Thierry Lamare thinks back on a memorable encounter on Long Island, The Bahamas

A reflection by artist Thierry Lamare:

Thierry Lamare
"Mr. Louis Taylor"
Egg tempura on wood panel
48" by 24"

During one of my many adventures in search of subjects, I was walking down the street in Seymours, Long Island, when my attention drifted toward a little blue cottage, typically Bahamian, and also, as often is in the Out Islands, very run down.

This was a witness of the past and living proof of the many decades of rough Out Island life. Brutal sun, hurricane force winds, and salt air were the culprits that led to the condition of this lovely cottage. This was enough to trigger my interest in this place and so I ventured onto the property.

Suddenly, Mr. Louis Taylor appeared. He was wearing a blue striped shirt and on his head a little white hat, which seemed to have been through the same rough weather as the cottage. My interest suddenly switched from that run down home to the man before me.

He was easy to talk to with a big generous smile. Humility and pride were pouring out of his eyes and face. While he was talking, I couldn’t help being distracted by his shirt that matched the blue horizontal stripes of the cottage siding. His strong hands told no lies about the hard working life that the Out Islands provide.

We spoke for a while and before we parted I took photos of him to help me remember that moment. I promised that I would be back to visit.

The following year I returned to Seymours. To my disappointment, the cottage was boarded up. No one was in sight. 

I never saw Mr. Taylor again and even today I still wonder what became of him.

The Fabric Workshop & Museum presents Janine Antoni with Anna Halprin and Stephen Petronio

From April 21 to July 31, 2016, The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) premieres Ally, an exhibition of art and dance conceived and performed by artist Janine Antoni in collaboration with choreographer Stephen Petronio and movement artist Anna Halprin.

"Taking the form of performances, installation environments, videos, and sculptures, Ally will occupy four floors of our contemporary art museum in Center City," notes Susan Lubowsky Talbott, interim executive director. 

"I conceived of this project more than six years ago as a kind of retrospective of my art making, told through dance," says Janine Antoni. "It has evolved into a truly collaborative creation that allows us to find a way to continue making new work while looking back."

The exhibition comprises four projects:

Rope Dance, an improvised performance work instigated by Halprin, who presented a rope to Antoni and Petronio to be used as a tool to connect their bodies and draw lines through space. The concept has been expanded to include the participation of audience members and, when the performance is not taking place, a wall-sized projection of Halprin watching the process of a dance coming into form. (Performance, monthly, and installation, first floor)

Swallow, a complex installation project that began with Antoni and Petronio making a unique performance in which they each swallowed half of a 10-foot strip of cloth. In the installation, the recovered remnant is housed in a spot-lit, elevated reliquary. Audio speakers suspended over conversation chairs allow visitors to listen to different "testimonies" from the only ten "witnesses" to the live act of swallowing. Across the room, visitors encounter a simple glass vitrine containing another piece of cloth, upon which is printed the only photograph of the swallowing ritual. This relic is slowly decomposing. (Installation, second floor)

The Courtesan and the Crone, a work in which, wearing a shimmery gold robe, Venetian mask, and pair of women's pumps, Petronio performs a dance of seduction originally created by Halprin as a solo for herself. At its completion, Petronio hooks his golden robe to a rope attached to a red theater curtain. As the curtain descends, the costume rises. (Performance, monthly, and installation, seventh floor)

Paper Dance, an improvised movement performance performed by Antoni once a week for 14 weeks. Drawing on images and concerns that have long preoccupied her as an artist, Antoni uses rolls of brown paper, originally employed by Halprin in her seminal work Parades and Changes (1965). The performances take place within an installed arena of many wooden packing crates containing artworks by Antoni. Each iteration calls for Antoni to begin by unpacking one of her earlier works from a crate. A "retrospective" of Antoni's previous works slowly emerges, with chosen works appearing, remaining for a week, then disappearing as they are re-packed. When the performances are not taking place, a film of Halprin's Parades and Changes is screened. The paper remnants of Antoni's performances slowly accumulate over the course of the exhibition. (Performance, weekly, and installation, eighth floor)

