The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

ANYONE familiar with Dede Brown and Dylan Rapillard know the couple’s artwork often penetrates beyond the superficial and obvious. Pieces that lend themselves to careful consideration are a common thread in their art.

In their latest joint exhibition, Tickle Me Pink, the artists strayed from the usual, and presented fun pieces that put the beauty of Bahamian subjects in the forefront.

The installation of over 30 pieces opened at the Central Bank of the Bahamas Art Gallery last Friday. This is the fourth time the PopopStudios based artists have joined together for an exhibition.

In preparing for the lighthearted fun showcase, the duo, shared ideas and offered constructive criticisms.

“We are two artists and we are a couple, it’s really that simple for us. We share many of the same passions and interests and art is at the forefront. We bounce ideas off one another, give each other feedback, support and help each other out whenever we can,” said Dede.

Though they shared a common theme, the two artists took different paths in their exploration. Dylan worked with aerosol, oils, pen and ink to create different layers, patterns and intricate collages of sea shells and other Bahamian flora and fauna.

“I was getting tired of painting portraits and decided to shift my focus to the subject matter that I draw and paint everyday for Bahama Hand Prints. But I wanted to take it a step further and experiment more with medium and pattern. Some of my pieces were started years ago. At that point, they were simple paint drippings which I like doing. I decided to work over several of these pieces, creating new layers of various patterns, shells, leaves, birds and so on. We want our audience to enjoy this work. It is aesthetic, it is fun,” he said.

At the opening, one art enthusiast said he was impressed with the way Dylan brought life to the still objects in “Horizontal Shell”.

“This was my first time seeing an exhibition by either one of them. I have never seen their work together before. The work is just beautiful. I like the take that Dylan has on still life. He certainly put a real Bahamian stamp on it. I like the way he used the material, how he essentially made the canvas look like patchwork and the way he incorporates Bahamian sea life,” said Lawrence Bascom.

Dede’s work on the other hand incorporates ‘female and flamingo’ and ‘art deco’ as sub themes.

“I have always loved painting the female figure and thought it would be interesting to juxtapose the flamingo next to the human form. To me it creates a quirky relationship touching on femininity, anatomy comparisons: a tall thin woman versus a tall thin bird; the flamingo as a national icon versus iconic women in pop culture,” said Dede.

“Art deco uses solid blocks of colour to create a very retro theme. These are among some of the pieces I received strong feedback on. Viewers are really identifying with the colour scheme. I spent quite a lot of my research time collecting various images from websites, blogs, magazines,” she said.

Dede’s striking painting of a woman wearing a tutu made of flamingo feather was memorable for art lover Stacy.

“Out of all the paintings I viewed that one was the most memorable. She treated the female figure in a way where it appears delicate and feminine. To highlight the flamingo theme she made the tutu out of feathers oppose to a typical tutu. That one was just fascinating,” said Stacy.

In 2010, Brown was selected by the Nassau Airport Development Company as one of 12 artists to produce a unique art piece designed for a specific location in the new airport. The art piece is a sculpture that will consist of 75 life sized flamingos. They will be cut out of sheeted aluminium and painted, she said.

“Many of the paintings featured in the ‘Tickle Me Pink’ exhibition were my practice for the many more I will be painting over the next six months,” said Dede. In the next few weeks, she will document her journey working on the flamingo project on an online blog.