Jordan Clarke’s Residency – Week 1 Blog Post

March 30, 2015May 21, 2015Leave a comment

Barbadian-Canadian painter Jordan Clarke shares her first blog post about her Fresh Milk residency. In addition to familiarizing herself with Barbados, which she has never visited before, Jordan shares some of her thoughts on grappling with notions of identity and belonging in an environment that is both a part of her heritage yet still a foreign space. Read more below:

I cannot believe it’s been almost a week since I arrived in Barbados.

Shortly after landing on Monday we headed over to Fresh Milk where Annalee gave a lecture to a couple art students from the University of the West Indies. The lecture was a great introduction to the Caribbean and its art scene. We were introduced to the various informal art networks happening throughout the Caribbean such as Alice Yard (Trinidad), Popopstudios (Bahamas), Tembe Art Studios (Suriname), NLS (Jamaica), Beta Local (Puerto Rico), Instituto Buena Bista (Curacao), and Ateliers ’89 (Aruba).

Jordan Clarke standing by Mark King's 'Untitled Grid Fields'

Annalee referenced the book, An Eye For The Tropics by Krista Thompson, to discuss how tropicalization has developed throughout the Caribbean, and how the image alone has been used as a tool in creating this inaccurate idea of a ‘tropical paradise’. It seems that these networks are creating platforms for contemporary artists to be able to experiment and to exchange ideas, while providing safe spaces to foster self-expression.

Both Annalee and Katherine have pointed out various books from the Colleen Lewis Reading Room they thought would be of interest to my art practice.

See Me Here: A Survey of Contemporary Self Portraiture From The Caribbean really stood out for me because I am also dealing with self-portraiture in my work. It’s interesting to see how Caribbean artists are examining, exploring and expressing their identity.

Thinking The Diaspora: Home Thoughts From Abroad by Stuart Hall, was suggested to me after an insightful conversation I had with Annalee about feeling disconnected from Barbados. Because I am mixed race and have a Barbadian father I thought I would feel more at home. But the truth is, I don’t. So once again I’m continuing to question my identity. I am coming to the realization that this is okay!

I was fortunate enough to visit Bathsheba with Aaron Kamugisha who is a professor of Cultural Studies at the University of the West Indies. We drove along the rugged East Coast with a stop at St. John’s Parish Church, one of the oldest in Barbados. Looking out from the church was a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean. I also made a visit to Rockley Beach in Christ Church with Annalee. It was an absolutely beautiful evening walking while listing to the rolling waves, after which we headed over to Mojos for dinner, drinks and to meet with local artists Katherine Kennedy, Versia Harris, and Mark King, who I got to meet for the first time.

In addition to sightseeing I’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio. I’m really enjoying just being in this wonderful space that is full of natural light and which also provides a fresh cooling breeze. I began my week with sketching various plants growing around the Fresh Milk space. On Friday I began to work with oil paints on mylar paper. I’m finding the drying time to be a bit slower than what I would like at this point. So in the coming days I will be exploring other mediums such as graphite, charcoal and oil pastels.

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This residency is supported by the Ontario Arts Council.

Fresh Milk welcomes Cooking Sections to the platform

March 25, 2015May 21, 2015Leave a comment

Fresh Milk is happy to announce that between March 30 – April 10, 2015, we will host Cooking Sections, the London-based duo of Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe. Read more about their research-based practice that explores the overlapping boundaries between visual arts, architecture, geopolitics and food:

Empire Remains Christmas Pudding, Cooking Sections 2013, Delfina Foundation, London.

Cooking Sections is a London based duo of spatial practitioners with a research based practice that is focused on the organisations of the world through food. For the past two years our work has been mainly devoted to the Empire Remains. The project explores the infrastructure and cultural imaginaries that were set up by the British Empire to promote the food and agricultural industry between home and overseas territories at the beginning of the 20th century. The Empire Remains attests the ways global food networks have evolved until today. The work traces the contemporary history of imperial bananas, sugar, tobacco, cacao, fruits, spices, condiments as well as the new economies and visions that emerged out of them. During the course of the project they are developing a series of objects and products reflecting on the legacy of such trade networks and how they affect the world we live in. The project will culminate in 2016 with The Empire Remains Shop in London, a project space exhibiting the process and research.

“Reaping Sugar-Canes in the West Indies”, Frank Newbould, 1928, Empire Marketing Board.