Related programme

Further details at fabricworkshopandmuseum.org

Ally afternoon performances 

April 21, 1–4:30pm

Performances of Rope Dance, The Courtesan and the Crone, and Paper Dance

Ally reception

April 21, 5–9pm

Performances of The Courtesan and the Crone and Paper Dance 

Paper Dance

April 26, May 6, 26, June 3, 10, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 1–2pm

Performance

Ally performances

May 15, June 18, July 31

Performances of Rope Dance, The Courtesan and the Crone, and Paper Dance

Conversation with the artists and performances

May 21

Artists conversation and performances of The Courtesan and the Crone and Paper Dance 

Janine Antoni, artist talk & Paper Dance

June 25

Publication

A book work edited by the British writer and performance scholar Adrian Heathfield in collaboration with the artists will be created as an element of Ally. The book will include essays from Heathfield, Carol Becker, Jacquelynn Baas and Richard Move, as well as a specially commissioned and translated work by the acclaimed French theorist and novelist Hélène Cixous. The book contains extensive documentation of the collaborating artists' processes and works.

About the funders

Major support for Ally has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Initial support for this project was provided by Creative Capital. Additional funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Shipley-Miller Foundation, and the Board of Directors and Members of The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

Press contacts

Anne Edgar: anne@anneedgar.com / T 646 336 7230

Michele Bregande, The Fabric Workshop and Museum: michele@fabricworkshopandmuseum.org / 

T 215 561 8888

Transforming Spaces 2016 VIP Event

As part of our fundraising for Transforming Spaces, tickets are still available for an exclusive VIP RECEPTION hosted by The Towne Hotel on George Street, Downtown Nassau this Friday, March 11th beginning at 7 PM.  

The evening includes: 

A 'First Look' at the featured artists new work, which will occupy (5) hotel rooms, the rooftop patio and pool area;

A 'Meet & Greet' with the participating artists, curators and TS Committee Members;

Live Music by DJ Ampero; 

A fine selection of hors d'oeuvres and drinks provided by the hotel. 

We are committed to making Transforming Spaces a viable and forward thinking art event - the vehicle for supporting and promoting contemporary art and artists in The Bahamas. Please come out as your presence and support enable us to develop and grow each year.  

Tickets are available and on sale at the following locations: Antonius Roberts' Studio & Gallery at Hillside House / Bahama Hand Prints / Doongalik Studios / The Place For Art / The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas / The Island House

For more information please visit our website http://tsbahamas.com/contact-us/tickets/

PopopStudios Artist Tessa Whitehead selected as top emerging to watch at Major Contemporary Art Fair

Popopstudios artist Tessa Whitehead was selected as a top ten emerging artist to watch at art fair Volta NY by industry publication, Art and Signature. This is the fourth year that Bahamian art studio and gallery Popopstudios has been selected to exhibit at the fair which took place from March 2-6 at Pier 90 in Hells Kitchen, New York City. Whitehead, the first Bahamian woman to exhibit as a solo artist at a major art fair, was selected from more than 100 artists represented by galleries, not-for-profits, and artist-run spaces from 50 cities around the world. Volta NY is a tightly curated fair renowned for its diverse showings and for featuring the best in emerging contemporary artists from across the globe.



ABOUT POPOPSTUDIOS

Established in 1999 in a historic district in the heart of Nassau, Bahamas, Popopstudios International Center for The Visual Arts is a non-profit, independent art studio and gallery dedicated to the preservation and advancement of alternative Bahamian visual culture. Popopstudios is the only artist-run studio space in The Bahamas and is the country’s premier platform for international artist in residence programs. Its goal is to educate, promote, expose and defend new and challenging developments in contemporary art in The Bahamas. Popopstudios exists to harbour both seasoned and developing artists interested in new media and mixed media processes, while projecting these efforts to a national and international audience. For more information please visit www.popopstudios.com
Contact:
Royann Dean
royann@royanndean.com
Telephone: +1 242.422.0697

Cities, consumption and culture Blue Curry completes a month-long residency program in Miami

Bahamian artist Blue Curry has gotten 2016 started with some fresh ideas, thanks to a recent residency program at Cannonball.

