Children’s Art & Music Classes and Adult Art and Pottery Classes. New term beginning January 5th – March 28th, 2012. Instructor: Sue Bennett-Williams

On her Island FM radio show “Makin’ It” Margot Bethel chats with John Cox, Jackson Petit and Duke Wells about the upcoming fine art photography show “Deception” opening at Popopstudios on Thursday, December 8, 2011.

Amongst the numerous other things going on at Popopstudios we are busy hanging the new show – an exhibition of fine art photography featuring the work of seventeen artists under the theme Deception. The show opens Thursday, December 8, 2011 at Popopstudios at 6:00pm. Casual event, open to the public, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Please stop by…

Read the fabulous article written by Sonia Farmer in the Nassau Guardian

When listing fine art media, photography is often not considered or found towards the end. The overwhelming presence of commercial photography in The Bahamas as well as the rapid move into the digital age where everyone can own a camera on their phone with a variety of lens and filter settings with the push of a button contribute to the idea that photography can hardly be considered a serious form of expression.

Yet the upcoming exhibition at Popopstudios International Center for the Visual Arts, “Deception”, aims to address and redefine those boundaries. Opening the night of December 8, the seventeen contributing artists who will exhibit one to three pieces each will, by method or subject matter, make the case that photography is a complex and innovative modern art form.

This year’s exhibition follows their successful fine art photographic exhibition last year. However this time the work centers around a theme of “Deception” —chosen by husband and wife team Duke and Lisa Wells, who spearheaded this exhibition—that will set the emotional tone for the show.

“It worked as a theme as evidenced by the wide variety of images that we received with some interpreting the theme quite literally and some interpreting the theme quite esoterically,” says Duke Wells. “But overall, the camera is a tool to take something further.”

Indeed, the fact that many of the contributing artists are primarily known for their work in other media such as paint, sculpture, and drawing stands as a testament to the wide range of work viewers can expect to see. In fact, many of them admit that they use photography at some point in their artistic practice, whether the final piece uses an actual photograph or not.

“A lot of my work began as a photograph or because of a photograph I’ve taken,” says contributor Holly Parotti. “I always have a camera on me, whether my phone or a digital camera. I take pictures of what intrigues me and the process begins there.”

“Artists have hundreds of thousands of photographs that fuel their work. On the question of what it takes to make something a fine art medium, I think having an exhibition like this is a catalyst to start becoming involved in this medium we all use.”

For contributing artist Kishan Munroe, the exhibition was a chance to capture the emotional and thematic implications of “deception” through a somewhat photojournalistic piece, allowing it to fit into his overall artistic practice of capturing and exploring human connection.

“The topic I chose to focus on is a deceptive topic—a sociopolitical global situation that I was able to see and link to The Bahamas,” he explains. “It speaks about deception on a local and global scale.”

For another contributing artist, Steffon Grant, the deception lay in the process which would provide the emotional tone of the final work.

“I kind of went a different route when I interpreted the theme—I deceived my models,” he explained. “When it came to the site, I changed the venue and told them they were going to do something else. Most of them complied, mostly due to peer pressure.”

Other pieces—by the rest of the contributing artists Jason Bennett, Dede Brown, Kendal Hanna, Sabrina Lightbourn, Phoebe Luk, Jeff Major, Holly Parotti, Alistair Stevenson, John Cox, Lisa Wells, Lyndah Wells, Ash Henderson, Jackson Petit, Heino Schmid, and Duke Wells—explore the gamut of social, philosophical and political themes, self-identity, as well as using the very craft of photography to address its nature and status in society.

“I think photography is deceptive by nature so I think that’s attractive, that you can have the metaphor and also the physical nature of the machine that is quite deceptive. You can get away with a lot,” points out contributing artist Heino Schmid.

Indeed, the very theme of “Deception” taps into the darker cultural implications of photography—the voyeuristic invasion of space by the photojournalist or eager tourist, the belief by certain cultures that “taking” a picture “takes” some of one’s soul, the very language of “shooting” a picture—and such exploration of that connection may prove to be a fascinating journey.

