7 0 th An n iv er s a ry E x hi bi t i o n 1 5- 30 Nov e mbe r, 2 0 13
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2013/2014 EXECUTIVE
DIRECTORS
President: Gail P. Guy
Tessa Alexander
1st Vice President: Peter Sheppard
Saara Gafoor Ali
2nd Vice President: James Armstrong
Wulf Gerstenmaier
Secretary: Charisse Trot Seepersad
Fitzroy Hoyte
Assistant Secretary: Clayton De Freitas
Juliana Laquis
Treasurer: Reita Antoine
Courtenay Williams “ex officio”
70TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION CATALOGUE Published by the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago Corner Jamaica Blvd, and St. Vincent Ave, Federation Park Trinidad and Tobago
Dear Members and Friends of the Arts, I have the honour to address you on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary November Members’ Group Exhibition.
Curator: Peter Sheppard Assistant Curators: Clayton DeFreitas, G.A. Gardner
This year, the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago has marked a milestone anniversary of continuous operations and it is our hope that in this exhibition members and friends will
Property Manager: Fitzroy Hoyte
find resonance with our history, through the senior artists featured this year, the members’
Administrator/Project Manager: Cynthia James Cramer
anniversary wall and the other pieces submitted for display.
IT/Website: Ilka Hilton Clarke
While we celebrate our survival over the years we must express our thanks to the various
Catalogue Editors: Peter Sheppard and Marsha Pearce
Boards that have brought us thus far. We encourage our members to volunteer their time next
Graphic Design: Johnny Gonsalves - Jogo Productions Ltd. Photography: Peter Sheppard & Ilka Hilton Clarke
year and to offer themselves for election to the 2014 Board. It is likely that this will be a very challenging year given the current status of the land lease for the property on which the Gallery is located. Over the past year we have sought to engage all the relevant Ministries and the
Event Photographer: Ilka Hilton Clarke and James Solomon
Commissioner of Lands with very little success. We continue to seek to engage the relevant
Media Relations: Marsha Pearce
Bodies and Ministries with a view to a resolution in our favour before 2015.
Printing Sponsorship of Invitations and Catalogues: BOSS
I extend my congratulations to all artists participating in the November group show and I
Other Exhibition Committee Members: Ashley Thompson, Maureen Ottier Viera,
recommend this exhibition for your enjoyment.
Christopher Wilcox, Jacqueline Telfer, Tessa Alexander
Best regards,
Printed by SCRIP-J
© 2013, All rights reserved. No part to be reproduced without the expressed
Gail P Guy President
permission of the ASTT
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In a conversation recently with some UWI art students about a study piece I created – before attempting the recreation of Chang’s mural – one suggested that the Hummingbird figure in the mural metaphorically represents a hummingbird hovering over a young and fertile garden, anointing the environment with majestic pollen. Another student suggested that it encapsulates the spirit of the artist himself gesticulating and rising out of a virgin society evolving into the future, filled with hopeful possibilities and meaningfulness. The students described an environment in which the hummingbird dares to fly with aspiration and expectancy. I think it is time we stop and contemplate the role and responsibility of the Art Society in such an environment. In doing so it is imperative that we do not blame anyone or forget the unselfish efforts of others. Chang always understood the significance of the Art Society. He insisted that its function is to inspire, protect and preserve the artists and creative artifacts and to persuade the nation of the implications of the creative process. Therefore, we need to question whether we are protecting the integrity of artists who are passionate and not encourage the intrusion of flyby-night hobbyists who are only interested in the commercial rewards. LeRoy Clarke, who Chang sincerely respected, lamented: “Art is war”. I interpret that to mean that we have to be tenacious; that we must fight and struggle relentlessly to eradicate all the negativities of our social construct – ironically, securing meaning and purpose for the very said society that challenges and sometimes inspires the visual artist. May Carlisle Chang’s unselfish and passionate devotion motivate us to pursue our own course with the intention of serving others and to cultivate a brave mindset for a people who endure in a land where hummingbirds dare. Glenn Roopchand November 2013
WHERE HUMMINGBIRDS DARE “Above all, artists must not be only in art galleries or museums. They must be present in all possible activities. The artist must be the sponsor of thought in whatever endeavor people take on, at every level.” – Michelangelo Pistoletto In a nutshell, this is precisely what Carlisle Chang envisaged – a society conscious of the power and influence of art as a means of lifting our nation out of the doldrums of third-world degradation. His contagious love for Trinidad and Tobago transcended into a luminous sensibility, logically consistent with our “folk-law” and our mythology, consequently evoking aesthetic awareness. He is remembered most of all, for his thought-provoking, large-scale and epic mural entitled “The Inherent Nobility of Man”, originally created for the Arrival Hall at Piarco International Airport in 1962. Unfortunately, the incivility of the mindset at that time was the context in which the mural was demolished. I had the distinct honour of recreating the mural for the Trinidad and Tobago National Museum and Art Gallery in 2006. The mural is now housed in storage, which seems very irreverent to me.
