Art of the month: ‘Enigmatick Funktification’

It’d be rather difficult to explore our Bahamian Domestic Permanent Exhibition without noticing “Enigmatick Funktification” – an energetic work occupying more than 48 square feet of wall. The acrylic painting is the product of a collaborative approach, known as “Jammin’”, by John Beadle, the late Jackson Burnside and Stan Burnside.

Though it could easily take days to thoroughly examine the work, visitors can find clues pointing to the painting’s Junkanoo roots in a single glance. “Enigmatick Funktification” – a mélange of vibrant colours, figures in costumes and musical instruments – is reminiscent of Bay Street in the early morning hours of Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. This is when Junkanoo, a biennial street parade and the country’s most revered festival, takes place. There is good reason for the tradition’s presence in the painting.

Discovering their affinity for Junkanoo in the late 70s and early 80s, Jackson and Stan Burnside were leading members of the Saxons Junkanoo group for years before leaving to help found the One Family group. It’s no surprise, then, that Junkanoo is heavily represented in their works.

Jammin’ – a term coined by the Burnside brothers – originated in Junkanoo shacks. It refers to the process of as many as six Junkanooers working on a single piece simultaneously. Inspired by the approach, the duo embraced the Jammin’ methodology in their studios, creating works together.

Founding B-C.A.U.S.E. (Bahamian Creative Artists United for Serious Expression) in the early 1990s, the Burnside brothers expanded the Jammin’ circle and invited Beadle, Brent Malone, Antonius Roberts and Max Taylor to collaborate on a body of work. They later invited then-recent COB graduate John Beadle to join what is now referred to as the “Burnside-Beadle-Burnside” collaboration.

Between 1995 and 1996, the trio produced a series of works of which “Enigmatick Funktification” was a part. The collection traveled to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, where it amazed visitors at the Olympic Games. “Enigmatick Funktification” has since made the rounds and returned home, where it rests comfortably in our permanent collection. Stop by and see it Tuesday to Saturday between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Sunday between 12 noon and 4 p.m.

Upcoming Exhibition: NE7

Art of the Month: Shanty Town Tea Service

On my way to work, I noticed that a familiar town had been demolished. Boards and other forms of structure that once housed a community lay broken on the ground.

I’ve always known that the town enclosed by trees and bushes was there, but when it was exposed, the size and difference of the town was a shock. I was looking at another way of living, another standard of living; how certain groups of people lived.

July 2nd, 2014, Tracy-Ann Perpall, also known as TAP, released a documentary on YouTube called Bwapen: Village Documentary. This documentary gave insight on the burning of a ‘shanty town’ village off of Joe Farrington Road and the Haitian-Bahamian situation in the Bahamas. Perpall’s investigation into this tragedy unearthed tensions between Bahamian landowners and ‘shanty town’ residents, the true conditions of said ‘shanty towns’, and ended by questioning the public. “Does real change occur with dismantling Bwapen, or is it just a band-aid attempting to cover the symptoms of underlying problem” – Tracy Ann Perpall.

Over the past year and a half, the government has been working to effectively address and act upon the issue of growing shantytowns within New Providence. Over the past year and a half, the island has experienced a mass exposure of those towns, several fires of buildings in the towns, and demolition and plans of demolition for some areas. These issues of immigration and the living standards of some immigrants and poor Bahamians in the Bahamas have not popped up over night.

In 2011, Jeffrey Meris, a graduate of the College of the Bahamas and a Popop Junior Prize Winner, constructed Shanty Town Tea Service, which is on display in the Bahamian Domestic exhibition. As a Haitian-Bahamian, Meris comments on the Haitian-Bahamian situation and the view of said people through the manipulation of clay. The class of a tea service is not often compared or associated with standard of shantytowns. Contradictory in some senses, some may say. The standards of shanty towns deemed as “environments that incubate horrible, horrible health challenges,” by Duane Miller does not compare with the dainty, polished China set utilized during tea parties.

In 2011, Jeffrey Meris was concluding his studies at the College of the Bahamas. He commented on the social structure of shantytowns within the Bahamas. In 2014, Tracy-Ann Perpall exposed the social structure of a forgotten shantytown in her documentary. At the later part of 2014, the relevance of the conversation still prevails. During the late part of 2014, on my way to work, I noticed that a familiar town had been demolished.

