New Show opens at Image Factory

With a total of eight different artists exhibiting, the gallery called “The Image Factory” is certainly living up to its name. This morning I stopped by for a look.

It is the first time the Image factory has put on an exhibition that is highlighting the work of so many different artists. The show, dubbed “Mixed Messages”, includes pieces by George Gabb, Gilvano Swasey, Terryl Godoy, Yasser Musa, Michael Gordon, Pamela Braun, Genie Shaw and Sean Paul Taegar. Swasey, is also the show’s coordinator.

Gilvano Swasey, Coordinator, Mixed Messages

“This is one of the first time, but it was pretty rewarding to bring so many artists together. Belizean artists, eight different ones and each one of them have a different style and medium in which they work in. As you can see with the mixture of work and expression, it makes the show much more livelier. So if you like one style, if you like paintings, you would come, if you like photography, you would come, if you like installation, you would come, if you like abstract art, naive art, you would come. So all these different artists have made it possible for the entire public to enjoy it.”

Most of the paintings and sculpture depict people, places and things in Belize City.

Gilvano Swasey, Artist

“My pieces which is about seven, that I have in this expedition is mainly people, which is moving from my norm. Like from when I started, I was doing a lot of wildlife, I am more centered on to people.”

While Swasey has managed to capture one mood of Belizeans, Terryl Godoy has put together a collection that highlights some other scenes.

Terryl Godoy, Artist

“In my case, I am showing Belize. If you can notice, the canal scenery, everybody is familiar with that one, that is the behaviour of people one time. Then if you notice this one, here on South street, if you notice the fence, graffitti an stuff like that.”

Godoy, ever the versatile artist, has also been fine tuning his voice box.

Terryl Godoy

“Bop, bop, bibibida, I went by your house late last night, and I didn’t see anyone, so I strated to cry, oh what a night. Oh what have I done, what is so wrong with I, I guess I am feeling blue, Yes it is because of you.”

According to Swasey, the image factory is not only interested in promoting Belizean art, but also the organization of Belizean artists.

Gilvano Swasey

“I guess this would be one of the first steps, we are looking to do such a thing. It is sad that it has not happened before, but I think if it does occur, there will be strength in numbers. We will have more responses from the public and we will be able to get our stuff not only in Belize but abroad.”

Swasey says while he has been impressed with the style of new artists, like Genie Shaw and Sean Paul Taegar, he believes there are far too many artists whose work lack an identity of its own.

Gilvano Swasey

“We are struggling a little in the subjects, or the type of work that we do. A lot of the artists they stick to the same thing, I am not saying that that is bad. If you are good at something and you are surviving and it continues, but we are still doing similar the same thing over and over and then that kills the creativity.”

Mixed Messages, at the Image factory, on North Front Street, comes to a close on October seventeenth.

Many of the pieces on display are for sale.