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The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Members of the Trinidad Art Society are seen preparing for the annual exhibition – 1951.
“…for possibility to emerge there needs to be a site, a moment and a group of people…” “…the term ‘art’…describe[s] that space in society for experimentation, questioning and discovery that religion, science and philosophy have occupied sporadically in former times. It has become an active space rather than one of passive observation. Therefore the institutions to foster it have to be part community centre, part laboratory and part academy…” – Charles Esche, art curator and writer On September 13, 1943, Trinidad and Tobago’s Art Society was born.1 It would be a fresh site for the arts, in the wake of the dissolution of the group known as the Society of Trinidad Independents,2 within an increasingly urgent moment of forging a national community. The arts were seen as having powerful shaping force in a move toward autonomy and self-articulation. Thirteen people were in attendance at the inaugural meeting of the Art Society: J. Algernon Wharton, C. Palmer Chizzola, F.D. Gray, Andrew Carr, Alice Pashley, R. Johnstone, O.T. Faulkner,
Trinidad Art Society exhibition of foreign paintings and sculpture together with works by Cazabon – 1953.
Opening of the first November exhibition of the Trinidad Art Society held at the Royal Victoria Institute.
B.J. Bedell, E.C. Legge, Amy Leong Pang, Anne Henderson, Sybil Atteck and Patricia Atteck. With this group of people, this moment of growing self-determination and the newly formed site emerged a possibility for fostering the development of artists and visual arts practice in Trinidad and Tobago.
1. In 1943 – before the islands of Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Britain and before they became a twin-island Republic Nation – the Society was founded as the Trinidad Art Society. In 2004, a decision was taken to rename it the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago. 2. The group of painters, poets and writers known as the Society of Trinidad Independents was established in 1929. Its members included such artists as Amy Leong Pang, Alice Pashley and Hugh Stollmeyer. The group disbanded in 1938.
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Sybil Atteck
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Karl Broodhagen helps with a sculpture.
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70th ANNIVERSARY WALL Row 1 (L-R) 1. Jessica Henry 2. Althea Bastien 3. Mumtaz Persad 4. Christopher Wilcox 5. Sharon Burford 6. Kavita Ojah Maharaj 7. Anton Hadaway 8. Neala Bhagwansingh 9. Madiha Farag Miller 10. Marrisa Ramdeen Row 2 (L-R) 11. Sarah Burrows 12. Rachel Lee Young 13. Suelin Low Chew Tung 14. Shenel Ramnarine 15. Linda Kowlessar 16. Anton Hadaway 17. Shannon Hutchinson 18. Donna Tull 19. Kristine Ng Foon 20. Richard Rawlins Row 3 (L-R) 21. Compton Welch 22. Robert Ramkissoon 23. Anthony Timothy 24. Candice Sobers 25. Pat Farrell-Frederick 26. Laura Bortouisso Welch 27. Reita Antoine 28. Gregory Williams 29. Dianne Job 30. Latoya Tidd Row 4 (L-R) 31. Compton Welch 32. Margot Tidd 33. Gabriella D’Abreau 34. Garth Duncan 35. Latoya Tidd 36. GA Gardner 37. Gabriella D’Abreau 38. Clayton DeFreitas 39. Donna Mae Clarke 40. Kristine Ng Foon Row 5 (L-R) 41. Mary Adam 42. Marsha Bhagwansingh 43. Danielle Duboulay 44. Carla Louis 45. Daniella Walcott 46. Margot Tidd 47. Roxanne DeFreitas 48. Kathy Ann Perkins 49. Margaret Sheppard 50. Joan Moore Row 6 (L-R) 51. Beverly Fitzwilliam Harries 52. Sarah Burrows 53. Jackie Hinkson 54. Ayodele Roseman 55. Cynthia James Cramer 56. Fitzroy Hoyte 57. Pat Farrell Frederick 58. Peter Sheppard 59. Corneila Silson 60. Rachel Lee Young Row 7 (L-R) 61. Bunty O’Connor 62. Sherron Harford 63. Karen Hale Jackson 64. Waheeda Ramnath 65. James Solomon 66. Shireen Ali 67. Ilka Hilton Clarke 68. Beverly Fitzwilliam Harries 69. Wulf Gerstermaier 70. Tessa Alexander
