Interesting developments

The exhibition shows some interesting developments in the works of the major artists. Winslow Craig's four pieces underscore his ranking as one of the finest sculptors in Guyana but the pieces also point to new directions in his work. The Watcher and Sad Spirit/Angry Spirit display a spiky, bristling energy. In these pieces, energy spikes through the work rather than being contained and expressed through the volumes and movements of the figures. The compositions are as well-balanced, and the execution is as fine as ever in Craig's work, but a new element in the form of nails enters the picture. Medicine Man follows the tradition of mask making, and in this piece we are back with the elegant curves which marked Craig's earlier work.

Another interesting development is seen in Long Shadows, which makes the sharpest break with Craig's other work. This group of standing, semi-abstract human figures is sober in tone and recalls modern American sculpture installations and the gaunt figures of Giacometti.

On the other hand, the pieces of Oswald Hussein display a compactness which, while not totally in contrast, does shift the focus away from the sharp beaks and talons of his prize-winning earlier work eg Massassakere. It seems as if Hussein is developing the central area of his sculptures, reining the previous sharp protrusions and focusing the energy into a solid mass. The scale of the work is also smaller than that of the early ones. Hussein has also recently started exhibiting paintings, and some of these are included in this exhibition.

Lynus Clenkian and Roland Taylor, on the other hand, produce more lithe, graceful work which show another side of the Lokono spirit.

The paintings of Desmond Alli continue a development in his art first exhibited in 2001 at the Bhaavana exhibition (Indian Cultural Centre) and again at the Under The Seventh Sun exhibition at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus in May 2002. In these paintings, Alli reflects the East Indian side of his heritage, and also his well-known theme of Latin American history.

George Simon continues to search for an individualistic manner of painting. His task is perhaps more difficult than that of the sculptors, since Guyanese sculpture has always been more adventurous and creative than its painting which remains highly conservative. His abstract, almost totally monochromatic work recalls the Toka explorations he had undertaken since 1991. However, there is also new work which makes use of real texture in various painting media, and using an unusual ground, paper. In these, Simon seems to be as much interested in his experimentations with the painting materials and techniques as he is in his subject matter. His central subject - bones, skeletons, serpents - is eerily appropriate as a metaphor for his quest of self discovery, and also connects to the theme of body, energy and spirit which runs through the show.

Body, energy, spirit

The exploration of body, energy and spirit, of self and world, of levels of reclamation, preservation and experience, permeates the exhibition.

One dimension is seen in the finely-made ceramics of Trevor Alfred, the delightful untutored sculpture of Valentine Stoll which depicts pork-knockers, hunters, etc, the paintings of Eon Joseph and Basil Joseph which use a naive style to depict the Lokono's environment and activities, and the work of the young artist Abiola Francis who has begun to apply watercolour techniques to subjects from Lokono life. The work of these artists show a concrete imagination of Amerindian life - its environment, activities, people, motifs. Given the extent of cultural erosion of Amerindian life, such artwork constitutes an art of recall and preservation of things which are no longer active in the culture or which are practiced in an attenuated manner. This is a vision from behind the eyeballs, one that sees what might no longer be there or is only partly there, but which the artists see as the real expression of themselves and their culture.

Another dimension comes from the work of Simon, Craig, Lynus Clenkian, Hussein, Roland Taylor, and Alli. These artists explore the world of the spirit, whether it is the expressed force of the people as in Alli's works of resistance or the life force imbuing all living things, as seen in the works of the other artists. In these works is seen an astonishingly articulate expression of the spirit in artistic language that is fresh, varied and vibrant. As an exploration and expression of spirit, the exhibition is a remarkable success. Energy seems to be a theme.

In the works we see the compact energy of Oswald Hussein, the bristling energy of Winslow Craig, the lithe gracefulness of Lynus Clenkian and Roland Taylor, the subterranean movements of Simon's paintings. Hussein reins energy into compact masses which exude a power beyond their small size. Craig, on the other hand, depicts the energy spiking through the piece, bristling and angry or composed and elegant. Simon expresses movement and energy through tone, shape, and texture.

A third dimension is seen in the overlapping of Amerindian and other influences. This, not surprisingly, is more noted in the works of the artists who had not been associated with the original Lokono exhibitions: Alli, Craig, Francis, Eon Joseph and Basil Joseph. Interestingly. Alli's paintings include one, Sixth Sun, which explores the East Indian side of his heritage. Also, his style of sculpture, which he debuted in 1984, is radically different from that of the other artists, and is a personal creation developed from his study of Central American history and culture. Craig's work, on the other hand, shows modernist influence, especially his Long Shadows. In painting, the work of Francis, Eon and Basil Joseph show a clear European influence, and also the influence of the sharp, clear style of the Guyanese 'craft painters' such as Munisar.

