Auction Evening: 1 October 2014 National Gallery of the Cayman Islands
Welcome to The National Gallery’s Big Art Auction 3 I am excited to be welcoming you to NGCI for what is now our third annual art auction. This has been a year full of continued growth and development for the National Gallery and much of our current success is a result of committed patrons like you. Now well into our second year in our new facility we are truly beginning to see and feel the benefits of having our own purpose-built gallery. Our permanent collection now has its own home and over the last 12 months we have worked together with the Department of Education Services to develop a programme informed by the National Curriculum and linked to our permanent collection. Now all students in the Cayman Islands in primary, secondary and tertiary education can directly benefit from the National Gallery permanent collection through gallery-led Active Learning Sessions. NGCI continues to develop and build on this permanent collection as well as produce exceptional rotating exhibits. We have a very active lecture theater and art studio as well as a comprehensive culture library. All of the 20+ monthly activities are under the National Gallery roof provide huge creative opportunities for students, artists, teachers and the general public. Tonight we are here to raise funds that are needed to help continue all of this wonderful work. NGCI relies on vital funds both from the public and, increasingly, private sectors. All money raised tonight will go toward sustaining our education programmes, exhibits and collections and to ensure their continued running and development for all to enjoy and benefit from. We encourage you to bid generously! Thank you,
Jennifer Woodford BAA Chairperson
We wish to extend a huge thank you to our participating artists for part-donating their work to BAA3: Alejandro Angel • John Bird • John Broad • Randy Chollette • Kaitlyn Elphinstone Hannah Cook • Davin Ebanks • Teresa Grimes • Guy Harvey • Bendel Hydes Greg Lipton • Miguel Powery • Mikael Seffer • Joanne Sibley • CE Whitney
Lot #1 - Untitled (2014) Oil on Canvas 60” x 48”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$7,000
Randy Chollette (b. 1974) Self-taught musician and fine artist Randy Chollette began painting when he was just five years old on rocks, wood, and any surface he could find. He continued with art classes at the Cayman Islands High School, during which time his work was featured on the cover of Horizon Magazine. Since then his work has matured and his skills increased through perseverance and Yahweh’s blessing. Randy’s work ranges from realistic to abstract; his work is spiritual, meditative and mesmerizing. Also evident is his love for Cayman’s natural surroundings, honour for his African Heritage, and observance of brotherhood and humanity.
Lot #2 - In My World (2013) Pen and Ink with Watercolour 23” x 23”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$2,940
Guy Harvey (b. 1955) Guy Harvey is a unique blend of artist, scientist, diver, angler and conservationist. Guy’s inspiration flourished during his childhood years in Jamaica, his passion for marine life grew after days spent fishing and diving with his parents. Guy has a degree in marine biology from Aberdeen University and a Doctorate in fisheries management from the University of the West Indies. However, it is Guy’s ability to recreate marine life in various art forms that has propelled him into a highly successful career as a wildlife artist and photographer. Guy is also an ardent conservationist and his tireless efforts are spearheaded by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation.
Lot #3 - Seascope (2014) Metallic Giclée Print 24” x 24”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$1,300
Kaitlyn Elphinstone
(b. 1985)
As an interdisciplinary artist Kaitlyn Elphinstone works with found objects, digital media, and assemblage. Kaitlyn 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. Much of her inspiration comes from the natural environment, and through visual images she examines and comments on our relationship with the natural environment. Kaitlyn is part of the contemporary art collective “C4” based in the Cayman Islands.
Lot #4 - Three Dry Cook’nuts’ (2014) Cedar and Poplar 31”H x 38”W x 10”D
Estimated Market Value: KYD$3,500
John Bird (b. 1961) Based in Cayman since 2004, John Bird is an award-winning furniture designer and artisan who trained for two years at Parnham College with renowned British furniture designer John Makepeace. In 2001 John won second place at the Ogier Art Awards with a stunning wood carving of two stingrays soaring over ripples of sand. His artwork is typically made from reclaimed materials and he uses a variety of woods such as African mahogany, maple, ash and poplar. Bird uses power tools, chisels and “lots and lots of sanding” to achieve the gleaming smooth finish.