Shanty Town Tea Service
Jeffrey Meris
Dawn Davies Collection

Written by NAGB Gallery Assistant, Jodi Minnis for the Art of the Month.

Feature from the Exhibition: Rootsy

Rootsy

Jackson Petit

Acrylic on canvas

 48 x 32

D'Aguilar Art Foundation Collection

Rootsy is currently on display at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, as part of the Permanent Exhibition: The Bahamian Domestic. Originally on display as part of his solo exhibition, The Surface Beneath, Petit produced this piece after winning the 2012 Central Bank competition.

In this piece Petit explores the notion of masking oneself, be it personally or for a wider audience, as the individual in the painting stares at the audience with vacant eyes. Crowned in local foliage, Petite purposely chooses to integrate the Bahamian landscape into his work. This creates connections between artist, artwork and viewer, as the natural motifs provide a familiar point of reference. This common ground culturally integrates the work within a wider dialogue of 'Bahamian art'. Further, it situates the individual in the painting within a natural and cultural landscape, and poses the question: who is he masking himself from? As a Haitian-Bahamian artist, Petit actively integrates his personality and history into his work. Rootsy is thus, a form of self-portraiture, exploring the artist's own identity as it relates to his person, but also his history and culture.

As a central piece in The Bahamian Domestic, Rootsy is a particularly strong choice as it directly relates to the exhibition's exploration of Bahamian social and cultural identity. Remaining masked, the piece explores notions of 'Bahamianess' and what, as a nation, we choose to show and choose to hide. This focus on depth, on seeing beyond simple everyday existence, encourages viewers to look below the surface, deeper even. Coupled with the other pieces in The Bahamian Domestic, Rootsy is part of a larger call to notice one's physical, social and cultural landscape and one's place in it.

The Bahamian Domestic is on display on the bottom floor at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. The Gallery is open from 10AM to 4PM, Tuesday to Saturday and 12PM to 4PM, Sunday.

AK

The Bahamian Domestic is on display on the bottom floor at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. The Gallery is open from 10AM to 4PM, Tuesday to Saturday and 12PM to 4PM, Sunday.

Biography of the Artist:
Jackson Petit (born 1983, Nassau, The Bahamas) was educated at The College of The Bahamas and Toronto Film College, Toronto Canada. From 1998 to 2004 he was a participant in the FINCO Summer Art Workshops and has taken part in numerous group exhibitions. He won The Central Bank of The Bahamas Art competition six times in various categories and received top honors in the CLiCO Caribbean Art Competition in 2003.

Further Reading:
The Bahamian Artwork Collection: Jackson Petit
Jackson Petit 'Removing The Mask'

NAGB INTERN: La'Dea Gem Roberts

W E E K   O N E

Dear Bloggers,

First & Foremost, I am Gem Roberts, an aspiring artist and aspiring computer information systems specialist. This past week, being my first week as an intern at NAGB has been informative and event filled, including this past Wednesday being the fortieth year of independence for my Bahamas.

Not only did I begin by becoming familiar with the grounds, met the other interns Dyah and Ashante, and helped in preparation for the 40 years of Bahamian Art exhibition, but I was able to attend and work as a part of the NAGB team during the event. This was the pinnacle of my week, being able to work an exhibition opening. Words cannot describe the pleasure I felt in being apart of something I have a passion for, during fortieth independence milestone of my country, alongside such welcoming team members, and being able to see so many members of society and dignitaries awes and reactions towards this great exhibition; quadruple the pleasure.

