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The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated its 70th Anniversary in 2013. This is the catalogue from the Anniversary Exhibition
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70th Anniversary Exhibit ion15-30 November, 2013
2 I The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago - 70th Anniversary Exhibition “Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org I 3
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.
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
find resonance with our history, through the senior artists featured this year, the members’
anniversary wall and the other pieces submitted for display.
While we celebrate our survival over the years we must express our thanks to the various
Boards that have brought us thus far. We encourage our members to volunteer their time next
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
Commissioner of Lands with very little success. We continue to seek to engage the relevant
Bodies and Ministries with a view to a resolution in our favour before 2015.
I extend my congratulations to all artists participating in the November group show and I
recommend this exhibition for your enjoyment.
Best regards,
Gail P Guy
President
�;A9DB;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
Curator: Peter Sheppard
Assistant Curators: Clayton DeFreitas, G.A. Gardner
Property Manager: Fitzroy Hoyte
Administrator/Project Manager: Cynthia James Cramer
IT/Website: Ilka Hilton Clarke
Catalogue Editors: Peter Sheppard and Marsha Pearce
Graphic Design: Johnny Gonsalves - Jogo Productions Ltd.
Photography: Peter Sheppard & Ilka Hilton Clarke
Event Photographer: Ilka Hilton Clarke and James Solomon
Media Relations: Marsha Pearce
Printing Sponsorship of Invitations and Catalogues: BOSS
Other Exhibition Committee Members: Ashley Thompson, Maureen Ottier Viera,
Christopher Wilcox, Jacqueline Telfer, Tessa Alexander
Printed by SCRIP-J
© 2013, All rights reserved. No part to be reproduced without the expressed
permission of the ASTT
2013/2014 EXECUTIVE
President: Gail P. Guy
1st Vice President: Peter Sheppard
2nd Vice President: James Armstrong
Secretary: Charisse Trot Seepersad
Assistant Secretary: Clayton De Freitas
Treasurer: Reita Antoine
DIRECTORS
Tessa Alexander
Saara Gafoor Ali
Wulf Gerstenmaier
Fitzroy Hoyte
Juliana Laquis
Courtenay Williams “ex officio”
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
4 I “Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago - 70th Anniversary Exhibition I 5
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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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 fly-
by-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
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“…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,
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.
"�H>�þCC?I;FG8FLThe Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago
Looking Back, Looking Forward
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.
Members of the Trinidad Art Society are seen preparing for the annual exhibition – 1951.
Karl Broodhagen helps with a sculpture.Sybil Atteck
Opening of the first November exhibition of the Trinidad Art Society held at the Royal Victoria Institute.
Trinidad Art Society exhibition of foreign paintings and sculpture together with works by Cazabon
– 1953.
Row 1 (L-R)1. Jessica Henry2. Althea Bastien3. Mumtaz Persad4. Christopher Wilcox5. Sharon Burford6. Kavita Ojah Maharaj7. Anton Hadaway8. Neala Bhagwansingh9. Madiha Farag Miller10. Marrisa Ramdeen
Row 2 (L-R)11. Sarah Burrows12. Rachel Lee Young13. Suelin Low Chew Tung14. Shenel Ramnarine15. Linda Kowlessar16. Anton Hadaway17. Shannon Hutchinson18. Donna Tull19. Kristine Ng Foon20. Richard Rawlins
Row 3 (L-R)21. Compton Welch22. Robert Ramkissoon23. Anthony Timothy24. Candice Sobers25. Pat Farrell-Frederick26. Laura Bortouisso Welch27. Reita Antoine28. Gregory Williams29. Dianne Job30. Latoya Tidd
Row 4 (L-R)31. Compton Welch32. Margot Tidd33. Gabriella D’Abreau34. Garth Duncan35. Latoya Tidd36. GA Gardner37. Gabriella D’Abreau38. Clayton DeFreitas39. Donna Mae Clarke40. Kristine Ng Foon
Row 5 (L-R)41. Mary Adam42. Marsha Bhagwansingh43. Danielle Duboulay44. Carla Louis45. Daniella Walcott46. Margot Tidd47. Roxanne DeFreitas48. Kathy Ann Perkins49. Margaret Sheppard50. Joan Moore
Row 6 (L-R)51. Beverly Fitzwilliam Harries52. Sarah Burrows53. Jackie Hinkson54. Ayodele Roseman55. Cynthia James Cramer56. Fitzroy Hoyte57. Pat Farrell Frederick58. Peter Sheppard59. Corneila Silson60. Rachel Lee Young
Row 7 (L-R)61. Bunty O’Connor62. Sherron Harford63. Karen Hale Jackson64. Waheeda Ramnath65. James Solomon66. Shireen Ali67. Ilka Hilton Clarke68. Beverly Fitzwilliam Harries69. Wulf Gerstermaier70. Tessa Alexander
8 I “Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago - 70th Anniversary Exhibition I 9
70th ANNIVERSARY WALL
“Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org I 11
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:
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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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.
12 I “Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago - 70th Anniversary Exhibition I 13
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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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.
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
had happened over the last seven years. This image, one of several that documents the process the family follows to
create a Divali presentation that embraces their community, shows the event at its peak: Ethel Street full of the visitors
who have come to experience this remarkable act of generosity and faith.
ASTT-EPOS RENAISSANCE OF THE HILL
Members of the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago are assisting primary schools in East Port
of Spain with a pilot visual arts project which is intended to improve the skills of the youngsters
and also instil self confidence and positive attitudes.
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.
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 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.
Showing rare footage of art forms in Trinidad. “The Odyssey of Hope” is about finding voice and finding freedom within your life.
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.
LEROY CLARKE: A CHIEF AMONG MEN?
Type: Documentary short
Director: Jacquie Thompson
Year: 2013
Running Time: 55 min.
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.
FILM NIGHTSATURDAY 23rd, NOVEMBER, 20137:00pm
18 I The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago - 70th Anniversary Exhibition “Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org I 19
þ9@CDJA;:=;B;CHGARNIM’S FRAMING SOLUTIONS CO. LTD.
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
CORNELIA SILSON
DALE RAMIREZ - DRINK BISTRO & LOUNGE
SELBY WOODING - QC, ESTATE OF CARLISLE CHANG
ASTT MEMBERS ON THE 70th ANNIVERSARY WALL &
THE 70th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION COMMITTEE
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:
�DH;G
20 I “Celebrating 70 Years of the Visual Arts” website: artsocietytt.org
The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago I Address: Jamaica Blvd., and St Vincent Avenue, Federation ParkEmail: [email protected] I Telephone: (868) 622-9827 I Website: artsocietytt.org