Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Beauty in all living things - Roberta Stoddart.

People in general want the same things, they deserved to be respected and acknowledged. And this is where the conflicts arise in all societies, from injustice to hate, to violence, to war and finally to genocide

At the National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, Roberta Stoddart's much anticipated show, In the Flesh opens to a large turnout. Held at the Annex, Ms. Stoddard shows a body of work that deals with the subject of discomfort and unseen social obligations. She includes a portrait of herself in a wedding dress, yet unwed.

By a simple study of a common Roach, she paints to disturb the mind with living things which may repel the viewer because of its parasitical quality. Ms Stoddard, otherwise sees a beauty which she translates onto the canvas in the finest veneer. Here, she captives the notion of Race by replacing the head of the insect with the portrait of a human. It should be noted in the history of Western Art, Michelangelo played on similar puns by painting the faces of clergymen as the gland of the penis. These were a satirical commentary on the ills of religion. With Ms. Stoddard, it is the racial stereotyping she sees.

A clue to her composition, Saints and Sinners 120 x 72 ins, is a place quite recognizable to the Tortuga Roman Catholic Church, which sits at the crest of the Montserrat hills in Gran Couva, Trinidad and Tobago. The composition includes four studies, were Ms. Stoddart is portrayed to the lower right in a posture somewhat bereaved. The unusual perspective tilt is taken from the upper level of the church, where the organ once stood. Her subjects are the freaks of nature who suffer from a skin disfigurement by the absence of pigmentation. What is unique about these studies is that her pallet offers a similar approach in the splotches of colour, as with their skin cancer. The overlaid are precisely layered to give the skin its tonal flake.

For those who have a love for fine art, In the flesh offers a scope to the island's finest painter whose technical range is clearly shown in oils. There is an opportunity to see what portraits should look like, as Ms. Stoddart's strengths are those very aspects in a smaller scale.

An exhibition of recent works - Roberta Stoddart. National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, 22th November till 8th December, 2007. A catalogue accompanied this show which is a retrospective of her work. Enquiries regarding the publication

3 comments:

Today's American Hypocrites said...

Hi Roberta,

It is noble of you to find beauty in even the things God Him/Her self doesn't find beauty in, like white people. God fixed Her/His sunlight to discriminate between blacks and whites and burn those He/She despises.

This is too ironic; and, I'm sure you'll agree. Based on the color of their skin, whites elevated themselves above everyone else on the earth - calling everyone else ugly, evil and inferior. Now, that which gives life to everyone else burns their (whites') skin.

That giving life to everyone can be called God. The sun give life to everyone but whites. The sun hates whites. God hates whites. Ultraviolet light is the fire of the 2nd rapture of God.

Again, it is heartening you can find beauty in what God despises.

Larson

Anonymous said...

What pack of ASS is this am I reading?

F.I.Y..God hates haters, asshole! White or any other colour (like you,Mr. Larson).

Now I wonder. Why did i waste my time even responding to you and your crap?..

Today's American Hypocrites said...

God / Mother Nature fixed His / Her sunlight to discriminate between blacks and whites to burn the latter.

Again, it is noble of you to try to find beauty in all living things; but, you need to respect the many and great works of God and / or Mother Nature.

God's racism is perfect. His hate is holy and righteous.

We are suppose to hate those things that God has fashioned His light to despise.

King James Bible
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

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