Needless to say, I was very tired after working such an event. Being an aspiring artist myself, this event only motivated me to strive even harder to one day have my very own art featured in such an exhibition. This Friday following the exhibition premier, I was able to become familiar with the texts of Bahamian Artists sold in the NAGB store and critique them. Overall, this week has been a very inspirational and nothing short of exciting. I'll close by reiterating a very popular quote by Confucius I felt put into action this week, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

-L. Gem Roberts

NAGB INTERN: Dyah Neilson

 W E E K   O N E

Starting our internship, another intern, Ashante, and I were given a brief tour of the grounds in order to familiarize ourselves with the building and its history. We also read catalogues concerning exhibitions that were on display at the time to get an idea of what has been happening inside the gallery, as well as gain some knowledge about famous Bahamian artists. This knowledge was further enhanced later in the week by visiting Antonius Roberts’ Hillside House, where we learned more about the artist and even about galleries themselves. During the course of the week, I was able to experience most, if not all, of the departments that help in the running of the NAGB.

I assisted with the education department in calling numerous places such as the many public schools on the island, as well as a craft store to ask for a quote on tools that would be needed for the John Beadle workshop that was taking place that weekend. Ashante and I were then given a hands-on job in which we cut cardboard for the workshop. In the in-between time, I was able to work with the curatorial department as well, and was quickly taught the right way in which to move and transport paintings. I realized that though I had handled artwork many times before, there was still much, much more I needed to learn. When I was told that I would be working in the basement with the national collection, I thought it a privilege that I would be trusted with this task. I found this to be a much more work-filled week than I was expecting, and although it was busy, it was still relaxing. It was definitely an eye-opener, but nonetheless a great experience so far.

-Dyah Neilson

NAGB INTERN: Ashante Pratt

W E E K  O N E

Monday June 24th signifies the day I stepped into a whole new world of art that I have been blind to all my life. On this day, I took a step towards my future. On this day, I became an intern at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. At first I had no clue what exactly to expect during this eye-opening journey. Of course I knew art would be involved, but I also knew that there was more to it. As I come to the end of my first week here, I can confidently say that I am ecstatic to see what’s in store for the rest of my time here. On my first day I was very nervous and it showed in my clothes. I came dressed as if I were a lawyer, which is the attire my mother thinks apply for every job. After a while it sunk in and I was ready for a day of work. This feeling stuck with me throughout the entire week, however, the lawyer clothes didn’t. As the week progressed I went from reading and gathering information on master artist in the Bahamas, to actually meeting them!

This took place when we visited Antonius Roberts’ studio called Hillside House where I received a few tips about taking on the artistic path in college. That was an opportunity I never expected to happen. Some of the other cool things I did this week were making preparations for John Beadle’s workshop and editing labels for Master Artists Of The Bahamas. I was also challenged to break out of my shell and talk to principals of private schools for an education visit. Besides labour work I also learned a lot about the placement of artwork and their labels and all the other little details that make the artwork in the gallery almost jump out at you. The end of the week marks the beginning of a new one in which I get to continue this amazing experience.

-Ashante Pratt

Director's Review: Tales From New York

ththe Studio Museum of HarleThis article reviews the large-scale exhibition, Caribbean: Crossroads of the World. Located in New York, the exhibition stretches across three museums (The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Queens Museum, and El Museo del Barrio). The Director of The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Amanda Coulson reviews the overall exhibition and details her experiences with each institution.

Escaping Nassau for New York City didn’t mean escaping heat and humidity, but the trip was refreshing for other reasons, mainly the broad range of art shows on view at various art institutions. At The Metropolitan Museum alone I was able to cross centuries, experiencing the Italian Renaissance at the show Bellini, Titian, and Lotto, Modernism in the Elsworth Kelly: Plant Drawings show, and catch up with the contemporary world with at the superb exhibitions, Spies in the House of Art: Photography, Film, and Video.

One of the main reasons I spent time racing around the sweaty city, was to catch the exhibition, entitled, Caribbean: Crossroads of the World. Following shows such as Infinite Island at the Brooklyn Museum and Wrestling with the Image at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington D.C., this exhibition underscores the current fascination with the Caribbean and will, hopefully, pave the way for more international shows that will, perhaps, go even deeper into reflecting Caribbean art practices in general and hopefully, The Bahamas in particular.