Work in progress
Lot #5 - From Beneath #4 (2014) Resin Mixed 40” x 40”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$3,450
Mikael Seffer (b. 1974) Growing up on the Island has been the perfect backdrop for Mikael Seffer who has become known for his signature style and unconventional techniques with the use of various materials. His lyrical abstractions are evidence of his passion for the ocean – the patterns that light makes on water, the hues of an everchanging sky and the lines running through a rugged shoreline. These images seem to surface naturally as Mikael emulates the way he feels nature works. They require both spontaneity and control, and the belief that beauty hangs perfectly balanced somewhere between the two. Mikael has been exhibiting locally for the past seven years and his work has been collected by many private and corporate collectors including the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Lot #6 - The Lidia E Wilson (2014) Acrylic Oil on Canvas 22” x 36”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$3,000
Miguel Powery (b. 1957) Miguel Powery has been painting, exhibiting and selling art work for the past 19 years. He was a founding member of the Native Sons art collective and has studied under many different artists through programmes provided by Cayman National Cultural Foundation, the Visual Arts Society and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. Miguel practices in various media including jewellerymaking and sculpture in black coral and precious metals. Inspired by his father’s stories of fishing trips to the Miskito Cays, Miguel enjoys the subject of boats and the sea with particular interest in the movement and colour. Miguel’s work can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands and Cayman Islands National Museum, along with numerous private collections, and he has held exhibitions on the Island and abroad.
Lot #7 - Metamorphosis 1 (2014) Graphite, Charcoal, Carbon and Ink on Paper 10” x 13”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$500
Alejandro Angel (b. 1990) This emerging young artist was born and raised in the Cayman Islands. Alejandro Angel became increasingly involved in the artistic community in Cayman after leaving high school, drawing inspiration from everyday moments and objects in life. His first solo exhibit was at Butterfield House when he was just 18 years old. His passion for travel has allowed him to be influenced by many types of art from different cultures and communities, and he continues to develop his own style and acquire new skills. “I am a fan of realism and hyper-realism and continually strive to reflect that in my work.”
Lot #8 - Sunken Boat (2013) Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 36”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$4,000
John Broad (b. 1947) John Broad was born in Essex, England and attended Southend School of Art and Edinburgh College of Art. Moving to Cayman in 1989, he took up an art teaching post at the Cayman Islands High School. Since then he has held many successful solo exhibitions in Grand Cayman. John has also participated in many group exhibitions including several at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, and was recently a featured in the London Underground’s contemporary artist series. In 2003, he was commissioned by Cayman’s Quincentennial organisers to create a tile painting commemorating 500 years of Cayman Islands history. John was also awarded the Cayman Islands National Cultural Foundation’s prize for Artistic Achievement in 2004. John’s work is infused with pure colour, movement and passion for the human spirit. His work is in collections both in Grand Cayman and around the world.
Lot #9 - Scoundrel (2014) Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 36”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$1,200
Greg Lipton (b. 1975) Greg Lipton is a self-taught Caymanian/Canadian artist, creating art in many genres with his work on display in various galleries in the Cayman Islands and New York City. Greg has been contracted by Acme Archives, the official licensees for Lucasfilm, Disney, Marvel, Dreamworks and Fox. Currently his Lucasfilm prints are available in galleries across North America and Europe. Greg expresses this current series’ style as a ‘single character in motion’ and this unique style can be seen in the piece in tonight’s auction.
Lot #10 - Flying High (2014) Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 24”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$1,750
CE Whitney (b. 1946) CE Whitney graduated from the City Lit Fine Arts, London and when she moved to Cayman in the 1970s the brilliant sunshine and intense ocean colours inspired her to start painting. She paints primarily in oils on canvas in large format focusing on extracting the intricate nature and beauty of her surroundings. Her works appear in private and corporate collections in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the Cayman Islands.
Lot #11 - The Marl Road II (2013) Oil on Paper 40” x 20”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$4,000
Bendel Hydes (b. 1952) Bendel Hydes was born in the Cayman Islands. He finished his studies at Clark University in the United States to pursue ‘a more intellectual approach’ to art and ideas, and pursued studies in international relations and philosophy, receiving his BA in 1976. Since 1982 he has lived and worked in New York City. Bendel has exhibited at the Commonwealth Institute, London (1986), the 23rd International Biennale de Sao Paulo, Brazil (1996), the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (2003) and participated in numerous exhibitions internationally, including the 30th International Festival of Painting, at the Museum of Cagnes-sur-Mur, France and “Caribbean Visions: Contemporary Painting and Sculpture, 1994-96”. The latter was the most acclaimed survey of Caribbean art ever assembled at the time, opening at the Center for African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. before travelling to the Latin American Art Museum, Long Beach, California and various other US cities. Bendel is a CoFounder of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands and the Cayman Islands National Cultural Foundation.