Lokono artists

Moving Circle, like the other exhibitions by Lokono artists, once again opens to public view an astonishingly fertile and articulate visual imagination of a kind not hitherto seen in Guyana. Indeed, even in other countries (eg Suriname) where Lokono people (called Taino) still exist and create artwork, the focus is more on creating forms such as pottery, hammocks, etc, which come directly out of the traditional culture. In Guyana, however, the Lokono have moved to a more purely conceptual art, one which is not bound to elements of their material culture. It is interesting, for example, to go back to George Simon's exhibition of 1991, in which he exhibited paintings that portrayed Lokono material life: hunting, fishing, body adornment, etc. This was the standard of the 1990s which was warmly welcomed as 'Amerindian art.' Much has changed in the short space since then, but even the work of Simon himself, in the same exhibition, had begun (in the Toka paintings) to head into a more conceptual direction of understanding and expression.

The work the Guyanese Lokono produce is not decorative, nor does it make use of easy to identify 'Amerindian' motifs. Instead, the artists have plunged into an investigation of the spirit of themselves. The results of this exploration gives us artwork that is individualistic yet culturally connected, reflecting a dynamic relationship of man and culture.

Lynus Clenkian and Roland Taylor, on the other hand, produce more lithe, graceful work which show another side of the Lokono spirit.

The paintings of Desmond Alli continue a development in his art first exhibited in 2001 at the Bhaavana exhibition (Indian Cultural Centre) and again at the Under The Seventh Sun exhibition at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus in May 2002. In these paintings, Alli reflects the East Indian side of his heritage, and also his well-known theme of Latin American history.

George Simon continues to search for an individualistic manner of painting. His task is perhaps more difficult than that of the sculptors, since Guyanese sculpture has always been more adventurous and creative than its painting which remains highly conservative. His abstract, almost totally monochromatic work recalls the Toka explorations he had undertaken since 1991. However, there is also new work which makes use of real texture in various painting media, and using an unusual ground, paper. In these, Simon seems to be as much interested in his experimentations with the painting materials and techniques as he is in his subject matter. His central subject - bones, skeletons, serpents - is eerily appropriate as a metaphor for his quest of self discovery, and also connects to the theme of body, energy and spirit which runs through the show.

Body, energy, spirit

The exploration of body, energy and spirit, of self and world, of levels of reclamation, preservation and experience, permeates the exhibition.

One dimension is seen in the finely-made ceramics of Trevor Alfred, the delightful untutored sculpture of Valentine Stoll which depicts pork-knockers, hunters, etc, the paintings of Eon Joseph and Basil Joseph which use a naive style to depict the Lokono’s environment and activities, and the work of the young artist Abiola Francis who has begun to apply watercolour techniques to subjects from Lokono life. The work of these artists show a concrete imagination of Amerindian life - its environment, activities, people, motifs. Given the extent of cultural erosion of Amerindian life, such artwork constitutes an art of recall and preservation of things which are no longer active in the culture or which are practised in an attenuated manner. This is a vision from behind the eyeballs, one that sees what might no longer be there or is only partly there, but which the artists see as the real expression of themselves and their culture.

Another dimension comes from the work of Simon, Craig, Lynus Clenkian, Hussein, Roland Taylor, and Alli. These artists explore the world of the spirit, whether it is the expressed force of the people as in Alli’s works of resistance or the life force imbuing all living things, as seen in the works of the other artists. In these works is seen an astonishingly articulate expression of the spirit in artistic language that is fresh, varied and vibrant. As an exploration and expression of spirit, the exhibition is a remarkable success. Energy seems to be a theme.

In the works we see the compact energy of Oswald Hussein, the bristling energy of Winslow Craig, the lithe gracefulness of Lynus Clenkian and Roland Taylor, the subterranean movements of Simon’s paintings. Hussein reins energy into compact masses which exude a power beyond their small size. Craig, on the other hand, depicts the energy spiking through the piece, bristling and angry or composed and elegant. Simon expresses movement and energy through tone, shape, and texture.

A third dimension is seen in the overlapping of Amerindian and other influences. This, not surprisingly, is more noted in the works of the artists who had not been associated with the original Lokono exhibitions: Alli, Craig, Francis, Eon Joseph and Basil Joseph. Interestingly. Alli’s paintings include one, Sixth Sun, which explores the East Indian side of his heritage. Also, his style of sculpture, which he debuted in 1984, is radically different from that of the other artists, and is a personal creation developed from his study of Central American history and culture. Craig’s work, on the other hand, shows modernist influence, especially his Long Shadows. In painting, the work of Francis, Eon and Basil Joseph show a clear European influence, and also the influence of the sharp, clear style of the Guyanese ‘craft painters’ such as Munisar.