Suzette Saunders' 'Welcome', acrylic on canvas. Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter
THREE TALENTED female artists have joined forces to present Conversations at the Mutual Gallery and Art Centre on Oxford Road in New Kingston.
And what conversation pieces these new works are as artists Kericee Fletcher, Sana Rose and Suzette Saunders engage viewers with depth and quality. Graduates of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA), the three have used the show to make strong statements or voice opinions on issues.
SUZETTE SAUNDERS
AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Ms. Saunders focuses on the environment in particular, the inner city landscape. Using zinc fences, graffiti, and run-down houses, she has created a series of drawings and paintings to portray a positive image about areas that are viewed negatively generally. And through these "windows", she has initiated "conversations" with viewers on her perception of this environment.
According to her "This is a part of the city that is usually ignored and viewed as hostile. But I see beauty in them the shapes, textures, structures and marks people have made."
So she reminds viewers that ghetto residents are saying "no to drugs and guns" (That Drug Thing), while the call for peace and less violence can still be heard amid the squalor and degradation (Peace YES, Violence NO).
Jamaican Foreign Mind juxtaposes street corner graffiti and Jamaican sunshine with the former World Trade Center twin towers in the United States and other high-rise buildings. But the artist's message is that "things are not always what they seem, and what you see is not what you get."
The theme is underscored in the series of abstracts numbered seven through to 12. The delight of Hidden Dreams (#7), Welcome (#8) and Favourite Space (#10) lies in the romanticised way they are presented.
Unfortunately works titled PNP run tings and No JLP will be interpreted as having political overtones and biases, which the artist probably did not wish to convey.
Ms. Saunders also presents two collograph prints Rebirth and Behind the Fence from her experiences in print-making.
SANA ROSE: PERSONAL
CONVERSATIONS
From painter Sana Rose comes personal "conversations" between herself and God which have been translated into visual messages.
The artist has taken a bold step in displaying this body of work which charts her journey on a religious path. She also continues to explore the layered surfaces that make up collages with a variety of images and media.
There is storytelling in the works, beginning with The Call which depicts her uncertainties and anxieties in responding to a divine prompting.
As she ponders coming out into the open, the artist superimposes her image on a series of half-opened drawers, and a background of red, representing the blood of Jesus. The loneliness of the religious path, as well as the duality between good and evil are also explored in this narrative.
Transfiguration follows, attesting to continued liberation. Then At the Altar, there's the portrayal of total submission, while Window, Outpouring, Gift and Message speaks to the process of acceptance.
Ms. Rose has included three larger works which are absorbing and intriguing, and, in these, she incorporates text messages.
The first, No Greater Love (mixed media on board), could be interpreted as a modern Crucifixion scene. This diptych opens up as a muscular, pulsating heart, and lengthens into out-stretched hands, veins and arteries. The words "Greater love hath no man than a man would lay down his life for his friends" is inscribed across the heart, the ever-present blood in the background.
Come unto me takes its title from the Biblical verse ("Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest") which is also stencilled across the work. A powerful, emotional piece, it shows Christ with outstretched arms appealing to the masses.
Crossing, the second diptych, is a cut-out of a female moving from one emotional, psychological, and spiritual state into another. Moving from the "dark into the light" is how the artist describes it from "wavering visions, frustrations, a cry for help" into "a new, genuine reverend place." And the work stands as her personal testimony.
She has been brave in taking her beliefs and bringing them to life, in using her work to portray her relationship with God. In the ensuing "conversation", she can expect feedback (even criticisms) from viewers, especially if she intends to experiment further along this line.
KERICEE FLETCHER: EXPLORING DUALITY
Kericee Fletcher is currently studying in the U.S. but returned to participate in the exhibition. The six pieces she presents attempt to explore the issue of duality between male and female.
But one also senses a personal exploration as the artist tries to blend the training received in Jamaica with that in the U.S., and the resulting re-definition of ideas and approaches.
Her images on paper and canvas under glass continuously reflects this acceptance of the reality of duality in life, and is strongly manifested in pieces like It's like a duality between realities, Venus Balance and Gender OR. Meanwhile the colourful Rebirth, Skins and Transitional symbolise Ms. Fletcher's move away from earlier monochromatic prints into more use of vibrant colours. Sexual overtones are present, but not overtly so, and the forms are fluid and dynamic.
"My works are sketches fresh, automatic and primal," the artist says in her personal statement. "They give 'skin' to the different psychological phases of my life, and are a fusion of materials which relates to my previous experiences with collages. During the creation of each piece, I challenge myself artistically to transcend any aesthetic limitations I might have."
MEET THE ARTISTS
Individually, the three artists (and friends) have presented works that can stand on their own. As a group, their combined strengths have provided viewers with interesting ideas to ponder, and opened up "a feast of reason" for the soul.
It's a "conversation" that is set to continue with a "meet the artists" session scheduled for September 11 at the gallery from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This will enable the public to become better acquainted with the artists, who will each make a brief presentation about their works followed by a question and answer period.
Conversations continue at the gallery up to September 13.