Artwork detail
Lot #12 - Marsh Merger (2014) Oil on Canvas 24” x 18”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$1,750
Teresa Grimes (b. 1952) A resident of Cayman since 1986, Teresa Grimes is originally from Baltimore and received her BA from the University of Maryland in Classical Archaeology/ Classical Art. Working mainly in oils and acrylics, Teresa has exhibited at various galleries and art shows in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere. She was awarded the Ogier Art Award in 2010, represented Cayman in the Guyana Carifesta in 2008, in the Carib Art Travelling Exhibition in Curacao in 1993 and at the Biennial in the Dominican Republic in 1994. Her pieces have been purchased for the Governor’s Residence and by The Visual Art Society, Cayman Islands National Cultural Foundation, the Cayman Islands National Museum and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. Her work is also held in private collections both locally and abroad.
Lot #13 - Old Pease Bay, Wind ESE, Flowing Tide (2009) Cast, Laminated and Polished Glass 2.5”H x 15”W x 15”D Estimated Market Value: KYD$4,000
Davin Ebanks (b. 1975) Davin Ebanks first discovered the malleable magic of glass while pursuing his Bachelor of Arts at Anderson University. Today he is a world class sculptor and artist who primarily works in this medium. Caymanian born, Davin spent his formative years on the water where his love of the sea grew steadily. Most of his artistic works explore his personal and cultural island experiences, and his recent exhibition, Blue Meridian, examines this relationship between identity and the environment. Davin’s works are displayed extensively throughout the US and Cayman. Most recently, Davin won the National Gallery Public Art Competition with his striking sculpture piece Adjacent. Davin currently works at Kent State University in Ohio as a temporary assistant professor in the glass department.
Artwork detail
Lot #14 - The Old Cotton Trees in Savannah (2014) Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 36”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$5,000
Joanne Sibley (b. 1930) Joanne Sibley’s interest in art was encouraged from an early age by her father, a portrait and landscape painter. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree of interior design in Canada, she moved to Jamaica where she worked as a designer in her husband’s architectural firm. She painted architectural renderings, landscapes and portraits in Jamaica, and has been a practicing artist in the Cayman Islands for 34 years. Joanne works mainly in watercolour and oil paints, and she has received awards in group shows including a bronze award at the Festival of Art in Jamaica. She has also been published in Artist magazine as a finalist in one of their competitions. Her work shows in galleries in North America and the Cayman Islands and she was one of five artists representing Cayman in the Carib Art exhibition in Curacao.
Lot #15 - Planting Trees (2014) Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 36”
Estimated Market Value: KYD$3,500
Hannah Cook (b. 1974) Cayman and UK based artist Hannah Cook produces artwork for the home and commercial spaces, drawing her inspiration from the movement, shapes, colours and textures in the environment around her. Hannah is self-trained by her own hard work, perseverance and experiences, but has also sought guidance and training from respected international artists. She has a vibrant, magical style that uses gorgeous colour. She is versatile and imaginative and her strong sense of design is clear in all her projects. Her strong creative instincts allow her to capture the essence of her subjects and lift the mood of all who see her work. Work in progress
Lot #16 - Plate 55 from ‘Los Caprichos’: Hasta la muerte (1799) Provenance Truman Bodden Collection and Cincinnati Art Museum (Christie’s NY 1998) Aquatint in Dark Brown on Laid Paper, Later Edition 8½” × 6”
Estimated Market Value: Please contact NGCI
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746 - 1828) A famed painter in his own lifetime, Francisco de Goya was born on 30 March 1746, in Fuendetodos, Spain. He began his art studies as a teenager and even spent time in Rome, Italy to advance his skills. In the 1770s, Goya began to work for the Spanish royal court. In addition to his commissioned portraits of nobility, he created works that criticised the social and political problems of his era.
Thank You to our Auctioneer Philip Paschalides and to Ralph and Jennifer Woodford for kindly supporting the event.
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