And from an artist on the rise – to another who remains at the
top of the list of Belizean artists even though he passed away three years ago.
George Gabb is being honoured with an exhibit of some of his grandest pieces
at the Bliss Center. We visited today and found that it is a compelling collection.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The exhibit of works is culled from private collections and may be the most
comprehensive gathering of Gabb’s sculptures ever assembled in one space.
It collects many of his major pieces from his latter years including the ambitious
Dancing with Sustenance, the rustic Elegance of the Bushman, and his last major
piece in wood, the auto –biographical Fisherman.
And of course, it includes the iconic Sleeping Giant, the sea grape wood now
showing its age after more than two decades of completion. But apart from these
well know classics, there are the lesser know pieces such as this revealing
abstract, this Mayan head, the only ceramic piece he’s ever made from
the 80’s, this series of women, and this crucifix – an unusually
representational piece – made of Zericote from 1991.
It is an expansive – if not altogether comprehensive showing –
from a man whose shadow extends over the Belizean pantheon of art.
Gilvano Swasey, Speaker
“Uncle George as I know him, and he is a family so there is a bit
of insider trading, was a very productive man. As an artist in Belize it is
very hard to go beyond your potential in the sense that most of the time when
you are creating you have to create to survive so if you don’t create
what people want it is hard to make money. But Uncle George was one of the few
artists who did not draw a limit for himself, no pun intended, but he tried
all forms of art. So I think through the exhibition today and through the pieces
that have been loaned I think you get a great understanding of his dreams, his
fears, his loves, and what makes him such a great artist.”
The exhibit is open to the public and runs for a month.
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