a few schools actually had art teachers – Golde White at Codrington High School, Briggs Clarke at Harrison College, Kathleen Hawkins at Queen’s College and Karl Broodhagen at Combermere. Felix Haynes, Ivan Payne and Aileen Hamilton more or less completed the local circle of serious pioneer artists, while Fela de Kuh (Austrian) and Hector Whistler (English) brought their own skills and style, but there was no sense of promotion or celebration of fine art, and most of these pioneers worked in isolation.
Since Independence there has been what I have called “The Explosion of Fine Art”. Four major catalysts for this have been the Barbados Arts Council and its Pelican Gallery, the Fine Arts Department of the Barbados Community College, the NCF and the hosting of CARIFESTA in 1981, and the work of the National Art Gallery Committee, with its annual Award exhibitions. The Queen’s Park Gallery has been an important gallery, providing an impressive space for major shows, but private galleries have played important roles – the now defunct Kirby Gallery and Darla’s Gallery, the Gallery of Caribbean Art, the Frangipani Gallery at the Sugar Cane Club, Kathy Yearwood’s roving exhibitions and other voluntary private group exhibitions. DEPAM, the People’s Art Movement, led by Omowale Stewart, had a vibrant life, although not many Bajan artists work in groups.
This explosion of Art has been beautifully documented by Corrie Scott and Kathy Yearwood in the online Arts Directory Barbados. And we now have the first ever truly major exhibition of contemporary work in one place in the fabulous 50th Anniversary of Independence exhibition WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE at Manor Lodge, Green Hill / Warrens. It is almost certainly the most comprehensive art exhibition ever seen in Barbados, featuring 94 artists and over 300 works. The space has been kindly provided by the Elcock family in celebration of Barbados’ 50th Anniversary of Independence, and the exhibition has been curated by the artist Oneka Small – and what a wonderful job she has done.
There’s one room with works of the pioneers – Golde White, Kathleen Hawkins, Aileen Hamilton, Robert McCleod and Karl Broodhagen, and the recently departed Bill Grace. Everything else is work of currently practising artists. It’s an overwhelming display – of painting in every medium, sculpture, ceramics, weaving, assemblages, photography and some jewellery.
The entry foyer is cleverly and dramatically designed to overwhelm you at once! Pride of place goes to Akyem’s magnificent House of King David, but it’s complemented by other fine and familiar pieces.
The 8 000 square feet of space, with many rooms and wide corridors, has given Oneka both a challenge and the luxury of being able to group artists or themes. And the range of splendid work has to be seen to be believed.
It’s hardly possible to pick out favourites, apart from the familiar, the tried and the true of the artists I know and like – the familiar work of Virgil Broodhagen, Neville Legall, Joyce Daniel, David Skinner (both his famous “explosive” cricketers and a splendid and unusual landscape of the Garrison) Heather Dawn Scott, Catherine Forter Chee-A-Tow et cetera; but both these well-known artists and the younger artists’ selections stand out and make you want to see even more.
There’s a splendid array of Heidi Berger’s portraits and monoprints, and a room filled with the work of a reinvigorated Nick Whittle. I greatly enjoyed Ras Ilix Hartman’s three sculptures – Vex, Cry Blood and Rat Race, as well as Alison Chapman-Andrews’ brilliant painting of him at work; and the varied sculptures of Kenneth “Black” Blackman. Martina Pile’s calabash sculptures included a brilliant Tribute to Kamau, and her magnificent painting on the staircase wall – Tribute to Bussa – “blew me away”! Bold colour washes of Tracy Williams and Jeena Chatratni were especially attractive. And there were many artists new or relatively new to me, doing interesting work, such as Sade Payne, Ireka Jelani (expressive painting and beautiful basketry), Rivenis displaying some “fantasmagoric” digital pictures, and Aquinaldo Belgrave with clever cartoon strips.
Cy Hutchinson’s woodwork was creative and beautifully executed. I enjoyed William Cummins’s abstracts, and Nakazzi Hutchinson’s famous heads … and I particularly loved her Empress. Photography received well deserved recognition. Graham Gill, Rupert Piggot, Margaret Herbert and Nathalie Atkins-Hinds all showed pieces that made an impression. However, there’s just so much to see and enjoy – do go and see it and give yourself a couple of hours to be inspired.
Nonetheless, what must be said is that in spite of this Explosion of Fine Art that’s been taking place in Barbados since Independence, there was no place for it in the official Golden Jubilee celebrations. It had been hoped, indeed expected, based on the many pronouncements from the Ministry of Culture over the past year or two about the imminent conversion of Block A at the Garrison into the National Art Gallery, that this was on stream for the Independence celebrations. Alas, no such luck. Proposals for a quick clean-up and white painting of walls for a temporary display of the wonderful works of the National Art Collection that are in storage were not taken on.
In Jamaica the promotion of art – from the naïve to the most brilliant creative work of the Edna Manleys and Barry Watsons – is a source of enormous national pride and productivity, and their National Gallery is a “Must visit” for every one. Art in Barbados, on the other hand, very much like specialty services in the medical field, has been left to the initiative of passionate patriots with a love for art and a commitment to development. Is it a matter of what is seen by politicians as vote getting or not vote getting? When will we be mature enough to value both high culture and low culture?
Postscript: For the last month, one of our great artists of Independent Barbados, Omowale Stewart, has held a magnificent one man show at the beautiful, spacious gallery and examination hall of the Clinical Skills Complex of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI on River Road. It includes his iconic chain gang painting “Lest we forget” as well as a wealth of portraits, gorgeous ladies and new landscapes, and there is an illustrated catalogue cum biography ‘“Art Speak” – An Exhibition of the work of Omowale Stewart’. Sadly, the show came down yesterday, but art lovers can contact Omowale directly at 266 9134 (Cell) or 426 7511 (Landline) to visit his studio at Clermont.
Professor Fraser is past Dean of Medical Sciences, UWI and Professor Emeritus of Medicine. Website: f profhenryfraser.com