CULTURE CLUB
Exhibition spotlight Paint Like the Swallow Sings Calypso DELVE INTO THE HISTORY OF CARNIVAL AT KETTLE’S YARD THIS MONTH. WE CAUGHT UP WITH CURATOR HABDA RASHID TO FIND OUT MORE!
WORDS BY ALEX FICE
The latest exhibition at Kettle’s Yard, Paint Like the Swallow Sings Calypso , is an exciting exploration of Carnival – a tradition spanning cultures and continents, deep-rooted in a fascinating, complex history. Curated in dialogue with artists Paul Dash, Errol Lloyd and John Lyons – from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad respectively – the exhibition reflects the history and themes of Carnival. Significantly, it brings together the collections of Kettle’s Yard and the Fitzwilliam Museum for the first time, featuring works by 28 artists that cover more than five centuries. Challenged with curating an exhibition that would bring the two collections together was Habda Rashid, who joined Kettle’s Yard and Fitzwilliam Museum as curator a year ago. “I wanted to exploit being new – and in a sense a bit of an outsider to existing narratives and ideologies within the collections,” she explains. “I was keen to create a dialogue between the western canon – the traditional framing of art history – and other art stories.” Having visited the studios of both Paul Dash and John Lyons, Habda was struck by their engagement with continental art traditions, realising their work could speak to the collections of Kettle’s Yard and Fitzwilliam Museum. “It was noticeable that both worked in the context of Carnival, suggesting this was a way the artists made sense of how their lives transcended the Caribbean and the UK,” she says. “I invited Errol Lloyd to join us in creating an exhibition framed around Carnival, drawing lines of connection between the collections and artists that reflect the history and themes related to the festival.” Meeting every fortnight for three months, Habda, Paul, Errol, John and Guy Haywood (assistant curator at Kettle’s Yard) explored the works in both collections and identified pieces for display. The majority were chosen by the three artists, whose works are also featured. “I’ve brought works to Kettle’s Yard that wouldn’t ordinarily be shown at the gallery, giving that audience a chance to see them and the Fitzwilliam’s audience to see their pieces in another context,” Habda explains. “Another layer
was to connect the galleries by including artists like Graham Sutherland and David Bomberg (from the Fitzwilliam), who were working at the same time as artists Jim Ede collected for Kettle’s Yard – Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and William Congdon, who all feature in the show.” The exhibition is structured around three interwoven sections. It starts by examining western European traditions associated with Carnival, such as Bacchanalia, the Feast of Fools and French Masquerade balls – celebrations imposed upon Caribbean populations by colonisers. The second section turns the lens on the spiritual nature of Carnival, explored through abstraction and surrealism by artists John Lyons and David Bomberg. The final chapter presents work by Errol Lloyd, illustrating contemporary festivities adopted by former slaves such as the burning and harvesting of sugar cane, bamboula dancing and drumming. Lloyd’s series Notting Hill Carnival will be on display, and the exhibition will conclude with his Notting Hill Carnival IIC – a patchwork canvas celebrating Carnival’s melting pot of cultures, customs and histories. To delve deeper into the stories and artworks included in the exhibition, don’t miss curator Guy Haywood’s tour on 20 January at 12pm. He’ll be joined by Errol Lloyd, who will speak about his involvement with the Caribbean Artists Movement of 1966-1972. The talk is open to all and free to attend; to find out more and plan your visit, head to kettlesyard.co.uk
14 JANUARY 2023 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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