‘Paradise’
“Paradise” - Lisa Brice and Adele Todd - collaborative work in progress.
Three years ago South African artist Lisa Brice came to Trinidad for the first time for the ‘big River’ International Artists’ Workshop in Grande Riviere. At the time of her visit, Trinidad seemed to represent a mixture and visual aesthetic created by an "unsegregated society" towards which she saw newly independent South Africa aspiring. This was her idea of “Paradise”. On subsequent visits to Trinidad, she realised that what she had gleaned in earlier visits was perhaps more complicated, and that the ideal of “Paradise” was not an easy one to define.
An introduction to Trinidadian artist Adele Todd led to the realisation that they explored similar themes in their work. As a result of their discussions, a desire to collaborate developed, and the work in this exhibition is 'work in progress'. A series of posters with generic beach scenes serve as the starting point for the on-going collaboration between Brice and Todd, exploring the notion of “Paradise”. These billboard-sized posters were printed in Germany, and purchased in London where Brice now lives and works. In these urban settings the posters furnish the homes and minds of those who long to acquire and maintain the idealistic state of mind that these representations of “Paradise” evoke.
Through a process of suggestion, Brice and Todd encourage the viewer to question and assess their perception of this subjective, relative and elusive ideal. As well known Trinidadian artist Embah reflects on the subject, “Paradise is already existing within you, unnoticed by you, your thoughts define its graces”
Lisa Brice (South Africa) and Adele Todd (Trinidad) showed ‘Paradise’ in the Main Gallery which took place from 30th January - 29th March 2003.