May 5, 2005 – Mango Tango Art Gallery begins an extraordinary exhibition of the creations of three artists this Friday May 6 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Reenie Barrow joins the gallery for the first time with a presentation of powerful black-and-white photographs. Courtney Devonish returns to the gallery for the fourth time with a collection of sensuous wood sculpture. Holland Van Gores rounds out the show with delicate woodturnings.
Some photographs of Reenie Barrow are permanently housed in private and corporate collections, including Reader's Digest, IBM, Fidelity Investments, and the Art Institute if Chicago. Her photographs have also been shown in exhibits in the International Art Center of Photography in New York City, the Cuban Center of Photography in Havana, and the Zappion National Gallery in Athens, Greece. Now Mango Tango proudly introduces Virgin Islanders to her talent in sixteen large format limited edition photos.
Barrow captures objects of daily life, often buildings and rooms within those buildings. She says that "in focusing my attention on specific objects, I not only am attempting to portray the ordinary as objects of inherent beauty worthy of scrutiny, but also the objects themselves as symbols–symbols of the lives and concerns of people ."
Barrow has been using a Hasselblad camera for her entire twenty-years as a photographer. She finds the camera wonderful to use because it is totally manual. Specifically, she does not manipulate images other than the standard darkroom tools of burning and dodging, that is, lightening some areas, darkening others to enhance what she wants to say by directing the eye to the important areas of the image.
The photos in the show are iris prints on rice paper. After years of printing on silver-based paper she began experimenting with rice paper six months ago. She explains that "the moment I saw the results on rice paper I was convinced that this particular paper had a translucent quality that adds the extra element of allowing the viewer to enter the scene. The image does not sit on the surface of the paper because the inks are absorbed into the paper."
Courtney Devonish is a guiding art force in the Caribbean. The Barbados-born sculptor and ceramist has lived and worked in Anguilla since 1988. His Devonish Art Gallery is the longest-running gallery on the island. He is the founder of the Anguilla International Art Competition, a bi-annual juried art contest that brings both artists and renowned judges to the pristine island.
Devonish maintains a large work studio, to which he invites artists to teach sculpting and ceramics. Gallery owner Jane Coombes describes him as "an artist who reminds us, the inhabitants of the Caribbean, to look not just to the art on each individual island but to also look to the world for great art. In fact, Mango Tango was initially introduced to the work of Reenie Barrow when he directed Barrow to use Mango Tango to frame her show for his gallery. How fortunate for Virgin Islanders!"
Devonish creates semi-abstract forms in wood for the current show. His works offer us a world of profound simplicity and regal symmetry. Each sculpture, in addition to being beautiful, has a captivating rhythmic and tactile power.
Because this is the last show of the season, the gallery has also included an intimate collection of the woodturnings of Holland Van Gores. The twelve new works draw on the natural patterns of the wood. Gallery co-owner, Smokey Pratt, explains "when we introduced Van Gores' work in December, all of his pieces were sold. We did not want Courtney to leave the island without seeing Van Gores stellar vessels and vases."
Meet the artists, Barrow, Devonish, and Van Gores, at that the champagne reception. Enjoy the music of the band 2 Blue Shoes.
The show continues for one month. For more information call 777-3060.
