Have you ever fancied yourself a buccaneer or a sponger-man? What about a rum runner or a privateer? Well, now’s your chance to see how they really lived. Bahamian artist Ricardo Knowles has taken the pages from Bahamian history and portrayed them eloquently in his current exhibition, “City on the sea.”
His exhibit opens this weekend at the British Colonial Hilton with an inspired collection of works from this recently returned artist and Paris, France resident.
The exhibition in Mr. Knowles words, “takes it’s theme from different periods in our well known, but forgotten history. The collection captures the essence and unique flavour of seafaring life Bahamian style.
Starting with the bucaneering days, he traces our history from “Buccaneer” to “Sailor’s Rest” and in “Pirate Island.” Further on, we are put in touch with “The Rum Runners,” with their cases, crates, trading and exchanges dockside during the Prohibition era in American history.
“The spongers” looks at this important industry and its heritage and one wonders if Knowles himself would have imagined a role in that part of our national history.
Moving closer to the contemporary Bahamas, “Tin tub” and “The Braider” join with “Straw Works” to capture the vitality and realism of dockside industry and sales. The penetrating colour, diversity of shapes and forms and his ideas allow the viewer to find new insights with each viewing.
Says Cardo, “I still feel that in order not to miss the most important cultural event in our history, is to record all the historical events that we have known, to catch up with the rest of the world and bring The Bahamas on par culturally and visually with other Commonwealth nations. This will continue to be my contribution to this country.”
When asked if he had a favourite painting in the exhibition, Cardo identified the “Nassau Grouper.” “I was able to paint a man of age, coming back from sea, having a grouper for his daily meal. I really like the feeling this painting exudes.”
Knowles sees The Bahamas’ future in the sea. “Boats, the water, the sea.” Ricardo attributes present influences to his residency in France and the works of Chigall, Medigliani, Picasso and the sun, and colours of the Caribbean.” He continues, “I think I try to understand what Picasso did and how it comes out of me, bringing it together making a different art form. These are submerged influences outside of The Bahamas.
If you are a wandering seafarer, a vendor, fisherman, historian, visitor, art lover or a bonafide Bahamian this exhibition has something for everyone.
