Women artists exhibit at Image Factory
The Image Factory has never been shy about breaking new ground in the world of art…and that boldness also applies to names given to the gallery’s exhibitions.
Yasser Musa, Director, Image Factory
“It kind of a celebration of women art. Not because they are women artists, but we have to recognise the fact that like in any other sector of society, women have been marginalised and even here at the gallery, if you add up the exhibitions, we’ve exhibited far more men than women. So we kind of have to play catch-up as well as present a reality that in many ways women artists are doing things that are far more engaging and visionary than other artists.”
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
This month-long exhibition is appropriately titled “She”. It’s all done through a woman’s eye–make that a young woman’s eye.
Keren Moaney, Student Artist
“It gives a sense like that’s the only thing she has and that she’s attached to it and she’s holding it away from anyone else like it’s only for her.”
“I like painting because for one it’s easier than drawing, it does take a lot more time, but you can use the different colours and bring them all together to create one big picture.”
And whether that big picture is acrylic, oil, watercolour or even assemblage, SJC art teacher, Michele Perdomo helps the girls to put it all in perspective.
Michele Perdomo, Art Teacher, SJC
“The way that we see the world is different because of our personality and also there’s a certain gender bias. Women have their own particular way of looking at the world and they generally paint things that are important to them. We are more geared towards generally painting things around us that make us feel good: flowers, beautiful scenery, children, that kind of thing. But there are some women that also get into very social commentary kinds of things as well.”
And what does Perdomo think about an exhibition where “he” is absent from “she”?
Michele Perdomo
“It’s nice to have a forum for just women to exhibit because very often they are overshadowed by their male contemporaries. So to have their own particular chance to just go at it as women is kind of a nice thing and I think it also…most of the time women, in the past, have not had a chance to develop their artistic abilities because of lack of opportunity. They’ve been busy.”
Perdomo says her only regret is that art is not taught at St. Catherine’s or Pallotti to better prepare her students at SJC Junior College.
Ann-Marie Williams
“Are the girls shortchanged as opposed to maybe a student coming from Wesley College, because girls and boys take art at Wesley College?”
Michele Perdomo
“Yes. I think St. Catherine’s has made some attempts at developing and arts programme, but it’s sporadic. It hasn’t developed into a full-grown CXC like art course where… basically, it’s for lack of teachers. I came here thirty years ago and I began the art programme with just six students, and gradually over the years we’ve built up to now we have like two hundred and fifty art students. It’s non stop traffic and we do “O” level art and we provide an avenue for artists to pursue art after they’ve graduated as well because they can still come back and take courses, they can still exhibit at say the Image Factory or the Bliss Institute or like that.”
Melissa Quan is taking art for the first time. However, it’s hard to tell just by looking at her favourite painting-Cat Eyes.
Melissa Quan, Student Artist
“I think it came out the best and the eyes in the darkness are just mysterious and interesting.”
Yasser Musa
“The work goes beyond gender. It’s not like you’re paying attention, “Oh, it’s a woman that did this.” If we didn’t call it “She” and you didn’t know it was nineteen women artists, you couldn’t come to these works and say “Well a woman painted this.” It’s clear that people of vision and people that have certain visual ability made these pictures. It’s such a wide range of image making that I think it makes one of the most diverse shows we’ve every had.”
And that diversity is reflected in notable works by Pamela Braun, Lita Krohn, Mary O’Conner and Deborah and Jessica Usher of Dangriga, the only mother/daughter piece. Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
“She” runs through the end of February. The exhibition is open to the public weekdays from nine to twelve and one-thirty to six.