Furthermore the hope is for the exhibition to create a space where viewers rethink their ideas about what to look for in “fine” art—gone is the absolute physicality present in a finished piece (in deliberate brushstrokes, particular shaping of wood, active lines of charcoal) and in its place questions arise about composition, narrative and reality.

“I think the process is so immediate to so many people, and that’s the problem. The dumbed down response to it is that it’s just too easy—you can take the camera and point at something and push the button,” points out contributor to the exhibition and founder of Popopstudios, John Cox.

“I think the problem with it is the average person doesn’t come to photography with the right context; they look at it and critique the surface of the photograph because that’s what impresses people with painting.”

Duke Wells, who says he believes photography is as much a fine art as any other media, points out that the emotional impact and experience of photographic work lies in the very presence of the artist’s intent and the framing of the narrative.

“When you take a picture of a bride and groom and the mother-in-law blows that up to 20 x 24 and hangs it on her living room wall, is that art? Or if you take a beautiful picture of poinciana trees with a sailboat and water in the background, is that art?” he asks.

“There has to be some understanding of what art is and that helps separate fine art photography from real photography, and I think that means whether some part of the artist is in the photograph or not, expressing something or communicating something visually, not just detailing or documenting the facts.”

Indeed, the photographer may be more of a storyteller than a historian—or perhaps the dichotomous attraction and aversion to photography and the photographer lie in its ability to merge with so many art forms and different narrative arcs. At “Deception”, viewers can expect to engage on all of those levels and have radically different conversations about the function of photography in the cultural landscape.

“The exciting thing is that we’re all visual practitioners but the thing is a photograph is not so different from other art mediums; and if you adjust your way of thinking about it, it deconstructs that high art/low art thing where photography gets compartmentalized,” points out John Cox.

“That’s the exciting thing about what Popop tries to do—not just with this show but all of them—to blur boundaries and to reestablish definitions.”

“Deception” opens December 8 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. in the art gallery at Popopstudios International Center for Visual Arts in Chippingham and continues until January 7, 2012. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

A special talk with the contributing artists to the exhibition about the process behind their work will take place December 14 at 4 p.m. in the gallery space.

Sonia Farmer The Nassau Guardian Arts and Culture

Published: Saturday, December 3, 2011

A new puppy has joined the three cats Shadow, and twins Jenna and Malone in Popop’s pet family. The puppy was rescued off the streets of Chippingham by John Cox and Margot Bethel. He has some health issues to overcome, primarily a serious case of mange… but he will be a cute, healthy puppy soon. Pictures to come when he looks better.

This has been a year marked by powerful fires that ravaged historic businesses, communities, and now, culture. The fire that broke out early yesterday (December 2) morning in downtown Nassau took the shell of the straw market already destroyed by Hurricane Irene earlier this year, as well as the two historical buildings that straddled it—the Pompey Museum and the historic St. Cuthbert’s Church.

While a new straw market venue downtown is set to open imminently, the damage to these two buildings which have stood for centuries in the heart of Nassau are a blow to Bahamian history and culture.

Dr. Gail Saunders, who established the Pompey Museum in 1992, mourned the loss of her project yesterday as she worked with the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation and government officials to decide how to approach it’s restoration.

“I think people are generally just sort of stunned,” she says. “When they called me early this morning, I just was so confused. Most people I think were very concerned and very upset about it.”

“I feel that Bahamians have to demand that the heritage and culture be preserved and however much it costs within reason, but we have to restore the museum and the building too which is very historic.”

Indeed the museum is the historic Vendue House, a one-story building dating back to the 1760s as a market for various commodities—most notably for slaves trafficked across the Atlantic. Though the building has since gone through many lives as a department for telegraph and telephone and electricity, it’s historical significance was honored in 1992 when Dr. Saunders worked to establish it as a public museum, named after the slave who led the revolt against inhumane conditions on the Rolle Plantation in Exuma, to celebrate Bahamian heritage and culture.

