The rhythmic icons of Roopchand By ANNE HILTON Monday, April 21 2008
click on pic to zoom in'Parang Sensation'...« prev photo next photo »ONE HAS been so accustomed to the Carnival touches, the beads, the glitter, the fantasy in works exhibited by Glenn Roopchand of late, that “Rhythmic Icons” which opened in Horizons Art Gallery on April 15, appeared dull by comparison . . . until one looked back in the database to “Rhythms of the Oversoul” the first of his exhibitions I saw back in the late 90’s, in what used to be the Gallery 1.2.3.4.
In “ Oversoul” lines and two colours (discounting white) dominated the canvases. In “Icons” Roopchand returns to the flowing lines, near monochromes, yet he is, of necessity, more explicit in his portrayal of the icons of music in his native land.
In his brief “Statement” Roopchand confesses to a perpetual sense of rhythm, beginning with his mother’s heartbeat, through the work of Rudolph Charles and David Rudder to his expression of rhythms in paint.
“Rhythm Boys” is pure percussion and so needs no further exposition. One follows the manic beat of the “Tassa Moon” in the serpentine lines, ovals, circles, hands gripping the sticks.
What else could Parang be but the stark simplicity of chac-chac and cuatro?
“Spheres” is a cornucopia of tambourines, drums, brake drums, a maze of intersecting, flowing lines, of myriad shapes to fascinate those attempting to trace the artist’s brushwork.
We appear to be back with parang in “Vibes” with the repeat of the chac-chac and cuatro but with the addition of the scratcher man.
“Bamboo” goes to the roots of pan and back to Nature while Exodus celebrates the pan orchestra of that name.
I leave readers to fill in the gaps for themselves by visiting Rhythmic Icons in Horizons Art Gallery before Glenn Roopchand’s solo exhibition closes on April 26.
my fav
