On Thursday 25th May 2006 at the National LIbrary in Port of Spain there will be a photography exhibition entitled "The Caribbean in the Age of Modernity", organized for the 31st Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association. See attached invitation here: Download online_invitation_to_exhibition.doc The image shown here is one of four of my photographs which will be shown, along with the work of other photographers and artists (listed on the invitation).
This site also gives more insight into what the exhibition and conference are about. For me, the theme 'Caribbean in modernity' conjured up images of the construction crane which has become such a common part of the landcape, sticking out like eyesores all over the skyline and rapidly replacing old buildings and trees. I find them to be strangely picturesque, annoying and invasive all at once. In keeping with the theme of modernity, I used my digital camera (not film) and did not take straight shots. I combined two shots per image to make my statement. In the photo featured here (Once upon a time), a crane from the new port is reflected in the glass of the building across the road. To show 'the good old days' being taken over by the construction boom, I inserted a piece of another photo (of a rural family from Kernahan liming in the porch of their simple wooden house). The arm of the crane seems almost continuous with their roof ... yet the two worlds are vastly different. The values inherent in the family's simple, humble world are being quickly swallowed by the construction and fast-paced, commercial madness. It will be interesting to see what other interpretations of 'The Caribbean in Modernity' are.
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