“It really is representative of the whole story of slavery in The Bahamas that’s known internationally as well,” says Dr. Saunders. “It was established also to educate students and people of The Bahamas about their past.”

“If you travel anywhere in the world and in the Caribbean especially, museums are very important attractions and this was in such a strategic location because it was downtown. It’s very important from the point of education and tourism.”

Indeed, besides a permanent collection of an in-depth look into the slave trade and experience of slaves on plantations and post-emancipation through significant artifacts, the Bahamian intuitive painter Amos Ferguson exhibited his paintings in the space. It has also displayed a series of temporary exhibitions such as “A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie” and the UNESCO/ Schomburg commemorative exhibition “Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery”.

Though a few items could be salvaged and some books on the second story survived, an enormous amount of history, research and artwork was lost to the fire. Up until press time, it was unclear as to whether many paintings by Amos Ferguson went along with the artifacts, but if this is the case, then certainly we have experienced a deep and terrible loss of work from a beloved Bahamian founding father of visual art.

The government has committed to restoring the building and replicating its artifacts, yet just over a decade ago in September 2001, the Pompey Museum caught fire and closed for a few years for restoration. So this latest loss is particularly bewildering and unfathomable—why were proper protective procedures not put into place to ensure a tragedy like this could have been avoided? How can we now move forward and learn how to properly value, preserve and protect Bahamian art and history for future generations to understand and appreciate where they came from?

“This is a setback for us but we’re determined that the building will be restored,” says Dr. Saunders. “We will be able to get replicas of some of the slave artifacts that were in the museum. But it’s going to be expensive and it’s going to take time. We will have to be patient.”

What’s particularly sobering about online remarks expressing awe at the fire damage are those who are mourning the loss of the nightclub “Da Balcony”. Such expressions are in themselves testaments to how little Bahamians know or have been taught to value their rich heritage, for within the history of that building, Da Balcony is simply a brief moment in time.

A testament to its rich history was embodied in the elaborate mural by local artist Kishan Munroe last year, called “Lift Up Your Head”. As part of the Love My Bahamas campaign, sponsored by Coca-Cola and the Downtown Nassau Partnership, which established murals by local artists for the revitalization of Downtown Nassau, Munroe selected the building because of its history.

“This was the building I saw first that had significance—everything else they had on the list didn’t hold significance, they were just buildings and walls,” he says.

Wanting to tap into that significance and inspired by such murals he saw on his travels to Latin America that honored history and heritage, Munroe set out to uncover its history with the help of Dr. Saunders and Penelope Nottage and then to share it with its millions of tourist and Bahamian passersby.

Orignally known as St. Cuthbert’s Church or the Seaman’s Chapel, the building, which dates back to the 1800s, was a mission church for sponge fisherman, which Munroe paid tribute to in the painted fisherman figures and ship sails. He also included the element of spirituality with a slave in prayer, as well as a figure in Junkanoo costume to tap into our African history and heritage. As an artist Munroe’s work taps into human experience and connection, and this piece is no different with historical and contemporary figures sweeping upwards to the sky finding the common human element in us all.

Indeed, Munroe wanted to piece to be inspirational, as in the summer of 2010 the crime rate was rapidly on the rise.

“I wanted it to be uplifting, to tap into that futuristic stylized tendencies used in the world wars to inspire us to survive and move forward,” he says. “I wanted to show that history isn’t dead but it in motion.”

Despite the mural’s size and presence, Munroe, knowing the building’s rich history, respected its structure and worked only on the flat surface to not drastically change the appearance of the building but rather give meaning to the phrase “If these walls could talk.”

Indeed, his mural, despite its brief presence, garnered attention from both tourists and locals alike, educating people about their environment and history they may often—and still do—take for granted. For Munroe, the loss of his work and that building by fire is indeed shocking, but his outlook is positive that it has served its purpose.

“Painting has a life. You give life to a painting—that’s basically birth. Anything you give life to dies. So it’s not the quantity of life, it’s the quality of life,” he points out.