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According to art curator and writer Charles Esche, institutions that nurture art must be part community centre, part laboratory and part academy. Early efforts by the Art Society demonstrate the institution’s connection to processes of experimentation, teaching and learning, as well as its role as a hub or centre for a Caribbean community. The dawn of the Society was quickly characterised by a commitment to education. For example, in 1944, the Art Society organised lectures on anatomy, oil techniques, architectural expression and the principles of angular perspective. In 1945, classes focused on the topics of modern painting, Asian craftsmanship, photography and etching. By 1947, art sessions devoted to children were established and a small library was set up through the donation of books by the British Council and other benefactors. In 1956, Alfred Codallo led classes on watercolours, Carlisle Chang gave lessons on design, Colin Laird facilitated a look at art and everyday living and Sybil Atteck taught contour drawing. In 1960 there were panel discussions on national art forms and the choices made by art collectors. Oswald Chase served as an instructor in studio sessions on colour theory and Barbadian artist Karl Broodhagen shared skills in sculpture. Tutors were invited from the U.S. and other Caribbean islands. The Society was also, arguably, a kind of lab. Its exhibitions, most notably its November show, became spaces to see artists testing visual languages, challenging the boundaries of rendering form and investigating approaches. In the November exhibition of 1949, Sybil Atteck presented a painting of a Picasso-like head, which as cultural researcher Hans Guggenheim observes, “seemed too extreme to critics, the public and even to other artists, who rejected its possibilities...” Guggenheim pinpoints other visual trailblazers like Laird and Chase, whose works introduced styles in the Art Society exhibitions. He also recognises the experimental practices of M.P. Alladin, Alexis Ballie, George Lynch, Holly Gayadeen and Samuel Ishak. In particular, Guggenheim acknowledges the contribution of Carlisle Chang. He writes:
Of great importance in the [Art Society] exhibitions were the paintings exhibited by Carlisle Chang...Chang’s paintings became the jumping-off point for a number of young artists, who rapidly began to adapt his techniques to their own purposes... When Chang began to work out a complete break-through to abstract painting...the opportunity was given for others to explore the possibilities of this field.
With the exhibition of works and a commitment to training in the arts, a sense of community was soon discernible. The Art Society was a nucleus for worthwhile interactions and exchanges, with artists from such places as St. Lucia, Jamaica and Barbados sending work to be exhibited. In a reciprocal gesture, works by members of the Society were also sent for display at exhibitions in other islands. Over the years, what was conceived as a space of promise has nourished, in a number of ways, the art sphere in Trinidad and Tobago but we cannot deny that the institution’s
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history is interwoven with disenchantment. The Art Society has not existed without receipt of documented criticism for its support and promotion of unimaginative and clichéd work. It has also been condemned at one time or another for a perceived toothlessness – charged with lacking voice in advancing the arts. Some might insist that there is now a gap between the Society and the notion of possibility for art in our local milieu. Yet today, many decades later, the ingredients - a site, a moment and a group of people - for possibilities for visual arts and creative practitioners are still available to us. With its membership in the hundreds, the Art Society remains a prevailing site or locus for art with a large body of people as a potentially effective, paradigm-shifting force. There is also latent opportunity in the present moment. The Art Society’s seventieth anniversary constitutes a vital time for reflection and assessment - to look back but to also cast our eyes in the direction of the future. What valuable prospects for the arts might this moment, this site and this group of people taken together - make tangible? If art is an active space for experimentation, questioning and discovery then we cannot rest comfortably, apathetically - passively. Let us pose the tough questions, dare to challenge old formulas, destabilise restrictive ways of thinking and devise and pursue trajectories that will see the visual arts as an ever-powerful, indispensible part of the forward march of our Trinbagonian society. Dr. Marsha Pearce November 2013
References Chang, Carlisle. “Painting in Trinidad.” http://artsocietytt.org. Web. Accessed October 4, 2013. Esche, Charles. “What’s the Point of Art Centres Anyway? – Possibility, Art and Democratic Deviance.” http://www.republicart.net/disc/institution/esche01_en.htm (2004). Web. Accessed September 18, 2013. Guggenheim, Hans. “Twenty-one Years of Painting at T.A.S. Exhibition.” http://artsocietytt.org/ publications.html. Web. Accessed September 15, 2013. “Trinidad Art Society 21st Anniversary and 1964 Annual November Exhibition,” http://artsocietytt.org/ publications.html. Web. Accessed September 15, 2013.
