Finished the news and rushed off, on pain of execution, to see my friend Peter Sheppard’s latest exhibition at the 101 Art Gallery here in Port of Spain. I remember when Peter first started thinking about art as a career but was holding on to his travel agency job because he wasn’t sure if he could make it. That was a long time ago and now his work is usually snapped up immediately at high prices. His art portrays an imaginary ideal of Trinidad where rustic charm prevails and village life and our local landscapes are celebrated. Interestingly, in a vaguely political move, one of his latest paintings has villagers protesting with signs saying “we want water” and “fix the bridge”. That is certainly a first for him. I am proud , as I would be for any of my friends, that Peter has done so well.
On a side note, as I don’t have a chance to go out much anymore so it was interesting to be in a social setting. The gallery drew the usual glitterati of Trinidad society and quite a lot of people I know who I haven’t seen in a very long time. It is interesting to watch people aging, either badly or well, as if in time-lapse photography. I will say, though, it seems money certainly helps in the aging process based on my observations.
