Anna Henriques is a Jamaican artist who lives and work in New York City. - Contributed
THE NATIONAL Gallery of Jamaica will open its second National Biennial Exhibition on Sunday, December 12 at the National Gallery, Roy West Building, Kingston Mall.
The exhibition will feature the works of many renowned Jamaican artists with works from the following categories: draw-ing, painting, sculpture including assemblage, installation, collages, original prints, ceramics, fibre art and photography.
Today we feature one of the artists who will be exhibiting, and a piece from David Marchand.
RESIN AND PIGMENT
Anna Henriques is a Jamaican artist living and working in New York City. Her entry in the Jamaican Biennial 2004, titled 'Hudson River', is composed of 999 small fish, resin and pigment on steel-reinforced board.
Here she discusses her work with Dr. Jonathan Greenland of the National Gallery of Jamaica.
JG: What is your greatest artistic influence and why?
AH: I am inspired by the BIG questions: Why are we here? What is life? What is death? It is the philosophy in art.
JG: What inspired your piece 'Hudson River'?
AH: The over-breeding of human beings and the resulting consequences on the environment.
JG: Where did the fish come from?
AH: The fish I bought in Chinatown from a medicine/food shop. The man had to special-order the quantity I needed. He spoke very little English and was convinced I had a restaurant, since dried fish are used for soup stock in Asia. 'Hudson River' is part of a series of works in the same dimensions; I wanted to create a visual river around the walls of a gallery.
JG: What do you think of the Jamaican art scene?
AH: First and foremost, it has soul. It also has integrity. For the most part, Jamaican artists and collectors act on what moves them as individuals and not according to market dictates. The art itself is a wonderful mix of work that is all gut; and then there is the work that is conceptual, intelligent, while also being visually compelling.
AESTHETICS OF EXPRESSION
I would say Jamaican artists have not forgotten the aesthetics of expression. What has been your greatest moment of artistic achievement? None and then all. There are moments in every body of work that move me, even years later, and that make me catch my breath or draw me in. I am not lauding my work or being vain; these moments occur serendipitously in the process of losing myself in the making. So I don't feel empowered by them as the artist, because I am fully aware I could never reproduce them.
JG: What are your favourite materials, besides fish?
AH: Anything organic, particularly dead creatures in the flesh or even just the bones.
JG: What is your favourite work of Jamaican art?
AH: No one particular piece. I love a lot of Milton George's work, David Boxer's big, gentle, introspective paintings which he made in the '80s, Edna Manley's more contained sculptures, Roberta Stoddart's fantastical and disturbing vignettes, the list is endless. What I love most about these and other works is their beauty, as well as their social commentary within these private reflections.
JG: Where is your favourite place in Jamaica (or it could be elsewhere)?
AH: Frenchman's Cove, for its ghosts.
JG: Matisse or Picasso?
AH: Picasso. I like his portraits of his various women even though they were disturbing. I love his use of paint, his sense of form and composition, especially in the portraits of his wives and lovers.
Anna Henriques will be on hand to discuss her work and 'What are Biennials? Why do we have them?' at 2:30 p.m. The Jamaican Biennial 2004 runs through March 12, 2005.
'POP CAN DADA'
David Marchand's 'Pop Can Dada' are one of the many artworks that will be on display at the official opening of the National Gallery of Jamaica's 2004 National Biennial exhibition, Sunday, December 12, at 11:00 a.m.
THE NATIONAL Gallery of Jamaica will open its second National Biennial Exhibition on Sunday, December 12 at the National Gallery, Roy West Building, Kingston Mall.
The exhibition will feature the works of many renowned Jamaican artists with works from the following categories: draw-ing, painting, sculpture including assemblage, installation, collages, original prints, ceramics, fibre art and photography.
Today we feature one of the artists who will be exhibiting, and a piece from David Marchand.
RESIN AND PIGMENT
Anna Henriques is a Jamaican artist living and working in New York City. Her entry in the Jamaican Biennial 2004, titled 'Hudson River', is composed of 999 small fish, resin and pigment on steel-reinforced board.
Here she discusses her work with Dr. Jonathan Greenland of the National Gallery of Jamaica.
JG: What is your greatest artistic influence and why?
AH: I am inspired by the BIG questions: Why are we here? What is life? What is death? It is the philosophy in art.
JG: What inspired your piece 'Hudson River'?
AH: The over-breeding of human beings and the resulting consequences on the environment.
JG: Where did the fish come from?
AH: The fish I bought in Chinatown from a medicine/food shop. The man had to special-order the quantity I needed. He spoke very little English and was convinced I had a restaurant, since dried fish are used for soup stock in Asia. 'Hudson River' is part of a series of works in the same dimensions; I wanted to create a visual river around the walls of a gallery.
JG: What do you think of the Jamaican art scene?
AH: First and foremost, it has soul. It also has integrity. For the most part, Jamaican artists and collectors act on what moves them as individuals and not according to market dictates. The art itself is a wonderful mix of work that is all gut; and then there is the work that is conceptual, intelligent, while also being visually compelling.
AESTHETICS OF EXPRESSION
I would say Jamaican artists have not forgotten the aesthetics of expression. What has been your greatest moment of artistic achievement? None and then all. There are moments in every body of work that move me, even years later, and that make me catch my breath or draw me in. I am not lauding my work or being vain; these moments occur serendipitously in the process of losing myself in the making. So I don't feel empowered by them as the artist, because I am fully aware I could never reproduce them.
JG: What are your favourite materials, besides fish?
AH: Anything organic, particularly dead creatures in the flesh or even just the bones.
JG: What is your favourite work of Jamaican art?
AH: No one particular piece. I love a lot of Milton George's work, David Boxer's big, gentle, introspective paintings which he made in the '80s, Edna Manley's more contained sculptures, Roberta Stoddart's fantastical and disturbing vignettes, the list is endless. What I love most about these and other works is their beauty, as well as their social commentary within these private reflections.
JG: Where is your favourite place in Jamaica (or it could be elsewhere)?
AH: Frenchman's Cove, for its ghosts.
JG: Matisse or Picasso?
AH: Picasso. I like his portraits of his various women even though they were disturbing. I love his use of paint, his sense of form and composition, especially in the portraits of his wives and lovers.
Anna Henriques will be on hand to discuss her work and 'What are Biennials? Why Do We Have Them?' at 2:30 p.m. The Jamaican Biennial 2004 runs through March 12, 2005.
'POP CAN DADA'
David Marchand's 'Pop Can Dada' are one of the many artworks that will be on display at the official opening of the National Gallery of Jamaica's 2004 National Biennial exhibition, Sunday, December 12, at 11:00 a.m.
