When COB’s 17th Annual Colour of Harmony officially opened on Wednesday night, not only did it offer an opportunity for music and art majors to display their work to the general public, it showed an exciting new side of emerging young artists some of whom are already making statements with their work.
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“Remembrance” by Natasha Turnquest, a first-year art major at COB. (Photo: Timothy Clarke) |
The opening ceremony featured a delightful variety of music recitals, which included performances by the College of The Bahamas Choir, the Concert Band, the Chamber Ensemble and student performances encompassing the works of W.F. Bach, Richard Rodgers and Keith Hampton, among others.
And following the official ceremony, guests got the chance to take in the numerous works of art in the Portia M. Smith Student Services Building and the Pro Art Gallery, which featured a wide range of work–paintings, assemblage, ceramic, installations and mixed media work.
The majority of work consisted of traditional acrylic paintings featuring the imagery and style that is often seen at this event, but in a separate gallery there were works that reflected more contemporary trends in art, in its presentation and its message.
The artwork of Natasha Turnquest, 18, and Jonathan Murray, 20 took up the entire 25ft. x 25ft Pro Gallery with wall-sized installations, assemblage and prints and the reconstruction of a full bathroom that sits in the middle of the gallery’s floor.
Turnquest and Murray take on death and addiction in their series of installations that speak to some of the ugliness of everyday life that often goes unspoken but not unnoticed.
On one of the black-painted walls of the gallery, Turnquest lists the names of her classmates in headstone-like panels that include their date of birth, their date of "death" and the cause of death.
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“Bronze Wheel” a mixed media piece by COB art major Erica Seymour. (Photo: Timothy Clarke) |
But it’s not as morbid as it sounds, not when you take a close look at some of the quirky causes of death, such as "spontaneous combustion," and it serves as a wake up call for most of us who go through life ignoring the inevitable.
"Studying as an art major at the College of The Bahamas has helped me to question the fundamental ethics within Bahamian society," says Turnquest in her artist’s statement.
"The pieces presented in this show represent the beginning of my social commentary on the lack of initiative and overall complacent behaviour I have witnessed."
For Murray, his addiction series represents what he sees as human flaws and weaknesses.
In one of his pieces, three shelves attached to the wall of the gallery are filled with seemingly innocent indulges – coffee, diet Pepsi, a cell phone – that are unknowing addictions to many.
"We are always trying to control the environment we’re in, when really our surroundings are controlling us," he says in his artist’s statement.
"For example, drug abusers who cannot survive without the next fix to the even more concerning functioning alcoholics who are slowly breaking down their mind and our society. We are all addicted, or really weakened by something. Whether it’s chocolate, TV, religion or an underwear fetish, our perspectives are altered by these addictions and in turn create our own realities. We are no longer in control, but then again we never were."
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“Exposure,” a
collaboration by Natasha Turnquest and Jonathan Murray, features everyday objects found in a bathroom. (Photo: Timothy Clarke) |
But Turnquest’s and Murray’s works were by no means the only pieces attracting attention from viewers, seen in the many red dots that indicate a sale.
Over the years, the Colour of Harmony has become a staple on the art calendar and traditionally attracts serious art collectors who are on the lookout for a good buy and up and coming artists.
In the early years of the College of The Bahamas, music and art were administered in separate departments with each department producing its own recital and exhibitions, according to background on the event published in the programme.
In 1990, art lecturers Stan Burnside and Sue Bennett-Willams, and Pauline Glasby, a lecturer in music, recognised the need for the two departments to support one major project each year.
They believed that the synergy between the two groups would produce an event that was far more rewarding than the previous individual efforts.
So, the Colour of Harmony was founded reflecting the natural unity between the visual and performing arts.
Three years before the collaboration, The Bahamas mourned the loss of one of its finest musicians and composers, E. Clement Bethel, director of culture.
The founders of the Colour of Harmony decided that it would be fitting to create an annual award in Bethel’s name that would recognise a significant contributor to the development of the arts in The Bahamas, alternating between musicians and visual artists each year.
The E. Clement Bethel Award is presented annually at the official opening of the Colour of Harmony. The recipient must be a member of the Bahamian community who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of art and/or music.
This year, the award went to former Director of Culture, Cleophas Adderley, who currently serves as the director of musical heritage and research. Since 1990 he has been the founder/director of The Bahamas National Youth Choir.
While the majority of the paintings will come down by the end of the day, Turnquest’s and Murray’s work is up for the next few weeks, and a special opening is planned for next week Wednesday at the Pro Gallery, College of The Bahamas Oakes Field Campus.