As mentioned, the show was very ambitious in its range but perhaps this was also its flaw. Each institution- The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Queens Museum, and El Museo del Barrio—has very definitive mandates, which slightly colored their individual views of the region. Each show also has its own ethos, causing a certain amount of crossover or repetition. This gave a very strong profile to each segment of the show but at the same time, also made them feel disconnected from one another. Somehow, this is actually a reflection of the Caribbean itself, both its strength and its weakness: we are diverse from country to country, island to island; we share histories but are culturally, ethnically and linguistically divided. It’s confusing, complicated and makes the Caribbean hard to pigeonhole. Crossroad's attempt to portray the history and development of fine art in the region was an extremely good start and should be applauded for its range and scale and for bringing the region together under one banner.

Touch, 2012 

Janine Antoni

Video

On display at the Queens Museum of Art

Image courtesy of artist and Luhring Augustine Gallery.

My first stop was El Museo del Barrio. Here I met with Susan Delvalle, the Director of External Affairs. I also had a tour of the educational parts of the museum, which gave me some great ideas for things we could do back at the NAGB. This segment had two sub-shows entitled, Counterpoints, which covers various industries prompted our development over time, and Patriot Acts, which explores the role of Creole cultures and notions of hybridism.

At the Studio Museum in Harlem, I ended up in a long chat with one of the docents about how the region is perceived, which was the topic of one of the sub-shows named, Land of the Outlaw. This show dissected the idea of the Caribbean as a place of pleasure or a site of deviant activity. We talked about how even in one city; there can be very little exchange of ideas and therefore, how hard it is between islands, though he admitted that in his youth he had been to The Bahamas!

Stuffed Swan, 2012

Marlon Griffin

Performance Art and Mixed Media

On display at the Queens Museum of Art

Image courtesy of artist and the Queens Museum of Art

“Where were the Bahamian artists?” I hear you ask. The Queens Museum is the answer! The good news is that The Bahamas was represented; the bad news is it skimmed the surface and some of the works were hung in rather odd corners. The best moment for me was walking into the Museum and being hit by a mermaid piece by Amos Ferguson, which opened the whole show. I took a photo with my iPhone and was (naturally and rightly so) told off by a museum guard. I did give them my card and they allowed me to photograph the other Bahamian works on show (no flash!).

 Entrance to the exhibition at the Queens Museum

The Three Sisters, 1980

Amos Ferguson

House Paint on Board

On display at the Queens Museum of Art

Image courtesy of The Studio Museum of Harlem

One of the sections at the Queens Museum was Kingdoms of the World whose aim was to consider the spiritual practices, beliefs, art forms and religions that coexist in the region. Carnival was a large factor and this is where the 4 Brent Malone etchings were, though no real explanation of Junkanoo was given.

Drummer and Rushing, 1983

Brent Malone

Etchings

On display at the Queens Museum of Art

Image courtesy of the Queens Museum of Art and The Elizabeth Foundation of the Arts

There could have been so much more Bahamian work and I had a nice meeting with Debra Wimpfheimer, the Director of Strategic Partnerships, encouraging her and her curatorial team to come down and see what we have to offer for future shows. Nonetheless, I prefer to see the glass as half full: it’s still a great achievement to have our artists represented in such a ground-breaking show as this and for Brent Malone’s prints to be shown alongside those by Paul Gaugin, is great. The Crossroads catalogue is still not published but once it is we will be receiving a free copy for our Library where you’re welcome to lounge and read. Come down and take a look: it’s packed with a lot of knowledge after years of research but, of course, if you can make it to NY, this is a must-see show and should not be missed.

Jonkonnu Ribbons (1993) and Untitled (1986),

Brent Malone

Etchings

On display at the Queens Museum of Art

Image courtesy of Queens Museum of Art and The Elizabeth Foundation of the Arts

Further Reading:

NY Times Article on Caribbean: Crossroads of the World
El Museo Del Barrio New York
The Studio Museum
Queens Museum Of Art

Feature from the Exhibition: The Dragon

The Dragon, ND 

Amos Ferguson 

House Paint on Board 

36 x 30 
On display in Amos Ferguson: Bahamian Outsider

“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” Revelations 12:3-4

The octagonal shape of The Dragon is striking for Amos Ferguson being that it is not its normal 36 x 30 sheet of cardboard that Ferguson is known for and is aptly applied to the depiction Ferguson chose to paint.  The seven-headed dragon from the book of Revelations in the bible is a phenomenal story that most will not forget based on the writers extensive description.

