THE completely different styles of artists and friends Maureen Tracy and Christine Farmer are currently on show at Artsplash, Hastings, Christ Church.
Showcasing from the acrylic resin ocean-themed collages of Farmer to the wax-resistant Japanese parchment paper landscapes and scenery of Tracy, the exhibition brings two together to share gallery honours for the third time.
The exhibition, entitled Artex, opened last Saturday and saw a steady stream of appreciative patrons mingling with the artists and admiring their creations.
Curator Martina Pile told Easy magazine the work of the two women reflected the beauty of the island.
“Whether it is the people, whether it is our landscapes, whether it is the ocean, the life in the ocean, I think this is really what is reflected in this show,” Pile said.
“They have been a quite a novelty because they have been introducing resin and it’s really bringing out the feeling of the ocean, of the water, of the liquid and I just find it is amazing.”
Giving some background, Pile said Artsplash owner, Billy Hosford contacted her last April and indicated he wanted to turn a room in his enterprise into a commercial gallery.
“It was a time when the economy was low so I thought it was a bold move,” she noted.
She said Artsplash gallery stands out from other galleries because it changes its exhibitions monthly. In January the exhibitions have so far changed three times.
“Barbadians produce incredible art and we have variety now,” the artist said.
Farmer, who has been painting professionally for the past seven years, later told Easy magazine she had decided she really liked doing abstract work.
“It’s more challenging. I find when I sit to paint from a picture it can get very boring, but abstract work is challenging and it’s exhausting. “And this collection I have is a new thing. I have been trying using resin coating over the abstract. I really like it [but] it’s not for everything. It’s actually for very abstract pieces.”
Her favourite piece, Ebb Tide, one of 15 on show, took her about a week to complete.
Meanwhile, Tracey said she concentrated on iconic images of the island and she derived her inspiration from numerous bus trips around the countryside.
“I always think that helps me ’cause I live it, I breathe it, I eat it so I happen to do images of that nature,” said the artist who has graced the cover of Barbados In A Nutshell.
She has 23 pieces on show.
Tracey described her style as contemporary Barbadian art with a sense of tradition.
“I only do iconic images of Barbados but in the very latest, leading edge techniques because we get all the latest materials here and we go to work with them,” she said.
The two are of the opinion that though their styles are different, they complement each other.
