Artist Bridgeman adds to Gallery’s permanent collection
Natalie Urquhart (L) and Ivanna Powery of the National Gallery flank artist David Bridgeman, with his donated work, “Untitled (Red and Yellow)”
(CNS): Local artist David Bridgeman recently donated two of his pieces to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ (NGCI) Permanent Collection. The works were displayed as part of the recent solo exhibition, “David Bridgeman – The Road Not Taken”, held at the gallery the end of last year.
The 18” x 24” acrylic on canvas, “Untitled (Red and Yellow)”, and a smaller etching on paper, “The Three Towers”, join the ever-growing public art collection which comprises more than 200 pieces from over 50 years of Cayman Islands’ art history.
NGCI director and curator, Natalie Urquhart, spoke of the importance of this collection. “The NGCI Permanent Collection lies at the very heart of our art museum and mission to promote the appreciation and practice of the visual arts of and in the Cayman Islands,” she said. “Mr Bridgeman’s work will now be available for current and future audiences to view, enjoy and appreciate and we are most thankful for his generosity in recognising this.”
As for his recent exhibition, Bridgeman’s autobiographical work draws inspiration from the landscapes of his native England as well as Cayman, his home of 27 years.
“A lot of the pieces are developmental. It isn’t meticulously planned. One piece of work develops from the next,” Bridgeman said. “Untitled (Red and Yellow)” is a painting in which, he explained, “I wanted to use a lot of drawing and layered paint, so that it forms a cloudy, mystical scene with swirling mists around trees, woodlands and hills.”
He created the other piece, “The Three Towers”, by etching on to a metal plate and applying pigments by using a printing press. The print depicts an Oxfordshire landscape, where Bridgeman was born and spent the majority of his childhood and teenage years.
“Untitled (Red and Yellow)” represents part of the gallery’s current exhibition, “All Access – A Journey Through the National Gallery Permanent Collection”, which runs until Thursday, 3 September 2015.
The summer exhibition reveals the inner workings of the collection by converting the entire lower exhibition hall into a temporary research lab while undertaking a full evaluation of the artwork. The collection’s narrative continues in the upper exhibition hall where artworks are on formal display.
“The NGCI Permanent Collection is a remarkable cultural resource for our country, and serves to illustrate both the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of life in the Cayman Islands as interpreted by our artists,” Urquhart said.
The development of the collection is made primarily through generous donations from artists, patrons and corporate organisations. “It is especially pertinent when we can secure a piece of art by a major local artist that has been featured in an NGCI exhibition as it represents both a certain period in the artist’s work, and helps document a period in the gallery’s own history,” added Urquhart.
Admission to the National Gallery is free and the doors are open from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. In addition, the gallery has extended its hours on Saturdays for an additional two hours, from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
For more information about the Permanent Collection and how you can support this programme, email the National Gallery or call 945-8111.
Category: Culture
