Local artists create installation exhibit

(CNS): A group of four established Caymanian artists have come together to form a new group to discuss their art, aims, and ideas as well as exhibit installation work. C4 (Company four) is a collective including David Bridgeman, Aston Ebanks, Kaitlyn Elphinstone, and Christopher Mann. Their first show titled X1 (Exhibition 1), opens to the public next week and will exhibit new works representing ideas the artists have wanted to develop and show for some time, but had required a suitable venue and the right opportunity. These new installation concepts are being displayed in an environment where the artists are also interacting and sharing their ideas.

Artist Kaitlyn Elphinstone said the group was looking forward to bringing the “off-the-canvas concepts to life.”

Chris Mann explained this exhibition was not about drawing and painting. “Our work can be more accurately described as sculptural assemblage installation. We work as individuals, with the aim of exhibiting our work as a group. The collective is significant to our art practice because of; the sharing of views and disciplines, the discussion of ideas and approaches, and the social support and networking opportunities.”

Work by the C4 artists can be found in significant corporate, public and private collections, including the National Gallery of The Cayman Islands.
All four members of the group are known for their eclectic use of materials and imagery and agree they have enjoyed the experience of meeting over the last few years as a discussion group.

Artist David Bridgemen explains, “C4 is committed to producing and exhibiting contemporary artwork created in Grand Cayman.  The collective thrives on the sharing of ideas, collaboration and mutual support. The group shares a common desire to give voice to their personal and unique expressions.”

Artist Aston Ebanks said it was great to share concepts and bounce ideas off each other. “That is what artists are supposed to do in a collective. We are motivated, first and foremost, by the desire to express our individuality and in doing so we find common ground. Redefining preconceived notions of what Caymanian Art is just happens to be a byproduct of our collaborative efforts,” he added.

The exhibition takes place at Block 6, Unit 3, Market St., Camana Bay and opens to the public Friday 23 May at 6:00pm until 9:00pm with a cocktail reception and local DJ. The space will be open daily from 3:00pm until 9:00pm and will close with a coffee morning and panel discussion 1 June from 9:30am until 3:00pm.

The group also plans to host a Pop Up Critique night 30 May from 6:00pm until 9:00pm. Admission to the exhibition and related events is fee. For inquires contact C4 by emailing c4artists.cayman@gmail.com.

About the C4 artists
David Bridgeman (b. 1959) is primarily a painter but also works in mixed media. As a British Caymanian his works have strong emotional ties to the landscape, both past and present, and contain images and symbols that bridge the gap between the Caribbean and his country of birth. Bridgeman works in a variety of media to convey these feelings, which often involve an underlying social commentary about life on a small island. Bridgeman has exhibited throughout the Caribbean, Paris, and Toronto. His artwork forms part of the collections in Grand Cayman’s National Gallery, National Museum, Cultural Foundation and Government House. They also form part of the global collection of Deutsche Bank and other corporate collections in Grand Cayman as well as the writer Earl Lovelace. He has also illustrated a book of children’s stories and has produced book covers for the Caribbean Writers Series, published by Heinemann Press.

Aston Ebanks (b. 1974) is an interdisciplinary conceptual artist whose current works are primarily made with recycled materials. Ebanks manages to take theses discarded materials and find a relevance in them, reassembling, reforming, and in the end representing them if only temporarily in a whole new way. Always pushing the boundaries of what is considered Caymanian Art, Ebanks’ philosophy is that, “Art should first cause you to stop and think, and only after you have done so should you have an associated feeling.”

Kaitlyn Elphinstone (b. 1985) is an interdisciplinary artist that works in digital media, assemblage, and with found objects. Having grown up in the Cayman Islands, her work explores the abundance of nature and rich coastal environments found on the Islands. She uses visual images to examine and comment on human relationships with natural environments. Elphinstone studied Visual Art and Art History at the University of Toronto and has a Masters Degree in Arts Policy and Management from the University of London (Birkbeck). She currently works at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.

Christopher Mann (b. 1955) is a British artist who has lived and worked in the Cayman Islands since 1987. His work includes; painting, collage mixed media and sculptural assemblage. He explores landscape, both physical and emotional, incorporating elements and imagery from; Cayman, Britain and Europe. His work ranges from interpretations of the Caymanian natural environment, to starkly expressionist figuration, incorporating social commentary, with many works featuring both. He trained at Goldsmiths College, London; studying drawing, painting and printmaking, before specializing in ceramics and sculpture. Chris has exhibited in England, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and New Zealand. In Cayman his works are in the collections of; The National Gallery, National Museum, National Archive and the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. His work is in corporate collections including Butterfield Bank Cayman and Ogiers Group.