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ASTT-EPOS RENAISSANCE OF THE HILL About the photograph: In 2006, I did my first photo essay about the Singh family of St James, with the aim of satisfying my curiosity about this family’s effort to return Divali to St James. Last month, I revisited the story, to rediscover what
Members of the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago are assisting primary schools in East Port
had happened over the last seven years. This image, one of several that documents the process the family follows to
of Spain with a pilot visual arts project which is intended to improve the skills of the youngsters
create a Divali presentation that embraces their community, shows the event at its peak: Ethel Street full of the visitors
and also instil self confidence and positive attitudes.
who have come to experience this remarkable act of generosity and faith.
The project evolved from a request made to the ASTT by the principal of Hokett Baptist Primary School. A small group of five artists responded in the first instance. This matter was further raised with the executive of the ASTT and it was agreed that a sub-committee should be established to develop and expand the assistance. The project was expanded to include Success RC Primary School and the Laventille Boys Primary School. Approximately a dozen ASTT members have since joined in providing assistance to the schools. In addition, a number of members and non-members have devoted their time to supporting motivational activities for these students, including the showing of films and readings from age-appropriate materials. The East Port of Spain Company has since joined the ASTT as a partner in this endeavour and has agreed to engage the services of a part-time coordinator. The EPOS Company has also been providing some materials and logistical support for holiday workshops. The Company has also produced a 2013 Calendar showcasing art works of some of the participants. ASTT and the EPOS Company have also supported guided field trips for the students to visit exhibitions at the Museum and the ASTT Gallery. UWI has also been documenting some of the sessions and has expressed an interest in becoming a partner.
The three sculptures above are characters from Africa, Asia and Europe. From Africa he comes, with his misshapen foot like a boat or a heavy iron, through his forest portal. From Europe, on horseback with spear he comes, through the triangle gateway, the shape of change. From Asia, she flies like a bird migrating across the continents, through the archway of yin and yang, spirit of the East. They come together in the New World to bring to life a new people, synthesis of the Old.
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A major constraint to this initiative has been a lack of human and material resources. Efforts are being made to strengthen the project in order to accommodate additional schools. James Armstrong November 2013 The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago - 70th Anniversary Exhibition
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FILM NIGHT SATURDAY 23rd, NOVEMBER, 2013 7:00pm
LEROY CLARKE: A CHIEF AMONG MEN? Type: Documentary short Director: Jacquie Thompson Year: 2013
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:
Running Time: 55 min.
ARNIM’S FRAMING SOLUTIONS CO. LTD. Painter, poet… obeah man? This film is a portrait of the life and times of LeRoy Clarke, arguably one of the great modern Caribbean artists. In this, his jubilee year, the film sheds light on the mystery behind the man who proudly proclaims to be the best at what he does. About the Director: Jacquie Thompson is a filmmaker in her final year of a BA in Media and Communications degree. This is her debut as a documentary film director.
SIMON ABOUD - SIGN POST BRIAN PILLAI - PILLAIS HARDWARE DAVID FRANCO & GILL FLEMMIN - A.S. BRYDENS AND SONS BOBBY CAMPBELL - BOSS SCRIP J AMER HAIDAR - ANSA MCAL
THE ODYSSEY OF HOPE This highly anticipated documentary stars Trinidad legends Tito Lara, Willy Lara, the Lara Brothers Band, the Blue Devils of Paramin and 80-year old activist and Traditional Mas costume maker Senor Gomez.
CORNELIA SILSON DALE RAMIREZ - DRINK BISTRO & LOUNGE SELBY WOODING - QC, ESTATE OF CARLISLE CHANG ASTT MEMBERS ON THE 70th ANNIVERSARY WALL &
Showing rare footage of art forms in Trinidad. “The Odyssey of Hope” is about finding voice and finding freedom within your life.
THE 70th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION COMMITTEE
Director Janine Fung’s narration of her identity as a Canadian, fifth-generation Trinidadian Chinese is interwoven throughout this poetic and poignant documentary about stories that are universal, stories that talk of death, adversity, unconditional love, power and getting back up when knocked down. “The Odyssey of Hope” presents a view of Trinidad, the world has never seen before.
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The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago I Address: Jamaica Blvd., and St Vincent Avenue, Federation Park Email: exhibitions@artsocietytt.org I Telephone: (868) 622-9827 I Website: artsocietytt.org