Color and Identity: A Visual Conversation
Clare Gallery, Hartford
Oct. 19-Dec. 3, 2023
I was looking for some color on a particularly dreary day when I found out about an exhibit of Caribbean-inspired art at the Clare Gallery on Church Street. I had never heard of the gallery before, so I grabbed my camera, put the address in the GPS and headed out to take in Color and Identity: A Visual Conversation.
The artist, Stanwyck Cromwell, was born in Guyana. He has made New England his home for the last 50 years. His artwork bridges the gap between those two worlds — grappling with the challenges of being Black in America while longing for the ancestral home he has spent so much time away from.
I was looking at Dreamers #1 when Father William Beaudin stopped to talk to me. He introduced himself as Bill and started talking about all the elements of Cromwell’s work in front of us.
“You can see the influences of 20th Century paintings, the impact of Surrealism and Cubism. It reminds me of some of the work of Kandinsky,” he explained. I’d heard some of those terms before in an art class somewhere, but it was fascinating to see how that artistic tradition was combined with Guyanese culture to produce the stunning work on display.
My favorite piece is Revival #3, a mixed media piece (pictured at the top of this story). Cromwell layers the piece in multiple ways, including thick, luscious strokes of paint and materials in the frame of the piece like buttons. The canvas itself is layered as well, segmented into slightly elevated sections that quite literally make the women in the center stand out. The texturing and colors made it one of the standout pieces.
Cromwell draws from a more personal artistic tradition as well in his work. His mother was a seamstress and craftsperson; her influence can be seen in his incorporation of different objects and textures. Cromwell’s father was a graphic designer, and his uncles were also artistically talented. It’s the combination of his two homes, the styles and experiences of both, that makes his artwork so compelling.
Looking at the results of Cromwell meditating on his homes, both near and afar, made me think about my own relationship to this place. I’ve lived in Greater Hartford almost my entire life. I’ve made a name for myself as someone who “knows” Hartford, but I think that I’ve confused my longevity in this place with having true knowledge of this place.
After all, I’ve walked Church Street thousands of times without knowing there was an art gallery at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, much less that it was celebrating its 20th anniversary. Cromwell, on the other hand, displays an intimate familiarity with Guyana and its culture. Art that represents “home” sometimes feels like it trades on the audience’s unfamiliarity with the subject matter, but Cromwell’s work embodies themes and images that felt authentic to me.
Cromwell’s exploration of Guyana through the eyes of a longtime Yankee seemed to speak to me personally. His work makes me want to see the culture he loves so much first hand.
NEXT
The Clare Gallery will host a panel discussion featuring the artist and several others on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.
Jamil goes to enjoy some BBQ and jazz at Black Eyed Sally’s.