Cannonball is a Miami-based arts organization dedicated supporting artists through “experimental programs, resources and opportunities”, according to its website. Its residency program is a core component, and is open to long and short-term residents based both in the States and internationally.

Curry, a Bahamian artist who lives and works in London, hopped the pond to take on a month-long residency last month. He was invited by Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Chief Curator Tobias Ostrander to participate in the residency at Cannonball, which is affiliated with PAMM.

Curry’s practice often questions the idea of paradise and the fetishization of places commonly recognized as “paradise”. He has been known for transforming beach towels into ‘flags’ to explore the concept of tourists staking temporary claims on ‘their’ part of the beach. For the 2014 Jamaica Biennale, he could be found plastering inner city walls with picture-perfect horizon seascapes; the imagery clashed with the surrounding urban decay.

Through his work, Curry explores the consumption of “paradise” by those who do not live there. It seemed fitting for him, as a Bahamian, to explore Miami as a place for consumption.

“As Bahamians we have a very intimate relationship with Miami. But that is always one that is about consumption. Bahamians don’t enjoy Miami for its culture. We consume it for its merchandise. So that was something I was interested in – actually understanding Miami as a place,” he explained.

While it serves as a shopping haven for many in the Caribbean region, Miami has also maintained an image as an edgy and sexy city. This is easily seen during spring break, when, like in The Bahamas, university students descend for bacchanal.

“Miami, like The Bahamas, is offering this tourist product to attract people. There is an image of the place that has to be upheld and consistent. I think Miami in a similar way (to The Bahamas) works with the superficial – there is an image of the city of Miami that people consume, and then once you can get under that, you can see there’s a lot going on,” he said.

“For The Bahamas, from the outside, there is a singular image of the place – which we also contribute to – but the country is more complex than that.”

His thoughts resonate with those familiar with the mission of Creative Nassau, founded by Pam Burnside and her late husband, Jackson. Its mission is to develop a sustainable tourism model, promoting the country’s culture, art and heritage over its sun, sand and sea.

Curry’s residence began on February 2. Though he had ideas of the themes he might encounter while there, he came to Miami with a clean slate.

“I think the whole point for me of a residency, in a new place, is to absorb what’s going on in the local scene, and being willing and open to reacting to that. I usually wouldn’t come with a specific work in mind or a vision. You’re in the environment to absorb what’s going on around you,” he reflected.

The Cannonball artist residences and studios are based in Downtown Miami. Like many urban centers, some of its neighborhoods have fallen into disrepair over the years, and its streets are often hosts to illicit activities. This was no surprise to him. What he did find mildly remarkable, though, was the rate of development and gentrification happening in the city.

“In this area there’s a lot of homelessness. There is any and all manner of illicit activity going on. But when you look one block over, there are 75-story luxury high rises going up. It’s a combination of derelict buildings and empty lots that are all going to be massive high rises and shopping centers. And it’s all happening at a hyper speed,” he said.

Curry’s residency ended on March 2. He hopes to continue developing concepts and work that he started at Cannonball.

For more information on Curry’s work, visit www.bluecurry.com; to find out more about Cannonball or its residency programs, visit www.cannonballmiami.org.

Brent Malone’s ‘Metamorphosis’ is the March artwork of the month

Brent Malone’s “Metamorphosis” (1979), part of the NAGB’s National Collection, is on view in the R. Brent Malone Reincarnation exhibition. The work was donated to the National Collection by Jean Cookson.

