Biographies of Bahamian Artists - Case Study Example

A brief Biography and commentary on Bahamian artists; Lillian Blades, Kishan Munroe, John Cox and Tyrone Ferguson Lillian Blades Lillian Blades was born in the Bahamas, but after her schooling, left for the United States to pursue higher studies in arts. She obtained her BFA degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Midtown Atlanta and her Master’s degree in arts from Georgetown University. She is employed by her Alma Mater as a faculty of arts, in Atlanta. She has further enhanced understanding of arts from courses at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and Caversham in KwaZulu Natal South Africa. She has extensively exhibited her works in the United States, South Africa, Trinidad, and also in her home country, the Bahamas. Several of her works can now be seen in museums and other public places. Blades does not show the intensity of human emotions and expressions unlike many other artists, sculptors and painters. In the words of art and film critic Felicia Feaster, “Blades is sentimental and easygoing. Her squares of vintage fabric that she arranges into similarly hued configurations suggest quilts composed of the significant material of a familys life, to which Blades has added household objects such as spoons and honey drippers and decorative tchotchkes”. This is echoed in Blade’s own words on why she uses household articles in her works: “I also incorporate buttons to symbolically represent spiritual connections. Buttons connect me to my mom, a seamstress who passed away during my childbirth”. She does however use symbolism in other ways too. For example, the button holes to her are “like unseen eyes, but should we choose to, we can recognize them”. The artist has a propensity to use bright colors, like for example, the quilts, and the pottery that is often incorporated into her works and could be indicative of a girly and cheerful personality. She also has a strong inclination and affinity towards African culture, primarily due to the usage of pots and quilts that are uniquely representative of the continent. Kishan Munroe Kishan Munroe (Born 1980, Nassau) has a major in both painting and visual arts. His affinity and talent in arts was apparent even at a young age, as seen by the fact that he was a part of one of the nation’s most effective art promotion programs for children, the Annual FinCo. Art Workshop. His five year stint at the Savannah College of Art and Design ended in 2005 and has since exhibited his works extensively in the United States and the Caribbean. His works can also be found in private and public collections. Monroe is also the recipient of many awards and recognitions. He is also an avid photographer and even dabs in artistic computer animation. Munroe’s line of thought is quite complex and seem to have an inclination towards the mysterious. The artist says that his works probe ‘into a deeper consciousness and arriving at a new awareness’ and reconcile “the unknown and forgotten with the known and found; investigating the dichotomy of life and death and of knowing and understanding.” Munroe does not go in for bright colors. Most of his works use soft hues and shades of brown and blue sometimes interspersed with a bit of orange. What stands out from his work is that almost each of them features people either individually or in groups. Munroe’s paintings are oil on canvas and invariable feature one or two faces. They are made to look into the viewer’s eyes and seem to express a feeling of resignation or sadness. The artist’s photographs are in a similar vein even though he commonly portrays groups of people. They more realistic and are mostly about daily life of the poor in the Bahamas. Both his paintings and photographs illustrate a deep concern for the poor and the downtrodden. He also appears concerned about the erosion of national culture due to the pervading influence of a potentially harmful European culture. “Born within a West Indian cultural tradition by way of African heritage, I express my ideas through its complexities; a world affected by the plight of human history and highly influenced by Western European customs” says Munroe regarding his sentiments and outlook. Munroe is also interested in moving images and takes the time to record life through videos. Currently, the artist is planning a trek around the world where “through his imagery, he’ll tell the many and varied stores of human struggles and triumphs in the hope of finding common ground”. John Cox John Cox, apart from being an artist is also an experimentalist. “Cox’s mixed media work is unrehearsed, spiritual and eclectic. He fuses elements of historical figures such as Mao, Billy Holiday and Jackie Kennedy with newspaper clippings, torn magazine pages, creating something he calls his own”. Cox is known as a mixed artist due to the variety that he brings into his paintings and sculptures: “John Cox is a mixed