Tag: Performance

FRESH MILK IX Photographs

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On Thursday November 29th 2012, FRESH MILK IX was held at the Milking Parlour Studio, and it was truly an inspiring event.

The night began with a performance by our artist in residence Alberta Whittle, who showcased ‘Hustle de Money – a Performance by Bertie aka Big Red aka General outta Glitter Zone.’ The interactive performance and accompanying installation explored identity as defined primarily through gender and sexuality. Thank you for a great performance, Alberta!

Following this, the visiting team from the Instituto Buena Bista (IBB) gave a presentation. David Bade, Tirzo Martha and Erik Habets introduced the organization, and students Dominic Schmetz, Kristel Rigaud and Rashid Pieter shared their own practices.

Running all night, we also had the FRESH Exhibition and art sale, featuring work from Alicia Alleyne, Evan Avery, Tracey Chan, Shanika Grimes, Versia Harris, Katherine Kennedy and Rodell Warner.

The exhibition and sale is still up, remember to email freshmilkbarbados@gmail.com to book an appointment to view and purchase some work. Support the local arts community this Christmas!

All Photographs © Dondré Trotman.

FRESH MILK Off-Site Residencies – Shanika Grimes and Versia Harris

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FRESH MILK is still supporting two recent graduates of the Barbados Community College, Shanika Grimes and Versia Harris, as they undertake Off-Site Residencies with us.

We have been acting as liaison between the artists and their review panels, who send them feedback on a regular basis in order to assist them in the shaping of their practices as they strive to keep producing work post-graduation.

To keep up with their artwork and activities, visit their artist blogs at:

Shanika Grimes – http://mirrormirrormylove.tumblr.com/
Versia Harris – http://versiaabeda.tumblr.com/

Pictures from FRESH MILK VIII in collaboration with the Alliance Française de Bridgetown

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Fresh Milk is delighted to share photographs with you all from FRESH MILK VIII, which was held in collaboration with the Alliance Française de Bridgetown. The evening began with a powerful spoken word performance by Adrian Green, followed by the heart wrenching and thought provoking documentary by Iara Lee, Cultures of Resistance. The reactions to the film by panelists France Langlois, Tatiana Flores and Adrian Green, not to mention the impassioned contributions from the audience, are testimony to the impact felt by all who attended.

All Photographs © Dondré Trotman http://www.dondretrotman.com/

FRESH MILK’s First Off-Site Performance Artist in Residence – Shanika Grimes

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FRESH MILK is happy to be supporting our first off-site performance artist in residence, Shanika Grimes. Shanika is a 2012 graduate of the Barbados Community College’s BFA Fine Art Programme. She is keen to develop her work as a Performance Artist, and because there is little happening here in that field, we would like to offer her a critical space to support her continued development in this area.

Shanika is working to produce one performance every month over a six month period, and will be receiving feedback from an esteemed review panel, using their guidance to further her practice and build a solid body of work. The panel consists of Barbadian artist Ewan Atkinson, curator and art history professor from Rutgers University Tatiana Flores, Trinidadian artist Michelle Isava, and Venezuelan artist Sandra Vivas, all of whom have extensive experience either critically or practically with performance art.

Below are some still shots from the first two performances of her residency.

Shanika Grimes’ Artist Statement:

The stories of other women have become a part of my understanding of the
world; they fuse with my experience, creating a hybrid that seeks to outline the
struggles of womanhood physically and emotionally. For a long time my work
was best articulated in any two dimensional format (printmaking, drawing and
painting); however as of late, it has evolved into the use of my own body and
personality as tools of expression, documented through photography, video and
at times poetry. Through the act of performing, I am able to use personal
inflection as a lens for pieces on gender relations. I enjoy questioning the
categorisation of women from a social standpoint through portraits of women with
animal characteristics. I splice the complex personality of a woman, with the
physical and behavioral characteristics of an instinctive animal. This is done to
outline the absurdity of the unrealistic expectations patriarchal society places on
women. I believe that religion and the law have been manipulated through male
dominance to suppress and ultimately control women. I have begun my
exploration using the multilayered personality of a cat. A black cat symbolizes
both good and evil, both god and demon. It is this duality that outlines the power
and powerlessness and mystery of womanhood.