“So if you create something that lasts for just one hour and it does what it’s supposed to do, then it was a good life. If it exists for a hundred years and still does not achieve its purpose then it was done in vain. But I can honestly say right now I don’t think it was done in vain.”

Indeed, losing both buildings to fire at the same time is a strong statement to the ephemerality of human artifacts, and if we don’t realize right now that these items are worth saving for what they represent, then we will never have a proper foundation to our Bahamian identity or a sense of national pride.

Ed Fields, the Director of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, which works to recognize and preserve the valuable Bahamian buildings in historic Nassau, hopes that this time around proper consideration can be put into protecting the restored buildings.

He echoes the bewilderment, grief and sadness many feel today as we pick up what pieces we can and come to terms with what we cannot recover ever again.

“Buildings such as these go to the very heart of who we are as a people,” he says. “They represent where we come from, and the struggles endured to get where we are today as Bahamians.”

“Their presence is essential to our very existence. Losing structures such as Pompey and the Seaman’s Chapel is akin to losing an organ. We survive, but we are never quite the same.”

Sonia Farmer, The Nassau Guardian Arts & Culture

Published: Saturday, December 3, 2011

The Popop community enjoyed a fabulous Thanksgiving feast over the past weekend organized by Popop artist and Education Officer Katrina Cartwright.

Cris prepared a succulent, perfectly-cooked, golden-brown turkey, which was accompanied by home-made stuffing and cranberry sauce. Several members of the Popop community brought or made side dishes including mashed potatoes (mashed with a fork by Sarah), baked macaroni and cheese, a huge salad topped with feta cheese, peas & rice and a variety of desserts. There was also beer, wine and a delicious carrot juice prepared by Richardo Barrett‘s mother.

Margot spun the tunes on her ipad. It was a delightful and festive occasion and made great use of Popop’s newly refurbished kitchen.

The get-together also doubled as a farewell party for Sarah Deppe, the international artist in residence from Iowa.

A recent graduate of the University of North Iowa (UNI) in Sculpture, Sarah was participating in an international exchange programme which came about as a result of a week-long residency completed by Antonius Roberts at the University.

Sarah spent a month in the Bahamas assisting Antonius Roberts on various projects. She stayed at Popopstudios during her residency where she blended well with the community of artists and everyone was sad to see her go. She left on November 30 but plans to return early next year for a longer residency term.

June Collie, one of the 2011 Junior Resident artists at Popopstudios this past summer and Gio Swaby, a student volunteer at Popopstudios have both entered short films into this year’s Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF).

As part of her final exhibition “Fallen Transitions” at the end of her 3-month residency June Collie displayed three short films – “Simon Says?”, “Installation II” and “What Do You Want June?” – each making a statement about individuality.

In a Nassau Guardian interview June said, “With my work, I like to get straight to the point.”

“…in film, I got to show people what I wanted to see. I feel like I can express myself,” she says. “When I work with video, it never feels like work.”

Gio Swaby is an art student at the College of the Bahamas and a volunteer at Popopstudios. Last year she assisted in the Popopstudios Junior Resident Artist Khia Poitier’s final exhibition by making a film of Khia wrapped in a crocheted ‘cocoon’.

DEVOTEE

Director: June Collie

The Bahamas / 2011 / 3 mins Young Ali, has given into his fixation with Facebook. It has become a part of his daily life, as a result he carries it wherever he goes. And every night before he goes to sleep, he makes sure he gets a full dose of it. Is it an addiction or avid entertainment?

COCOON

Director: Giovanna Swaby The Bahamas / 2011 / 6 mins This short film is centered around an individual who appears to be willfully enclosed within a colorful crocheted cocoon. The façade that the character in this story has built is abruptly ripped away and the individual is suddenly thrown out of this comfort zone and into a new, exciting but frightening world. The character is then faced with the uncomfortable choice of either reverting to or abandoning the image that they have so carefully constructed and become accustomed to. ‘Cocoon’ focuses on the subject of identity and the fear of change and rejection, issues that every person will face at some point in their lives. It presents the process of finding and facing oneself in a very literal and basic way in an attempt to appeal and connect with a broad audience of people.