One of the things National Art Gallery tour guides often ask students during tours of the NAGB's permanent exhibition, Bahamian Domestic, is to point out the scenes they recognize in the works. A show centered on portraying life in The Bahamas, Bahamian Domestic includes visual representations of the places Bahamians live, work and play. It also takes a deeper look at some of the social issues that The Bahamas still grapples with today.
Visitors, particularly younger ones, recognize fairly quickly the landscapes shown and storylines told in many of the paintings located in the front of the exhibition - the part of Bahamian Domestic which was curated by Averia Wright. Kody Conyers and Winzel Smith, two NAGB interns and C.R. Walker Senior High School students, are no exception.
Sixteen-year-old Conyers, a senior student, is drawn to Rolfe Harris' "Grant's Town Vendors" (1984), an oil painting depicting two women and a toddler at an outdoor produce stand. One of the women is shelling peas while the other minds the small child. At their feet are piles of bananas for sale.
Though it was painted 31 years ago, similar scenes can still be found at Potter's Cay Dock and at roadside stands throughout New Providence.
"It's more realistic," said Conyers. "These are things that would have happened in real life. It's like someone just took a picture."
The painting's colors and rich imagery are what caught the student's eyes. Aspiring to be an artist, Conyers has been painting since 10th grade. His portfolio includes imagery of landscapes and human subjects, some of which respond to themes of violence and slavery. "Grant's Town Vendors" has inspired him to try using oil paints
"I have never tried oil. I'm more of an acrylic painter, but I think this oil painting brings out something in me. It's based on older times. The texture is very nice. It's just beautiful to me," he said.
For Winzel Smith, Peggy Herring's "Five Children at Street Water Pump" is one of Bahamian Domestic's more striking works. The scenery, one of young children pumping water, presumably in an inner city community, is sadly familiar to just about every Nassuvian. Though painted over 30 years ago, the activity and landscape in the piece have not changed much. The painting is considered a social commentary for its ability to challenge viewers to consider the ways in which, for many Bahamians, the quality of life has not improved, despite the nation acquiring more wealth.
"Today we still do that. I see certain parts of Nassau I see children carrying water inside trolleys back home to their parents," said Smith, also a senior.
The 18-year-old was first introduced to the visual arts as a boy, watching his uncles sketch.
"They used to sketch a lot, and I wanted to do that because I liked watching them. So I just picked up the pencil one day and tried to copy what they were doing," he recalled.
These days, Smith has added graphic design and painting to his repertoire. Currently specializing in portrait drawing and painting, Smith's long-term goal is attending the Art Institute of California. To fund his studies, he hopes to pursue a career with Bahamas Customs after he graduates high school.
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