media artist whose works focuses on the “everyday.” He is known for large format paintings, found object assemblages, collage and non-traditional printmaking” He also uses video as a medium of expression. In a way, he is a rebel in the sense that he likes to challenge the way contemporary society behaves. He states: "I find my work challenging to create and challenging to the viewer as well. One thing I’ve come to realize is that people don’t like to be challenged. They find it intimidating, a strain to actually have to think about the work and to question something”. His work is based on three major themes namely love, society, and I against I. The love theme is not based on the feelings towards society in general, but is with regard to love between individuals. There is a sense of selfishness and selflessness in the theme. His works are based on asking questions and receiving answers on the concept of love. This is illustrated by the titles ‘How much do you love me’ and the response of ‘This is how much I love you’. The theme ‘society’ depicts symbolic references and does not appear to represent specifics like for example, oppression or hope. The works are mostly in the form of large ‘creations’ using a variety of articles such as wood and paint formed in the shape of squares and rectangles. In that sense, his sculptors are highly symbolic when compared to his paintings (and collages). There is a similarity here when compared to the works of Munroe. Most of the paintings of Cox are in muted colors, mainly in shades of black, red, and brown and feature two individuals facing each other. This could be indicative of the challenges that are present in the society as mentioned above by the artist. Tyrone Ferguson Tyrone Ferguson cannot be labeled as just an artist due to the variety in the work done by him. Born into a family of blacksmiths in the Bahamas, Ferguson still continues that line through “an imaginative approach to functional items such as doors, gates, railing panels, furniture, chandeliers and signage, he has developed his own style of hammered, forged and sculptural work in iron, bronze, copper, stainless steel, aluminum and found materials”. Like many of the artists featured here, works of Ferguson has found a place among numerous private and public collections in the Bahamas and the United States. The artist also has the credit of conducting many exhibitions of his work. There is no indication of a formal education in arts in his case. Ferguson’s works are more a part of the landscape and the architecture rather than something to be hung on the wall or displayed as a pure work of art. As a result, most of his creations are seen placed in gardens, lobbies, as a part of the furniture or staircase, or in any other area that can accommodate his artistic talent. For example, “Bahamian artists Antonius Roberts and Tyrone Ferguson gave their artistic influence through sculpting African figures from the existing trees and placing metal bells within the surrounding trees, has been a place of relaxation for many”. His artistic creations include imaginative doors, gates, railings, lighting, and other areas commonly used by people as a part of their daily lives. In other words, Ferguson is a pure commercial artist who does not find art as an outlet to express strong human emotions like love, oppression, and hope. He has found a niche which is a combination of his blacksmith background and artistry. He has managed to combine the two in creating works that combine aesthetics, creativity, and functionality. References Lillian Blades: eye connect. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from Sandler Hudson Gallery website: http://www.sandlerhudson.com/blades.html Feaster, Felicia. (2006). Domestic Goddesses: Teresa Bramlette Reeves and Lillian Blades at Sandler Hudson. A&E: Visual Arts. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from creativeloafing.com: http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A151921 Munroe, Official Website: Biography. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from Kishanmunroe.com: http://www.kishanmunroe.com/tuhe%20profile.html Munroe, Kishan. (2007). The Universal Human Experience. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from LINK Bahamas website: http://www.linkbahamas.org/multimedia_kishan.php John Cox. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from: http://www.bahamasb2b.com/art/cox.htm Silva, Tony. Artists of the Bahamas- Artists’ Profiles. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from: http://www.artistsofthebahamas.com/artists.html Tyrone Ferguson Artist/metalsmith, Nassau, The Bahamas. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from Ownspot.com: http://www.tyroneferguson.com/28495_114663.asp BURROWS, PETURA. (2008). Sacred Space: Art Lovers Blocked From Sacred Space. Retrieved 29 June 2009, from antoniusroberts. com: http://www.antoniusroberts.com/sacred-article2.html Read More