THE OLD YEAR REPORT - THE NEW YEAR LOOKING - THE INBOUND PROJECT

THE OLD YEAR'S REPORT.

THE INBOUND PROJECT,

FROM THE OUT OF BOUNDS PROJECT.

 

This year was an interesting year for work, at the beginning In January, I presented the Paint Installation Project, then engaged in a commission of a seat. Also the Sculptural Playground Project, reached a stage where we' are awaiting response from the powers that be in moving it forward in the way that I, the artist see such a project being unveiled in our society. At the year-end there was an  intensification of the actions by the community at the Orange Grove Savannah, Tacarigua against the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago's controversial proposal to transform the green space into a sporting complex. This has created an uproar and seems like it will be going to court.

 

I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE INBOUND PROJECT,

This came out of the Paint Installation Project and is the continuation of this work into another form of conversation.  A conversation with a community that can engage more deeply with the work or the intention of the work. So this August I was in New York where I met with several galleries, presenting them with the catalogue and holding discussions. 

http://www.nyugensmith.com/deanarlencatalog.pdf

 

Meeting and listening to the feedback, advice from people who sit within the centre of the art machine, was helpful, I sat there in a small galleries, in large galleries, medium sized and in a party for artists...



I was on the subway on the way to meetings almost every day, with my water bottle,
to Chelsea,
Lower Manhattan,
Harlem,
Brooklyn,
New Jersey.



man I love the subway, the other world, why do I want to be here in this space rather than at home?

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HOME?
THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON HERE THAT ISN'T RIGHT.
THE ORGANIZATIONS, THE ARTISTS, THE STATE, THE DEPARTMENT OF CREATIVE AND FESTIVAL ARTS, THE ART SOCIETY, THE INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE, THE  ASSOCIATION OF PLANNERS

All seem to be on something else other than the treatment of art or design. creativity is at risk, innovation stiff, loss of skills, loss of manners and respect for the work.

 

So it was nice to see that Chris Cozier was at Art Basel, nice to have met Sheena Rose at Sasha Dee's, nice to have met Nyugen Smith. There is a group out there making work.

 

But there is a group of artists here and thanks to them.

Thanks for the talks - Marlon Darbeau, Richard Rawlins, Sean Leonard, Alice  Yard, Studio 66, The Frame Shop, Nisha - Soft Box Studio, Y Gallery, Medulla, the Film Festival, the Bocas Lit Fest, Jazz on the Greens, Mungal Patasar, Clement Imbert, Birdsong, the University of West Indies Department of Creative and Festival Arts (I am critical of the DCFA, as they are the vanguard of skill development of the arts in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean. They need to develop their facilities and get into the 21st Century needs for our artistic/cultural development)  and all the other groups and people that keep the information on the edge. 

 

 

What will it take?

 

IT WILL TAKE CONFIDENCE TO PRESENT WORK.
IT WILL TAKE COLLABORATION. IT WILL TAKE DEVELOPMENT. 

PEOPLE ARE WILLING.
A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENNED IN NEW YORK WAS BECAUSE OF TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE  WILLING. SASHA DEE AND NYUGEN SMITH.

 

 

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS.

UPPER MANHATTAN

THE GRINNELL - HERE THEY WERE PREPARING FOR A FILM

 

 

 

 

CHELSEA



SKOTO GALLERY

I MET SKOTO AGHAHOWA AND CARL HAZELWOOD AT SKOTO'S GALLERY IN CHELSEA. WE HAD A PROLIFIC CONVERSATION ABOUT ART IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. HE ASKED ABOUT LEROY CLARKE, AND OTHER ARTISTS WITHIN THE CARIBBEAN.