“Our Colonies, Protectorates and Mandated Territories bought from the united Kingdom in 1931 Goods to the value of £36,000,000”_ Horace Taylor, 1932, Empire Marketing Board.

The Empire Remains project is developed through various research trips and residencies around the world in collaboration with a number of cultural institutions. Thanks to the support of Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo, Cooking Sections will spend the month of April in the Caribbean, taking on the Fresh Milk Residency. This trip will investigate the sharp decline in the Caribbean food crops and the critical reinvention of the landscape through agricultural innovation, tourism and offshore activities. In June, Cooking Sections will participate in a residency at Artport, Jaffa-Tel Aviv, dedicated to researching the Jaffa brand in oranges since its establishment during the British Mandate until its current state, when it has been mostly outsourced to groves in Spain and Morocco. Currently several more research trips are being developed towards fieldwork in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Montreal, Mumbai and South Africa.

Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe. Image by Victor Staaf.

About Cooking Sections:

Cooking Sections is Daniel Fernández Pascual & Alon Schwabe. They are a duo of spatial practitioners based out of London that emerged out of Goldsmiths University. Using installation, performance, mapping and video, their research-based practice explores the overlapping boundaries between visual arts, architecture, geopolitics and food. Cooking Sections was selected for OFFICEUS, the exhibition at the U.S. Pavilion, 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale commissioned by Storefront for Art and Architecture, New York. Their work has also been exhibited at the Festival of Future Nows, Institut Für Raumexperimente, Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin; dOCUMENTA(13); Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; CA2M, Madrid; TEDxTalks, Madrid; Fiorucci Art Trust, London; xACC Weimar; SOS 4.8, Murcia; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Storefront for Art & Architecture New York; 2014 Biennale INTERIEUR, Kortrijk; and have been 2014 residents in The Politics of Food at Delfina Foundation, London. They have recently been recipients of the 2015 Jumex Fundación de Arte Contemporáneo research grants. Their work has been published by Sternberg Press, Lars Müller, Punctum Books, and several international magazines and journals, like Volume, Domus, 2G, The State, Zawia and Utopia amongst others.

The development of The Empire Remains project in The Caribbean was made possible with the supported of the 2015 research travel grant from Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico.

Deadline Extended: FRESH MILK ‘My Time’ Local Residency 2015

March 13, 2015May 21, 2015Leave a comment

Following last year’s local residency programme, which was awarded to Barbadian artist Cherise Ward, Fresh Milk is pleased to announce that we have again received generous support to host the second edition of the ‘My Time’ Local Residency for 2015. The deadline to apply has been extended until March 19, 2015.

One Barbadian artist will be selected from this open call to undertake a one-month residency, and will receive a stipend of $1,000.00 BBD towards their production costs. Visual artists working in a variety of disciplines (sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, performance, photography, new media, interdisciplinary) are invited to apply.

Duration of Residency: 4 weeks

FRESH MILK will provide:

– A $1,000.00 BBD stipend to the artist
– Wireless internet
– A 15.5 x 14 ft studio space
– A wide expanse of rural land
– Access to the Colleen Lewis Reading Room on site
– A varied network of creatives to connect with
– The option to participate in a public event showcasing the outcome of the residency

Eligibility criteria:

– Artist must be a resident of Barbados
– Artist must not have taken part in an on-site Fresh Milk Residency within the last 2 years

Expectations of the Artist:

– Artist must come out to the studio a minimum of four days per week between Monday and Friday. Studio access is between 7 am and 6 pm.
–  Artist must supply their own materials and equipment
–  Artist must complete some form of public outreach in relation to the work created during the residency (artist talk/presentation, workshop, exhibition, etc.)
–  Artist will be required to keep a weekly blog of their activities and processes, and submit a report to Fresh Milk at the conclusion of the residency
– Artist will be required to donate a piece of work to the donor who made this residency possible

Application Process:

To be considered, please submit the following to freshmilkbarbados@gmail.com with the subject line ‘My Time Local Residency 2015 Proposal’:

–   The completed application form which can be downloaded here (includes applicant’s contact information, an artist statement, and full residency proposal)
–  An up to date Curriculum Vitae (CV)
–  A numbered portfolio of 5-10 images (or 2-3 short videos as the case may be) of recent work
–  An index of the portfolio pieces in numerical order, with the title, medium and date listed

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The deadline for submission has been extended to March 19^th, 2015. Residency dates will be negotiated with the artist after they have been selected, and may commence as soon as March 23^rd. The residency must be completed by June 12^th, 2015.

