The Central Bank Museum presents an exhibition of kinetic art entitled ‘Symphonic Synchrony-Two Heads Are Better Than One’ by Guy Kingsley Edward Beckles from November 4-30. The exhibition features the work of 24 local artists with whom Beckles collaborated to create ‘art that moves, and art that moves you’.
Beckles, an artist for decades, became a full-time kinetic artist in 2004. He graduated from Dartmouth College, US, in 1977, then taught in T& T secondary schools. He has had exhibitions in T& T, the UK (London), the US (New York, Washington DC, Florida) and Canada (Toronto).
Central Bank Museum education officer Al Alexander explained kinetic art this way: ‘Kinetic art is a genre of kinetic aesthetics that bridges the divide between art that is viewed in time- for example, dance, music, poetryand art that occupies space- like painting, sculpture, and twoand three-dimensional work.’ Alexander added that kinetic sculptures, while maintaining their physical-visual qualities, are designed and built using the physics of motion, also known as kinematics, and designed with predefined movements.
The artist, Beckles, says of his chosen art genre: ‘The kinetic art I create is subtly influenced by my extensive travels throughout North India, North Africa, Western China and Europe. My work is often reflective of a society’s dynamicsthe ethnic, cultural, political and social constructs. I seek, explore and ponder ‘the duality of life, the yin and yang, the ebb and flow’. I hope to evoke curiosity and amazement, where the viewer askshow, why, where and when?-about each piece, or smiles, or remembers a childhood memory.’
Speaking about the exhibition, Alexander shared: ‘Through ‘Symphonic Synchrony’, the artist has taken another step outside the proverbial box by transforming paintings done on vertical cylinders by local artists into kinetic works of art.
‘These dynamic cylinders rotate simultaneously in opposing directions and are activated by motion sensors when the viewer stands in front of a piece.
‘Optical art is a related genre of visual art dedicated to creating aesthetically pleasing optical illusions that play on the viewers visualdepth- perception.
‘In this kinetic art show, these collaborative pieces go a bit deeper and engage the human psyche through the use and movement of art’s visual elements.’
Participating artists include Carlisle Harris, Kenwyn Crichlow, Peter Minshall, James Armstrong, Jackie Hinkson, Glenn Roopchand, Wendy Nanan, Makemba Kunle, Sundiata, Sarah Beckett, David Boothman, Theron Shaw, Shalini Singh, Mary Beckles, Sherwin Banfield, Fitzroye Hoyte, Reita Antoine, Tessa Alexander, Shalini Seereeram, Deborah Clement, Antonio Butts, Michael Duverney, and Everold Rebeiro-John.
