Mango Tango Art Gallery invites the public to the opening of the month-long Ensor Colon and Derrick Grant Exhibition. On October 14, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Puerto Rican Colon and Jamaican-born Grant live and paint on St. Thomas. The two artists deftly integrate both realism and surrealism in their creations. Similarities between the talented duo end there.
First, their subject matter is quite different. The core of a Colon painting is the sea. The essence of a Grant work is allegory.
Secondly, they each express independence of spirit. That spirit has led them to choose very diverse media. Colon enjoys the challenges of painting acrylic on canvas and watercolor on paper. He is also a gifted photographer, who works exclusively in black and white. Grant is a an astounding digital painter. He uses the computer as a tool to generate a general outline of the three-dimensional world, mapped on a 2d canvas that can be seen on the computer screen. He then paints on these structures on the computer screen, using a pen-like mouse. The image is then printed on canvas. Grant paints on the canvas with either oil or acrylic to bring out the nuances (skin, hair, water foam, trees) in the piece.
Gallery co-owner Smokey Pratt observes that the show 'confirms that no one sees the world the same, especially artists. Their art expresses their distinctive emotional responses to the world. "
While visiting France for the first time, Colon saw colorful dinghies in the mud of low tide. He painted those boats with realism and placed them in a surrealistic desert. He named the painting "Passion." Grant called on his surrealist visions and cerebral dreams to create lovers seductively "dancing" at sunset. The figures and the sky are painted with the realism of old world masters. He completed the painting with sexually charged reflective imagery. He titled the work "Passion."
Passion, by Ensor Colon.
In addition, to the original works on view at the show, each artist also has limited edition prints on paper. Overall, the exhibition has a contemporary feel.
Meet the artists at the champagne reception. The band 2 Blue Shoes will play rock n' roll and blues. Gallery co-owner Smokey Pratt sings and plays flute and harmonica. John Brittain plays stellar guitar. Enjoy versions of the music of Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen and Taj Mahal, as well as original tunes
For St. John residents, there is a free shuttle to Red Hook at 8:20 and 9:20pm. For more information cal 777-3060.