Tilting Axis: Game-Changing Regional Art Conference on Sustainability in Caribbean Visual Arts held in Barbados

March 9, 2015May 21, 2015Leave a comment

Participants of the Tilting Axis 2015 conference. All photographs by Sammy Davis.

The visual arts conference, ‘Tilting Axis: Within and Beyond the Caribbean – Shifting Models of Sustainability and Connectivity‘, was held in Barbados on February 27-28, 2015 and was dedicated to forging infrastructure between several independent art organisations and museums operating across the Caribbean, U.S., E.U., and China. The conference is a game-changing development for sustainable economic development in regional visual art.

The two-day conference brought together the diverse leaders of these visual art development organisations to negotiate strategic regional and international alliances for the formalisation and further development of infrastructure, production and markets for Caribbean art.

The conference was organized by The Fresh Milk Art Platform, Inc., where the event was held, in collaboration with ARC Magazine, Res Artis and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. Tilting Axis was supported by the Arts and Sport Promotion Fund Committee (Barbados), the Davidoff Art Initiative, the British Council and the Prince Claus Fund.

Among the more than thirty invited participants were Annalee Davis, Founding Director of The Fresh Milk Art Platform (Barbados); Holly Bynoe, Co-founder and Editor-in-chief of ARC Magazine (St. Vincent & the Grenadines); Tobias Ostrander, Chief Curator, and Maria Elena Ortiz, Assistant Curator, of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (USA); Mario A. Caro, President of Res Artis (Amsterdam); David Codling, Director Arts, Americas, British Council (Colombia); Natalie Urquhart, Director of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands; Amanda Coulson, Director of art fair VOLTA NY and Director of the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas; Deborah Anzinger, Artist and Director of Kingston-based visual art initiative NLS (Jamaica); Nicholas Laughlin, Co-founder of Trinidad and Tobago-based backyard space, Alice Yard; David Bade and Tirzo Martha, Co-directors of Instituto Buena Bista (Curaçao); Elvis López, Director of Ateliers ‘89 (Aruba); Remco De Blaaij, Curator at the Centre for Contemporary Art (Glasgow); Max Slaven and Ellie Royle, Co-Directors of the David Dale Gallery & Studios (Glasgow); Jessica Carden, Co-founder of Mother Tongue (Glasgow); Solange Farkas, Director of Videobrasil (Brazil); N’Goné Fall, Independent Curator and Co-Founder of GawLab (Senegal); Raquel Paiewonsky, Co-founder of the artist collective Quintapata (Dominican Republic); Kira Simon-Kennedy, Co-founder China Residencies (USA/China); Malaika Brooks-Smith Lowe, Co-founder and Director of Groundation Grenada, Marsha Pearce, Senior Editor of ARC Magazine (Trinidad); Caryl* Ivrisse Crochemar, Director of 14°N 61°W (Martinique). And from Barbados participants included Janice Whittle, curator of Queens Park Gallery and representative of the National Cultural Foundation; Therese Hadchity, Art Historian; Joscelyn Gardner, Artist; Llanor Alleyne, Artist and Writer; Katherine Kennedy, Artist and Directors’ Assistant at ARC and Fresh Milk; Versia Harris, Artist and Fresh Milk volunteer; Sammy Davis, Fresh Milk volunteer and Tonika Sealy, Independent Cultural Producer.

L-R: Mario A. Caro (President of Res Artis), Annalee Davis (Founding Director of Fresh Milk), Tobias Ostrander (Chief Curator at the Pérez Art Museum Miami) and Holly Bynoe (Co-founder & Editor-in-chief of ARC Magazine).

According to co-organisers Holly Bynoe and Annalee Davis, the conference seeks to create opportunities for visual artists living in the Caribbean and provide professional and economic development in the region through formal collaborations between key art organisations and foundations across the Caribbean and beyond. The conference also aims to build and redefine relationships around cultural exchange between the Global North and the Global South.

“It is not just about contemporary art. One of the tasks we have undertaken at the Pérez Art Museum Miami is the building of Caribbean art histories in the consciousness of the American public. We see the Pérez Art Museum as strategically placed to undertake this,” stated Tobias Ostrander.