In “Metamorphosis”, a Junkanooer looks out from behind the mask of his costume – a butterfly. The connection between the insect and the name of the artwork can easily be made, but the work is also deeply personal. It references Malone’s re-discovered identity as a Bahamian together with his return to making art and ‘reincarnation’ as an artist.

Malone completed his studies at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in London in 1964. While in Europe, his focus had been strongly influenced by European greats like Picasso and Van Gogh. In 1964, he returned to The Bahamas; soon thereafter he began to experiment with realigning himself and his work with his Bahamianness. In the late 60s, he started out with studying the human form, substituting locals in their everyday environments with the live models he’d worked with at university. By the late 70s, his work had made significant, and rather patriotic, developments with “Independence Mermaid” (1977) and “Metamorphosis”.

Malone created the work as a part of his Reincarnation body of works (also the name of the current exhibition), after a period of depression, during which he stopped painting completely. Before he began “Metamorphosis”, Malone had experienced the death of his father, dissolution of his marriage and closure of his business.

Malone was aided on his way to his newfound place of serenity. Before making “Metamorphosis”, he was inspired by musician Tony “The Obeah Man” McKay’s “Reincarnation” album, which was produced in 1972. The album contained iconic songs like “Brown Girl” and “Exuma’s Reincarnation”.

The country, too, had experienced a shift – The Bahamas became independent only six years earlier and was under the leadership of the first black prime minister.

            Remembered fondly as the “Father of Bahamian Art”, Malone is known for being the first person to paint Junkanoo seriously. His Junkanoo works, which fill the NAGB’s ‘ballroom’, manage to capture the raw and visceral response the festival is known for evoking in its participants and spectators. In “Metamorphosis” the Junkanooer’s gaze is intentional and focused. This captured concentration is a commonality found in many of Malone’s festive works.

            “Metamorphosis” and other Malone works can be viewed in R. Brent Malone: Reincarnation, which is on display at the NAGB until April 3.

Elevating The Art Of Silversmithing An Experience At Exnihilo

NASSAU, NP, March 4, 2016- Exnihilo Art Center will host its first art workshop in Nassau on March 19 and 20, at the former home of E. Clement and Keva Bethel, located off Eastern Road.  Learn the art of Silversmithing is a workshop for hobbyists and arts enthusiasts at all levels –no experience necessary. In only six hours on Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, or Sunday, 12 noon -6:00 pm, participants will design and complete four to six pieces of sterling silver jewelry which can be worn or given as gifts to friends and family.

Participants will work with an award winning silversmith in a fully equipped space to learn soldering, hammering, sawing and texturing techniques. These basic silversmithing skills will act as prerequisites to future Exnihilo intermediate and advanced workshops and classes. Starting at $185 per person, the fee covers the instructor, equipment, snacks and all materials. Lunch will be available for purchase onsite from Seasonal Sunshine, but bag lunches are welcome.  

According to Exnihilo partner Michael Edwards, the art center will host a series of craft-focused workshops in Nassau throughout the year. By highlighting crafts in this manner Exnihilo hopes to elevate the art forms to the same status as fine art.  “These workshops will help to engage the local community, raise awareness of Exnihilo and its offerings, and work to gain traction for the larger vision of establishing an international artist residency program,” says Edwards.

To learn more about Exnihilo Art Center go to http://www.exnihiloartcenter.com/ .

To learn more or register for the Learn the art of Silversmithing workshop go to http://www.exnihiloartcenter.com/projects/nassaufacility/classes or email registration@exnihiloartcenter.com.

Exnihilo Art Center is a nonprofit organization focusing on the arts, environment, and cultural exchange. Exnihilo manages multiple projects and initiatives to support its mission in the U.S. and The Bahamas. Founded and managed by working artists, Exnihilo provides opportunities for established and emerging artists in the U.S.,The Bahamas and Caribbean.

Address: Exnihilo Art Center, Nassau, NP, Bahamas

                Tel: 1 2424262645

                Email: katrina.cartwright@exnihilo-retreat.com