Transforming Public Spaces Into Art: A New Calling

Artist Antonius Roberts has found a new calling in creating art out of public places.

A mission that began in 2005 with 'Sacred Space' at Clifton Pier has truly taken on both national and international significance, and created a new brand of environmentally-conscious art.

Traveling far from home to participate in the Caribbean Summer Festival at the Westfalenpark in Dcortmund, Germany last month, Antonius Roberts, who recently returned home, had the opportunity to create a wooden sculpture that is symbolic of Bahamian life, but also speaks to cross-fertilization - and cultural exchange.

Mr Roberts' work, titled 'A Rosie Bahamian Woman' was sculpted from a 3-metre tall oak tree from Germany which was destroyed during a storm in 2007. A local German artist secured this piece of natural wood which was felled from a forest in Germany, and the tools that were used in the sculpting of this work.

Since the tree weighed nearly a ton, a crane had to be used to set the wood in the Westfalenpark where Mr. Roberts would begin his work. Due to the size of the material, and the lack of funding for scaffolding, Mr Roberts was not able to produce the sculpture with the wood standing erect - which is his usual way. Instead, the wood was sculpted on the ground.

Not surprisingly, the work attracted much attention.

"People gathered, they looked, they touched it. It was amazing because they saw the complete transformation of the piece, from wood to the final outcome," Mr Roberts recalled.

Though he was able to complete the piece in four days, Mr Roberts left Germany before the piece was erected in place. He awaits a photograph of his sculpture which is set to be erected in the park.

Along with Mr Roberts' work, the festival included performances of steel drum orchestras, the youth steel band Pan Gang, percussion workshops for children and adults, stage performances and games, as well as a marching procession of Junkanoo costumes through the park.

Organisers of the festival first met Mr Roberts during a tour in Grand Bahama earlier this year during the unveiling of his Taino Beach (Grand Bahama) project, 'Original Bahamians'. While inspired by the 'Original Bahamians', his German installation is not an exact replica. Mr Roberts tries not to reproduce the same work.

NEW CALLING

For Mr Roberts, who has found a new calling in transforming spaces into works of art using natural resources, this recent installation is further conformation that people are interested in - and excited about - seeing works of art displayed in public spaces.

"I feel honoured because it is my wish, hope, and dream to have the opportunity to travel around the Bahamas and the world just being able to contribute to the transforming of spaces and leaving a symbol or monument as a testament to the Bahamas. [A Rosie Bahamian Woman] is a piece of art and sculpture that was created by a son of the Bahamas," Mr Roberts told The Arts.

"As when I went to China and had my work displayed in the [Changchun] World Sculpture Park there, just to have a structure stating that it was produced by a Bahamian, sends a strong message that we from the Bahamas are world-class. and that we must believe that we all have something to contribute to the world," he added. In 2006, Mr Roberts was one of 45 artists selected from countries all over the world to participate in the 8th Changchun China Symposium. Today, his "Rebirth" sculptures stand among the hundreds of sculptures in the Changchun World Sculpture Park.

INFLUENCE

Moving forward, Mr Roberts is looking to continue building and expanding further his transforming spaces concept. He was recently invited to speak with a local developer about the possibility of transforming spaces as a new phase of his development. And as government officials continue talks of constructing national parks throughout the Bahamas, Mr. Roberts hopes that they will invite local artists to participate.

Moreover, he is advocating that the landscaping of these national parks incorporate indigenous products - like limestone and Casuarina - as much as possible.

In fact, this theory offers a sneak peak into Mr Roberts newest project. During the time of our interview, Mr Roberts was in Eleuthera at the invitation of personnel from the Island School, which describes itself as "a mind, body, and spirit journey" that takes students away from the traditional high school curriculum and forces them to confront authentic challenges. There, classes are designed to allow first-hand engagement with the people and environment of the Bahamas. English, math, environmental art, history and marine ecology are offered, and each course focuses on the application of knowledge to real-world problems.

At this school, students also make furniture out of Casuarina wood, use reusable, natural sources of energy.

"I'm here exploring the possibility of creating sculptures using the ocean, rather than wood. We should have more water fountains around the Bahamas because we are surrounded by water. We can have a system that pumps water inland from the ocean and power it by solar energy. As the water comes in from the ocean, it gushes up and creates different shapes. It will also be an exciting visual for tourists, so you can say that this is my new project," Mr Roberts said.

By Petura Burrows
The Tribune
Arts Section
July 30, 2008