Show aims to counter our 'stagnant' art scene

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12: Thirteen innovative artists are collaborating on an upcoming exhibition at Rock Island Café, the title of which might upset their grannies.

The Not Your Nana’s Art Show will explore such themes such as promiscuity, fashion and self-identity and might prove a little trendy for your average senior. It aims to demonstrate change and progression in the Bermuda art scene and was born from the Facebook group B.ermudian A.rtists R.ise U.p. set up by contributing artist Calix Smith.

The show opens at 5pm tomorrow and is made up of work by Ami Zanders, Lexy Correia, Manuel Palacio, Dany Pen, Calix Smith, Mi’Ko Hill, Kamela Wade, Keitha Fleetwood Bassett, Summer Wood, Trevor Todd, Tricia Abbott Walters, Vanessa Richmond and Krys Assan.

The Sun caught up with a couple of the artists to find out what they will exhibit.

Ami Zanders has two pieces in the exhibition including a silk screen on canvas with paint and collage work. It’s of singer Joy T. Barnum called You Can’t See Me — also the title of one of her songs.

“I am working on a series of portraits of bad-ass Bermudians who won’t get any sort of credit until a long time past. That is the only time we give any accolades to anybody — if they leave the island and become famous or when they are dead. We don’t value our talent when we still have them only after they’re gone.”

Zanders is also working on an “ugly, pretty” glamour series about fashion.

“We have become so engrossed in beauty,” she explains, “that everything has to be perfect and beautiful and this piece is beautiful but it is kind of ugly as well.”

Lexy Correia’s work is made up of a series of contemporary abstract pieces she describes as “Intuitive Doodles”.

She said: “I started creating these on watercolour paper as a relaxing exercise and love doing them. The best part is that I have no idea what I’m going to paint until I start to paint it. The first layer of colour laid down shows me the picture.

“I like to add ‘whimsy’ to my pieces and these definitely make people smile and think. I keep joking I should have called them Rorschach (psychological) tests.”