Trinidadian artist Rodell Warner shares his experience with the Caribbean Linked II residency programme at Ateliers ’89, Aruba. Warner has taken this opportunity of being in a new environment, surrounded by new people who have inspired him in ways he could not have foreseen, to explore the unknown and the element of surprise in his work. To convey this, he has shared all of his tweets from the last week, describing Twitter as a ‘Thought Bank’, an honest account of people’s up-to-the minute thoughts about what strikes them that day.
All images courtesy of the artist.
Recently what I’m most interested in is the unknown – all the things I don’t see when I’m looking; the source of pure surprise, forever keeping things interesting. Recently I’m convinced that everything is perfect, and that even what seems imperfect is actually perfectly imperfect, allowing all the contrast and variation I never know I really want; reminding me that, surprisingly, I haven’t actually seen it all.
Recently I’ve been trying to keep this in mind, that there’s always everything I don’t know, and to leave room for realizing it; taking coincidences, accidents, misunderstandings as hints to other ways to view things or doors to possible surprise. During the last week at the Caribbean Linked II residency in Aruba, this practice has been happening in a completely new environment with some beautiful new people, while making work I want to know is not separate from all of it.
Recently I’ve been using twitter a lot. Twitter is a straight up Thought Bank and lots of peoples’ precious savings are dropped into accounts that everyone has access to. It’s a beautiful thing. Most of what I save is the thoughts I’m surprised I’m having, which are usually the product of flirting with some coincidence, some mistake, some difficult question. This is my favorite record. An hour ago some odd thought I was surprised to be having suggested that all my tweets from the last week are actually the coolest summary of my time here so far, and I agree. So while sharing some images with you of the process of the experiment I’ve been working on over the last week, please enjoy also these thoughts that happened during the same time, starting with the most recent.
Also, thanks to Dhiradj and Mark for helping with test shooting last night. Both were kind enough to pose and play. Dhiradj appears in the colourful image below.
02SEP
• eyeline / horizon
• nowever
• unofficially legit
• all process
• say the right thing by accident
• as you die your life flashes before your eyes but from everyone else’s perspective – everything you never saw
• the only reason i’m a mirror is you
01SEP
• when u catch the fish and they’re out of the water it’s the sun they’re going crazy over
• crazy-strong
• u mean im in the world right now?
• i like the idea of sleep
• god is my twin sister
31AUG
• superpower nap
• triangle sun
• sleep naked, u deserve it
• referred to myself as ‘my love’ in my head while brushing my teeth. excellent example of the kind of improvement we like to see around here.
30AUG
• eyes kissing
• aerosol cigarette
• more forever
• how many things are taking care of you?
• a broom is a walking stick and many others
• gravity motor
• you’re probably more used to my voice than i am
• being cool is awesome
• trust me and i am trustworthy
• accepted thousand-year deep space exploration residency; thought i was tired of earth/ppl but turns out no i like. not a lot of art art here
• u ride this wind like a warship. is that what a hurricane is? there’s a spot in my chest with a small breeze, put your ear and be very quiet
• spent all my money feelin bad with u. feelin bad doesnt feel good for long enough to pay that much for. touch my face instead or laugh at me
• feeling killed
• r u expensive
• betray me, internet
• grow me up easy
• human question
• how to show you a truth again this truth; how to keep it myself
• love or love
• “synchronised twitching”
• kiss and die! kiss and die!!
29AUG
• oracle for company
• “share your breath”
• eyelid/horizon
28AUG
• want to RT your bio
• before making art from it asking is it already art
• with the right amount of energy i could love you forever
• remembering to breathe slow when suddenly alarmed and raking the orgasm of that. hair wet and is a world i dont know. listening to sun sound
• im amazing at your straight abilities in this trilly-nilly sunset
27AUG
• if you’re almost drowning in the toilet water I will save you
• what’s not an illusion?
• thank it
• only unconditionally
• numbers didn’t always have names
• ever discover a truer laugh
• use it to recognise it
• only take it cus it’s for you
26AUG
• working together in the mirror
• cameras are mirrors and still water does that. in the past people will make selfies at serene ponds and post them to their fondest memories.
• i’m probably not chilling out unwittingly intentionally
• i think my heart feels it belongs to everything in this room and is beating accordingly to pump blood to all of it
• givup thenkng
• often fabourite parts ar when i giv up thnkng
• the plural of still life is still lifes
• die right into it, die in
About Rodell Warner:
Rodell Warner is a multi-disciplinary artist from Trinidad whose most recent works use interactive animated GIF installations to explore ideas of Oneness.
Two of Rodell’s experimental photo projects have been published in ‘Pictures from Paradise – A Survey of Contemporary Caribbean Photography’ (Robert & Christopher, 2012) and his work has been shown in really fun exhibitions in Johannesburg, New York, Port of Spain, Bridgetown, Toronto, Kingston and London.
Rodell is a 2011 recipient of the Commonwealth Foundation’s Commonwealth Connections Residency and often updates.
CARIBBEAN LINKED II is a residency programme and exhibition organized by Ateliers ’89 Foundation in collaboration with ARC Inc. and The Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc. and funded by the Mondriaan Foundation. The programme takes place from August 25th through September 6th, 2013 in Oranjestad, Aruba.
fresh milk barbados 