CONNEXIONS AT THE ART SOCIETY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Artists featured in photos above:
Antonio Figuero
Damian Moore
Enaldo Bynoe
Halcian Pierre
Ihsan Atiba
Karl Doyle
Vanessa Nesbitt
Ysharda Clement
Gerard Fulchan
Gail Pantin
CONNEXIONS, a group exhibition organized by Karl Doyle's Blue Culture, showcased the works of Karl Doyle himself, Antonio Figuero, Gerard Fulchan, Damien Moore, Enaldo Bynoe, Halcian Pierre, Vanessa Nesbitt, Ysharda Clement, Ihsan Atiba and Gail Pantin. CONNEXIONS was held from March 22nd to April 1st, 2017 at the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago, the organization that brought these artists together. Each artist offered variety to the show, putting forth their interpretations of the things that bind us.
For a few artists, like Doyle and Fulchan, connections are forged through a spiritual experience. Both portrayed their understanding of the great divine, Karl Doyle used cubist silhouettes and blocks of colour for his CONNEXIONS painting to portray the help and strength that Jesus Christ can give to us and also the closeness we achieve when we call on him. Gerard Fulchan took viewers on a hunt to find sacred and natural symbols in his abstract, mesmerizing work, “This is how I like to build the connection, life is not about a glance, seeing something and taking it for granted but you have to examine and closely observe what is going on,” he stressed, “that is what connections are about you have to form a bond and look beyond what you think you see.”
There was surely a lot to see at the exhibition, Halcian Pierre and Enaldo Bynoe gave viewers an eyeful with bright and captivating colours. Halcian’s CONNEXIONS piece: We Jammin’ Still, really grabbed my attention because I was still dealing with a serious carnival tabanca. Her visual representation of the most popular soca song for the Carnival season filled me with warm feelings and great memories. I think her piece truly represented what I personally would think of when I hear ‘connections’: people coming from near and far to celebrate life, culture and the company of our people. Enaldo also wowed patrons at the exhibition with his 3-Dimensional paintings, all representing some form of connection. Surprisingly, he admitted to me that he had to rush to finish the pieces five days before the exhibit. If he had not mentioned it I would have honestly been clueless. Bynoe’s techniques and creativity merged together to form mind blowing, mixed media masterpieces that make you stop and stare, over and over again.
The exhibition was nothing short of spectacular, each artist put their best foot forward and did not disappoint. Seeing the individuality and talent of them all highlighted the amazing diversity we have, not only in artists, but in artistic self-expression. A simple word like ‘connections’ inspired ten artists to fill the walls of the Art Society’s gallery, each piece offering an interpretation of the broad concept. From pop art to mixed media, there were a wide range of techniques and styles displayed. Antonio Figuero’s work caught my eye, having similarities to our very own Ramon Navarro and also the legend Vincent Van Gogh, though he modestly stated that he has only been an active artist for six years. Damian Moore’s art which was placed in one of the corners of the room, created a nirvana spot, a zone of complete bliss and beauty with images of a buddha, Hindu gods and a merge of nature and Hindi text. Gail Pantin’s work also left an impression on me, her steel band compositions showed her skill in capturing human expression, movement and even energy. Her paintings looked lively and left me feeling touched with a bit of nostalgia for an experience that was never really mine.
With all these artists in the same space, it made me question, ‘What is one’s purpose for creating art?” Though these artists were sharing a common space, they each had their own motivations for why they chose to pour their minds or souls onto canvas. Is art spiritual, instinctual, technical or impractical? Most artists agreed that art could be a mixture of all of those things. But Figuero’s words stuck with me, he compared art to living and insisted that he needed to create. Creativity is a gift to mankind, we are granted the ability to focus on our consciousness, to bring to light ideas formed in the depths of the subconscious and to physically manifest our inner selves. Art is a pure form of self expression that must always be encouraged. There must be spaces where artists and the people that appreciate art can come together and exchange ideas, memories and feelings because art enhances life and opens the mind. I genuinely appreciate my visits to the Art Society’s gallery in Federation Park because I am always guaranteed to meet a new artist or to be completely fascinated by the work on display. I must congratulate Mr Doyle and the other artists on a very successful exhibition. I highly recommend attending the Art Society’s May group exhibition which runs from May 16th to May 31st.
