Alvaro Barrington - Grandma’s Land
Nothing makes Londoners crave a Caribbean holiday more than a rare week of relentless sun and inescapable heat. It’s fitting this show opened when it’s as hot in London as it is in Grenada, the artist’s homeland that helped inspire these works. Step into the cool, air conditioned gallery and let the colours, materials and relentlessly repetitive imagery of bathers and waves wash away your sweaty London stress as your mind relaxes. I suspect many weekday visitors will be inspired to waste away their post-lunch art break researching cheap flights once they’re back at their desk.
The primary focus of the show is three shacks intended to represent his grandmother, aunt and uncle, based on childhood memories and stories told by family members. Reading this made me curious to step inside and learn more about the artist and his history, but aside from some fuzzy blown up photos that I assume are Grandma, the shacks feel oddly impersonal. One contains smaller versions of the beach motifs displayed throughout the gallery. Another appears to be a tribute to the flags and costumes of Carnival. These interiors distinctly stand out, and that’s because they were contributed by other artists. There’s also a short video about Notting Hill Carnival by Akinola Davies Jr. (@akinoladaviesjr), but much like the abstract nature of Barrington’s art it’s more visually pleasing than it is informative.
Collaboration is a frequent theme of Barrington’s practice, but here it’s a barrier making it harder to gain personal insights into his story. The exhibition feels more about a place than a person, and to me these huts evoke beachside dive bars. Most of the wood looks and smells too new to be reclaimed, but the ramshackle nature of mismatched pieces randomly tied to corrugated metal sheets with colourful rope gives off the distinct appearance of a shelter that’s seen too many heavy storms, necessitating a constant state of being rebuilt. Wandering into one, I half expected steel drums to start playing as a waitress comes round to let me know what beers they have on tap. It was only afterwards that I’d noticed some works in the show were literally painted on steel drums.
Barrington’s work is best described as abstract, although pieces frequently contain highly personal elements such a song lyrics or imagery he found to be influential. His wall works unconventionally blend painting and sculpture, resulting in incredibly distinct works that often appear imposing due to the size and weight of their materials. This show is no different, except everything is surprisingly repetitive. It feels as if Barrington got stuck trying to work a specific idea out of his head and continued to iterate until he got it right.
Memories, even when they aren’t as crystal clear as we’d like, impact us throughout our lives. Barrington clearly intended to add focus to his fuzzy ones by conveying a safe and idyllic island environment. I’ve only visited Grenada once, a decade ago, so white privileged holiday memories are all I have of his childhood homeland, which he left when he was 8. In his artist statement he writes: “I wonder how much is a fetishizing romanticized version of a place and people”. I guess we’re both guilty of assigning meaning to things we never fully experienced.
Plan your visit
‘Grandma’s Land’ runs until 21 October.
Visit sadiecoles.com and follow @sadiecoleshq on Instagram for more info about the venue.
Visit Alvaro Barrington WIKIPEDIA page and follow @alvarobarrington on Instagram for more info about the artist.
🖼️ Want more art? Visit the What’s On page to see a list of recommended shows, sorted by closing date. Don’t miss ‘em!