How can we honor the memory of those who came before us, blazed a path and set us upon it with the right values and examples?
In an exhibition, "Homage", opening next week, Damaso Gray and Antonius Roberts pay their respects to a generation now fading away through portraiture--allowing their paintings to highlight those who deserve to be remembered and who oftentimes are unfortunately overlooked.
For Exuma native Damaso Gray--who has exhibited his work in various resorts in Exuma, at The College of The Bahamas where he received his Bachelors Degree in Art Education and in Grand Bahama under the Grand Bahama Artists Association--this is the second time this year he will be exhibiting at New Providence Art and Antiques (NPAA) after displaying his work there during Transforming Spaces 2011.
During that tour--which also saw an exhibition of Roberts' earlier work in painted portraiture at The D'Aguilar Art foundation--many viewers found Gray's work similar to Roberts' earlier work, which led NPAA director Jay Koment to curate a show with both artists.
For Gray, it is exciting to share a gallery space with the renowned Roberts.
"This show feels like an accomplishment to me to exhibit with the world renowned Antonius Roberts," he says. "Mr. Roberts is in tune with the general population of the Bahamian people, he is a conservationist of our culture, landscape and surroundings."
Indeed Gray's portraiture of elderly Bahamians taps into that desire to conserve the Bahamian culture that this generation built. Having grown up in Williams Town, Exuma, Gray recalls fondly his childhood memories learning from the "old ways" of his elders and wished to dedicate the exhibition to the community who raised him and his generation.
"The show is about the way of life of these elders, being self sufficient and morally strong," he says. "I am essentially trying to preserve the memory of the villages that have raised me, in particular Williams Town, Exuma, in honor of their hard work and dedication through the saying 'it takes a village to raise a child'."
Though this feeling shines through in Gray's collection as a whole, a different emotional undertone reveals itself in individual pieces that depict these elderly treasures in compromising and heartbreaking positions.
In one, "The Signs of the Times", an elderly woman and a potcake share a sleeping space on the sidewalk, surrounded by pigeons. Gray shares that coming from Exuma where his elders played such a strong and revered role in society, it shocked and saddened him to see such scenes as this in Nassau and believes something is inherently wrong with a society that does not take care of those who have gifted the country to them.
"Grandparents used to be the cornerstone of society whose wisdom and guidance were sought with reverence, but now they are considered a burden to society and problematic," points out Gray.
"We are neglecting the elders who built this country, and it seems as if we want to forget and put them away. Of course we are making way for the younger generation, we have new ideas and new visions, but we have to also give credit to those who deserve it."
Despite this, Gray is aware that the generation gap has also caused quite a few of society's problems, and points out that the younger generation is not taking the opportunity to work with the older generations in making the country a better place.
In the diptych, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide", two elderly figures sit in front of two political signs--one for the PLP and one for the FNM.  Gray points out that he wanted to show that these people are very set in their ways, but that the younger generation could "capitalize on their mistakes" to move the country forward.
If you think that Gray's work is political, you may be far off the mark--his only use of politics in this show is to drive his point home about respecting the contributions elders made to Bahamian society.
"Our nation is more than 41 people in Parliament. It is not about politics but its about people, the people who put the politicians in power--people who have contributed without reward or recognition, who have worked tirelessly for and in their communities," he says.
Indeed, in every painting, the painstakingly detailed faces of those who stare hauntingly back at the viewer, who look wistfully into the distance or whose eyes are closed to shut out the sight of the turbulent world today convey utter respect and reverence by the artist for his subjects.
"I get my inspiration from driving or walking through impoverished communities," says Gray.  "I seek to show the beauty when and where there is considered no beauty in these areas. I do not seek to go to Paradise Island to paint a pretty picture to represent the Bahamas to the world.  The true beauty is in the landscape of the natives."
It's something that Antonius Roberts knows well, as he worked from a similar desire many years ago as a young painter. Now alongside Gray, he presents three new pieces that pay tribute to both his painterly and artistic roots.
On three gorgeous panels of madeira wood, he painted portraits of those great giants we have lost in the art world who, like Gray's subjects, deserve to be highlighted as cornerstones in the art world and in the society at large for their contributions to culture.
As a more experienced artist, Roberts also hopes that by taking part in this exhibition, he is carrying on that spirit of camaraderie displayed to him through his artistic mentors.
"I'm just in support of this artist. He's very talented," says Roberts.  "I saw his work and struggle and I remember being a young artist, I know what he's going through and I know he will resolve that."
"I think it is important for us to be there for each other and to continue for us to work within the community, collaborate and support, and for me this is my way of supporting somebody who I think is very talented."
As for Gray, whose work here will be a prelude to his imminent show "Black Roses" which will take the themes he's explored even further, he hopes the audience will be touched by his work and motivated to live more consciously.
"I want the audience to just be aware of the plight of our elders," he says.  "We think we have it hard. I just want them to think about those who are no longer physically able, those who wish they had the youth and strength to contribute to society in a positive way. I want the viewer to see that the elders are deserving of respect for trying to instill in us morals and discipline."
"Homage" opens at New Providence Art and Antiques this Thursday, November 10 at 6 p.m. and is on display until November 30. For more information, call 328-7916 or e-mail bahamasart@gmail.com.

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