Nov.13-Dec.4/ DECAY by Nicholas Emery

Medulla is pleased to invite you to
“DECAY BY” NICHOLAS EMERY
OPENING RECEPTION:
Thursday 13th November 2014
7:00 p.m. to 9:30p.m.
#37 Fitt Street, Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain
RSVP: 740 7597 / medullaartgallery@gmail.com
EXHIBITION CLOSES: Thursday 4th December 2014
Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 11am-2pm.

ABOUT THE SHOW : Artist’s Statement
Decay is a phenomenon that occurs naturally in the Caribbean, albeit at an accelerated rate. In vital ways this accelerative feature separates or distinguishes itself from other parts of the world, where geologic time scales seem firmly entrenched and decay expresses itself at a snail’s pace. However, in Trinidad we are able to witness decomposition daily, such that it has become part of our way of life here, and thus it is not uncommon to watch a fresh coat of paint wear, or a concrete wall crack, and then begin to collapse under pressure from wind, rain, and sun.

In many ways our response to these phenomena directly impacts our collective behavior, and impacts our ideas about society and even the organization of society. How do we feel about the abandoned house next door where trees have taken root and are growing through the roof, the overgrown lot with 6ft grass, junked out old cars, sunken ships, and so much more – this, in terms of our new modern and global society?

There is an ancient ritual of decay and regeneration that is present in the natural order of earth processes. This show illustrates these processes and is interested in its effect on the society of people that reside here. However, the paintings do not have figures in them and therefore there is no possible way to extract an interpretation of the effect that the decayed piece has on anyone in particular. So the effect on the society will have to be interpolated and examined by the viewer. In other words, your only aid in understanding the pieces is yourself.

Nicholas Emery
October 22nd 2014

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Nicholas Emery is an American painter born in the West Indies. Emery returned to Trinidad, the country of his birth, in 2005, where he lives and works as an artist.

Emery largely uses self-examination as the driving force for the thematic narrative of his work. As a result, some of the major themes to emerge substantially influencing Emery’s work are Nature and urban architecture. These themes were reflected, among other works, in his Pattern language pieces exhibited at his first one-man show at Soft Box Gallery, entitled Urban Introspective, in 2009 in Trinidad.

In the fall of 2011 Emery attended an international artist residency and began his first figurative series of work using his experience and knowledge of Caribbean people to formulate and communicate his ideas about body, place, and color. This work eventually culminated in his second one-man show at Soft Box Gallery entitled Glimpse, in the spring of 2012 in Trinidad.

In the fall of 2012 Emery began a series of work on decay, which he has worked on for two years. This also included an artist residency in Sans Souci in the north coast of Trinidad in the spring of 2014, and culminated in October of 2014, when Emery completed this body of work to be presented at Emery’s third one-man show, entitled Decay, at Medulla Gallery in November of 2014. The work concerns the decomposition and regeneration of organic structures and inanimate objects, and the relationship they share with each other, and the importance of these elements in the Caribbean landscape and their influences on Caribbean society.

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