Breadfruit & Bakes – Why so short? Errol Barrow Centre should be shepherd, not sheep to carry by UWI!
When Dustin Harewood and Graham Gill had a show at Cave Hill four years ago, there was a similar brevity however not as crisp… They ran long enough to have a “Meet The Artists” segment, they exhibited with Christobel Ishmael and it was very popular.
One show, Dustin made a large tin of Condensed Milk as part of a Snow Cone Suite; this time when you arrive at the Walcott Warner theatre, you're greeted by an enormous cassette (I wonder if kids now recall these tapes?)
This time around they stepped up their game and persuaded Ras Akyem to join in on the fun in a Crop Over showing dubbed “Breadfruit & Bakes” which apart from sounding very Bajan also sounds very vegan but in a tropical way!
Akyem-i is approached by poet Adrian Green while portraits of Li'l Rick (b/w charcoal) and DJ Bling (acrylic colours) look on
Dustin spent time at Marvel Comics and it can be seen in his larger than life 2D charcoal busts of various Crop Over personalities like Gabby who’s competing for the Crown again like he’s done since 1968, yes – that long!
"Wuk Up Bandit" from Graham Gill - customised Munny Doll for sale at Cave Hill
Dustin also has a very intriguing Social Commentary with a Bajan version of what is a typical hunting trophy in US or European climes, a mounted head but his twist is to use faux fur representation of a Black Belly sheep with a RIM smartphone firmly clasped in its molars… Changing it onto a Black Berry Sheep, which is his two cents on how so many Barbadians (Guilty? Moi aussi, LOL) slavishly follow trends.
Herd mentality in a Technological way - Dustin Harewood's "Black Berry Sheep"
The last time I saw Graham Gill’s works he was carefully defining why his work differed from his one-time teacher, Stanley Greaves, but this time around he proved by diversifying his styles – you’ll recall his Rihanna posed like a Maja or an Odalisque? He also has many cryptic references to Freemon and a harbinger…
Graham Gill, ensuited, discusses "Robyn" his study of the girl who's singing in Barbados on 5th August at Kensington Oval
Akyem-i Ramsay is proud to show all & sundry his recently acquired Lithographic skills, and there are his usual huge phallic canvasses which seek funds which may be steep for most Bajans. What I enjoyed was how each artist took a Munny Doll and personalised it into various aspects of Barbadian or Caribbean mythos…
This is charcoal & acrylic on canvas - "Broken Wings" (penis & all) from Ras Akyem is not for the shallow of pocket...
Munny Dolls, I learned from Graham, are all the rage in Japan and USA where on both sides of the Pacific artists grab the anonymous smurf-like creatures and personalise them into completely different beings which tickle the Bimshire fancy!
An eerie fin-scape from Graham Gill where all is not what it seems...
Graham’s choice was camouflage and making his little plastic figure a “Wuk-Up Bandit” while Dustin had a “Gold Bussa” which looked more like Obama to me – perhaps signifying his frustration with U.S. Speaker Boehner & the Tea Party?
Dustin ensconced in a tie chats with a guest who's more casual at the opening...
Ras Akyem chose to examine the racial nightmares and melanin significance of why Vybz Kartel would seek to lighten his skin to make it “Pretty Like A Coloring Book” and thus the “Tar Baby: Anti-Bleach” complete with mini boombox blaring Kartel and his infamous ‘Colouring Book‘ tune…
An extraordinarily extreme close-up on portion of Akyem-i's "Trans Atlantic #3" which is a new driftwood sculpture on display at the Errol Barrow centre.
There’s much more to see at the show, how artists use what material is there to push their images and how even while trying to be politically correct in dining habits can lead to the genocide of fish! Get there and pressure Dr Gladstone Yearwood or DeCarla Applewhaite to make the show run longer!
So agree. Having an exhibition, and especially at this time of year needs to have a longer running time. The amount of work to set up, hang and organise an exhibition and an opening evening is tremendous and if the EBCCI can extend the show it would give many more a chance to get to the exhibition and give exposure to these artists.