Ferguson illustrates stars littered across the piece with one is at the tip of the dragons tail. Standing on the earth the stars seem to meet him, his wings are outstretched in all its wonder, the seven heads are all bearing sharp teeth with red lined mouths. He is described in the story as a red dragon, however Ferguson uses green and yellow stokes along with red strokes to design the dragon’s body. His use of color shows some awareness of a color theory whereas the complimentary green causes the dragon to seem redder and analogous yellow gives a more dynamic accent to the color. The way that he simplifies the description and does not add every single detail to the painting can be looked at two ways: either an oversight or a brilliant simplification of the subject matter. Seeing that Ferguson always states that he “paints by faith and not by sight” the latter seems more accurate.

Intuitive painter Amos Ferguson’s deliberate use of house paint in his paintings and the precision of the application to cardboard is a feat in itself to be commended. In exhibiting Amos Ferguson: Bahamian Outsider this collection of paintings shows a considerable volume of his work consists of religious subject matter. Ferguson sometimes had headaches and felt that he had to paint what was in his head in order to get rid of the headache. His faith in God is continually depicted and each story he chose showed its importance.

-AW  

The Dragon is on view in Amos Ferguson: Bahamian Outsider. The NAGB is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 4:00pm, Sunday 12:00 to 4:00 pm.

Feature from the Exhibition: The Middle Passage

The Middle Passage, 2012
Jeffrey Meris
Cotton on Wood Installation Piece
200" x 180"
Currently on display at the NAGB till Thursday, April 26th, 2012

Appropriately entitled The Middle Passage, Jeffrey Meris’ large and imposing piece for Transforming Spaces: Fibre 2012 is a call to memory, history and healing. Located in the Project Space (PS) Room in the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB), Meris was inspired by conceptual mixed media artists such as Bahamian native, Blue Curry, to create a piece that visitors can interact with. Indeed, the entire piece is physical, tactile and emotional experience. Upon entering the wide mouth of The Middle Passage, visitors enter a soundless, warm place. Cotton brushes their sides and indeed it surrounds them. They are compelled to further their journey, each step takes them into further, tighter and claustrophobic terrain till they are squeezed, packed and expelled through its much smaller exit point.

Meris’ choice in this natural fibre is an important one. “I wanted to do something with power. When I was looking at cotton, not the cosmetic stuff you buy in the store, but cotton in its rawest and natural state. I was looking at something with power, that had memories attached to it, some good and some bad,” he states. Indeed, the word “cotton” is a loaded one, a physical thing that is loaded with horrors and cultural memories. The cotton industry in18th century Bahamas helped to both, build and yet simultaneously deplete the nation. The cultivation of this fluffy, white substance brought people, money and industry to the land. The people, however, were not all free and the money it brought only lined certain pockets. This cash crop eventually turned against the nation it helped to build by depleting the naturally thin Bahamian soil of its nutrients. The plant was not safe in The Bahamas where the harsh sun, sporadic rains and insects brought this industry to a firm standstill.

This historical and cultural memory is not lost on visitors. One woman broke down half way through her journey through The Middle Passage and had to be encouraged to complete it. Meris, upon being told of this woman’s reaction, found her reaction empowering and encouraging, ”All I can say is wow. History definitely played a huge part in this piece, and I think the past is the past but remember it.”

The beauty of this piece lies in its ability to transform its meaning and power in each visitor differently. Children adore its textural qualities. Some adults are taken aback by the numbing silence as they enter, some experience fear at the narrowing light and some enter the passage forcefully, determined to conquer it. Regardless of any individual reaction or experience, everyone leaves the piece thinking, wanting a bit more. For Meris, this is the true power of The Middle Passage.

-AK

More pictures of The Middle Passage can be seen at the NAGB's website. Click here to view them all.

The Middle Passage is on view till Thursday, April 26th 2012. The NAGB is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 4:00pm, Sunday 12:00 to 4:00 pm. The 3rd Sunday of every month is free for Bahamians, the next one is April 14th, 2012.