 

 THE ARTIST WITH THE BIG HAIR IS FRED WILSON, WELL- RESPECTED CONCEPTUAL ARTIST. THIS KIND OF SPACE, WHERE ONE CAN MEET ARTISTS LIKE HIM IN PASSING, IS NEEDED, WANTING... A SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SPACE

HARLEM

 

 





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 I MET SASHA, WE TOOK A BUS TO TARGET FRIDAY AT THE HARLEM STUDIO AND ENDED UP IN A NICE LOUNGE IN HARLEM WHERE WE HAD A FEW DRINKS, WE ENDED UP CHATTING WITH A DESIGNER, WHOSE PARTNER WAS INTO THEATER.

THEY WERE SO FORTHCOMING AND I GUESS WE WOULD HAVE BECOME FRIENDS. IN THIS SPACE THERE WHERE MUSICIANS WILLING TO PLAY, PASS A HAT AROUND.

I SPENT SOME TIME 7 FLOORS ABOVE MANHATTAN, AT THE SHERATON....

ONE OF THE ARTIST' DINNERS
ONE NIGHT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH A CARIBBEAN DIASPORA OF ARTISTS

 

 

 

 

THE ARTIST SPACE.

THE MAN OR YOUNG MAN (AT BACK) WAS VERY OFF PUTTING. NOT MUCH OF AN ARTISTS' SPACE, EH, I THOUGHT. 

AT LEAST HE MADE IT FEEL LIKE THAT.

I UNDERSTOOD A LOT CLEARER ABOUT THE NEW YORK SCENE. WHEN YOU WALK INTO SPACES, NOT EVERYONE WILL BE AS EMBRACING AS I MAY WANT THEM TO BE. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT WILL ENGAGE PEOPLE; LIKE BEING IN THE SOCIAL SPACES. ACTUALLY BEING IN THE SPACE IS ONE OF THE BIG FACTORS.

I LEFT THE CATALOGUES ANYWAY.

 

ART

 

 

 

 

 

POSTERS

 

 

 

 

WHITE COLUMNS

  LOCATION - THE MEAT DISTRICT,

 CLOSED,

WHEN I PASSED.

THE ABOVE PICTURES SHOW THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WHERE WHITE COLUMNS IS SITUATED.



LOWER EAST MANHATTAN

 

 

 

HERE I MET THE S&J PROJECT (S). A SMALL YET ELOQUENT SPACE IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN. IT WAS INTERESTING TO NOTED THE ADVICE I RECEIVED ON THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A SHOW IN A LARGER SPACE IN NEW JERSEY AND A SMALL SPACE IN MANHATTAN - HAVE THE SHOW IN MANHATTAN!

THE END

 

SITTING IN THE AIRPORT LOUNGE AWAITING OUR FLIGHT. REFLECTIONS ON THE TRIP, WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT COME OF IT. THE REALITY IS THAT I HAVE MADE CONTACT AND HAVE COMMITTED MYSELF TO SOMETHING... I WILL NEED TO SEE TO A FINALITY. THE REASONS FOR DOING IT...MAY BE THE SAME REASON I WANTED TO GO TO AN ART SCHOOL BEYOND MY BORDERS...A LACK OF SATISFACTION, A LONGING TO GROW, EVOLVE, BE CHALLENGED.

 

NOT THAT IT ISN'T HAPPENING HERE.

ITS HAPPENING HERE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. ART HERE IS OUTSIDE THE REALM, OUT OF TOUCH, OUT OF SYNC, WITH THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REALITY.

 

THE ENERGY SPENT ON ART IN TRINIDAD ADN TOBAGO TO GET TO THIS POSITION IS MUCH GREATER. IT IS TIRING.  IT TAKES NOT ONLY THE STUDIO, IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER CREATIVE TIME, ACTIVISM AND HARD WORK.

 

I HAVE ORDERED THE CANVASS ROLL, BUILT THE STRETCHERS AND PREPARED THE CONCEPTS.

 

SO THIS NEW YEAR, MY ART WILL BE MORE TO THE SPACE; MAYBE A LITTLE MORE ENGAGING. SO I AM BRACING FORTHE CHALLENGE... OF THE HUMAN FORM...

HAPPY NEW YEAR...