By ANNE HILTON Thursday, November 26 2009

THE ART Society of Trinidad and Tobago’s exhibition to mark the holding of CHOGM in this country opened on Monday at the Society’s headquarters in Federation Park.

Although there were less works on display than one expects to see whenever the Art Society mounts an exhibition, as usual there was a very mixed bag of work on exhibit – as one hopes readers can see from the eight works selected to photograph for Newsday.

One lives in hopes all will be published but if not, perhaps descriptions of them may tempt a visitor or two, or local art patrons, away from the other excitements of CHOGM to spend some time with local art.

We begin with the pleasing abstract “All Things Made New” by Naila Felice; one doesn’t attempt to interpret the artist’s intent in this piece, the only comment being that it pleased, one can’t explain why.

“Caribbeanaissance (A Prayer)” by Angelica Barrow is a large, startling abstract of whirling visions lighting the darkness signifying ...one leaves readers to work that out for themselves.

Take the kids along to see the two chickens pecking at an empty dish in Guy Beckles’ Kinetic piece “Dem Belly Full but Dem Hungry”. Constructed (so the note below the piece informs one) of an old fowl coup found in Belmont, one approaches it for a closer look and breaks the beam to set both chickens pecking ...

“Unsheltered” by Darell Signoret is a piece to tug at the heartstrings – enough said. We are left to draw our own conclusions in Jackie Hinkson’s watercolour “The Road Is ...”, although, of course, this is a road typical of our islands with its roadside vendors, government housing marching up the hillside and, is it Point-a-Pierre and gas flares on the horizon?

Karen Hale Jackson’s acrylic “Bitter Sweet” is indeed just that. The view for which tourists would gladly spend their savings (or go in debt to the bank) is marred by the garbage cans and garbage strewn around the picturesque shack housing the desperate.

There is no need to comment on the sculpture “Stand Pipe” by Francis Coreira, it is what it is and very lovely, too. Finally, there is Prabhu Singh’s acrylic “Celebrations,” a joyful impressionist piece of religious celebrations in the countryside.

The Art Society’s exhibition for CHOGM continues until December 5.