From the conference, a strategic action plan for continued collaboration was developed after a reflection on the two-day discussion.

“In creating markets for contemporary art in the Caribbean, we are developing the ecosystem and all the underlying components that drive that market: The environment for artists to make great work; art writers, researchers and funders to help make that work accessible to the public; international museums and galleries to show the work; advisors and dealers to get the work placed in collections. Shared programming, exchanges, and educational initiatives developed between the institutions present addressed these key components,” stated Deborah Anzinger.

Tilting Axis 2015

One of the mandates issued to the participants of the Tilting Axis conference is to tighten strategic networks in their home countries. The organisers of the conference also expect to expand the invited participant list for the next meeting which will take place in 2016.

Annalee Davis stated in her welcome address that “Many of us working in the region have been speaking with one another, in some cases for many years, but today is the first time that artist-led initiatives have come together from the Dutch, Spanish, French and English territories to meet physically in the Caribbean. It is critical that this gathering is taking place on Caribbean soil, and that we consider the visual arts sector from within the archipelago as a counterpoint to the many decisions that have been and are often made about the region externally.”

Mario A. Caro expressed his enthusiasm for the collaborations to be developed between members of Res Artis, a worldwide network of art residencies, and organizations in the Caribbean. “It is clear that the cultural sector in the Caribbean is undergoing exciting and, at times, dynamic changes, and many of these have to do with relationships being established with new partners around the globe. The increase in the mobility of artists through art residencies, both into and out of the region, is one critical factor.”

Holly Bynoe echoed positivism: “The meeting of professionals who are actively engaging and challenging collaborative strategies acknowledges the changes rippling across the Caribbean, and reaffirms the critical value of innovative emerging networks. As more eyes are turning to look at this space, we need to be cognisant of what they are seeing, and consider how and what we want them to experience. Tilting Axis aspires to become a conduit; supporting the professionalisation of artists and formalising engagements, leading to greater visibility and accessibility of contemporary Caribbean art.”

Tilting Axis 2015

Fresh Stops: Simone Padmore’s ‘Protector’ kicks off 2015

February 16, 2015May 21, 2015Leave a comment

Fresh Milk and Adopt A Stop continue the Fresh Stops collaborative project, beginning 2015 with a piece by Simone Padmore titled ‘Protector’. In an attempt to bring art into the public space, six artists were commissioned to produce original artwork for benches that will appear at varied locations around the island.

The other participating artists include Evan Avery, Matthew Clarke, Versia Harris, Mark King and Ronald Williams. This project creates visibility for the work of emerging creatives, allowing the public to encounter and interact with their pieces in everyday life, generating interest and inviting dialogue about their practices.

Protector by Simone Padmore - Work in progress

‘Protector’ by Simone Padmore has now been installed at Hunte’s Gardens, St. Joseph . Thank you to Adopt A Stop for partnering with us to produce this beautiful bench, and to Hunte’s Gardens for agreeing to host it!

'Protector' by Simone Padmore at Hunte's Gardens.

‘Protector’ by Simone Padmore at Hunte’s Gardens.

Artist Statement for Protector:

I originally wanted to work along the theme of Organic versus Geometric. During the process I repeatedly listened to a song by the name of ‘Iulius‘ by Justin Nozuka. It inspired me to create a deity or nymph for the bench and its surroundings. The song’s trance caused my work to turn out dominantly organic.

About Simone Padmore:

Simone Padmore, also known as Simone Asia, is an illustrator who was born on May 2^nd, 1990 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Since the age of four she has been very interested in art, particularly the drawing of human figures. From 2006-2011, Simone attended the Barbados Community College (BCC) where she received her Associate’s Degree in Visual Arts and her Bachelor’s of Fine Art. Attending BCC exposed Simone to many different art forms, techniques and experimentation. As the days went by, she developed a stronger sensibility for drawing and a love for pen and ink, which today is her desired media of choice.

After college, Simone continued her independent practice and has exhibited in art shows and fund-raising events. Simone won an incentive award at NIFCA in 2011. She also was featured in magazines such as ARC Magazine, FuriaMag and Caribbean Beat, along with a few online fanzines.

Simone has done three residencies so far – Fresh Milk (Barbados) in 2012 and Projects & Space (Barbados) and Alice Yard (Trinidad) in 2014, all of which have contributed to the further development of her work.