Homegrown ArtHero - Al Ebanks
By Suzette Ebanks/GIS
The artist'sniece asleep, Sketches for the Batabano series of paintings
Al Ebanks makes such vivid use of the colours,forms and subjects that characterise island life, that many Caymanianswill find something intriguingly familiar and personal in evenhis most abstract work.
The 38-year-old painter and sculptor acknowledgesthat his art is inspired by every-day events such as watchinghis nieces playing during a visit to his mother's house. Visitorsto the ongoing National Gallery exhibition of his sculpture caneven see a sculpture of the artist's sleeping niece.
"I take a lot of time to consider thesubject, my reaction to it and just to concentrate on work thatreflects the world around me," Mr Ebanks declares. In keepingwith his philosophy he has spent the past year-and-a-half workingfrom a renovated studio in the same Shedden Road neighbourhoodwhere he grew up.
He also regularly encourages children andother interested persons to visit the studio while he works andpaint alongside him. Given conditions like this, he says: "Atthe end of the day there is nothing I would like better than tostay in the studio and paint for the rest of my life. While artistsbenefit from exposing themselves to a variety of experiences,they also have a responsibility to the community to be open andtransparent about the artistic process and to use their work asa communicative and inspirational tool."
This relaxed approach has been no hindranceto Mr Ebanks success; he is rapidly becoming a part of Cayman'scultural environment. Commissions from organisations like theGallery, the Public Service Pensions Board and even accountingfirm KPMG mean that his work is increasingly shown in public spaces.His status as a rising star of the art world was further confirmedat the end of 2001, when he received a Cayman National CulturalFoundation Artistic Achievement Award.
While his visibility is soaring, his paintingsand sculptures continue to be popular in the private domain, particularlywith persons close to him. For years when his friends have purchasedan apartment or built a home, they also commissioned work fromthe artist to complete their investment.
Mr Ebanks acknowledges that art's profitabilitydepends on buyers' tastes and the economic climate, but appearsto have come to terms with the inherent instability of his chosenprofession.
"The business aspect is a challengethat I can easily face because I enjoy my work so much. As a personwho has a very positive frame of mind I have come to believe thatif I sell no work one month, I will sell a couple of pieces thenext. This approach allows me to take my time and focus on theprocess rather than thinking about money," he says.
At the start of his career his work costbuyers around CI$1,000, but today his paintings and sculpturessell for between $800 and $5,000.
Asked what made him decide to pursue a careeras an artist, he responds that it was something "he alwayshad a feeling for." Although he adds that initially he feltconstrained by the demand for realism that remains a part of Caymaniansociety.
"I knew I had to break away and findmy own means of self-expression. While I didn't want to go fullyabstract, I was also fascinated by the impressionist techniqueof breaking up pictures into tiny sections that combine to createan overall impression. My present style blends these two approaches,"he explains.
This unique perspective allows him to createdistinctive art and still strike a chord with his audience. Eventhe most devout fan of realist painting, will be able to findfew faults with the larger-than-life panther prowling in the backgroundof a painting that occupies an entire wall in the artist's studio.At first glance the work is composed solely of squares of varyingshades of blue, then when the onlooker takes a step back to contemplatethe painting the big cat springs to life.
Similarly Mr Ebanks' popular Batabano Muddersseries call to mind the movement, rhythm and spirit of the carnival.These popular paintings, he says, are based on his photographsof the annual parade, and routinely sell faster than he can paintthem.
The Islands' history and culture also inspirethe artist. At the end of 2001, he donated a painting to the NationalMuseum, entitled A Place To Go, which portrays the days beforetransportation when people walked to the centre of town to socialise.That painting hung in the museum's foyer for three months androutinely drew gasps of admiration from visitors. As early ashis first show in 1988, a buyer purchased a painting entitledSunday Dress that showed a family walking to church in their bestSunday clothes.
He believes would-be artists in the communitywill find an exploration of Cayman's past similarly rewarding.While urging them to develop their talent to the fullest potentialhe says they should feel free to follow their own artistic inclinationand not bound to any particular artistic conventions.
"I believe that art is to be admiredmore than explained. This means that the person looking at artmust be free to develop their own interpretation, although artistscan supply an explanation if one is desired. If someone is goingto buy a $4,000-5,000 painting, I think that it is important thatthey not get easily bored with it," he remarks.
National Gallery Director Leslie Bigelmanbelieves visitors to an ongoing exhibition, entitled The Body,at Alexander Place, will find a great deal of themselves reflectedin the artist's thought-provoking style.
Noting that the artist has a strong interestin the relationships that figures have with each other and theirsurroundings, Ms Bigelman says: "These pieces express a powerand simplicity uncluttered by unnecessary detail. They do notportray ideal forms but they have a very natural flow of linethat easily leads the eye from one place to another."
Mr Ebanks work will continue at the gallerythrough June 26.