PRESTIGE… reviving the past – by BERNICE BUHAGIAR
The art collection, Prestige… reviving the past, by Bernice Buhagiar, revolves around the rich Maltese pre-history, pictured through a beautiful and vibrant lens with a contemporary twist. She hints out the island’s alluring and prestigious past by the use of the wide range of mixed media to produce different stunning effects. These include, amongst others, glass beads, mirror, ceramic and coloured glass fragments, Gesso, ropes, collage, gold leaf and Lino printing. She also produces her art on different sized canvases, wood and paper, also making use of dypthics or tryptics. Another significant element in Bernice’s paintings are the radiant and bold colours, where in some cases may also be monochromatic. For her, giving a varied and a wide array of visual effects is crucial in order to get the public’s eye.
By creating a new picture for the Maltese prehistory, which is more positive and glamorous than the plain image of prehistory we have in our minds, Bernice hopes to increase the public’s awareness and interest in our prestigious roots, which date back to c. 5000 BC. She also argues that the Maltese islands have much more to offer than just sun, sea and sand, as usually promoted for tourists. In her opinion, Maltese authorithies should promote and educate the public more about the Maltese prehistory.
The artist’s art collection focuses on the Temple Period (Żmien it-Tempji), one of the major three periods of the Maltese prehistory. The Temple Period, which has lasted c. 1500 yrs (from 4100 – 2500 BC) is characterised by the birth, development and death of the civilisation who has built the popular Megalithic Temples dedicated to the goddess of fertility. Both the temples and the goddess of fertility statues (depicted as a Fat Lady in different sizes and forms, found in Megalithic Temples, such as Ħaġar Qim, Tarxien Temples and Ġgantija) hint the religious element of the civilisation’s culture. In fact, most of the paintings exhibited offer an expression or view of the goddess of fertility and the Temples, where they are given a personificated or metaphoric quality, often based on local legends, research, stereotypes and the artist’s own opinions and views.
Bernice’s paintings could be referred to as a story or an anecdote, apart from a deep artistic expression and a feast for the eyes themselves. Such example would be the painting of an appealing, beautiful woman who represents the Ġgantija Temples near Xagħra, Gozo, which are the oldest free-standing Megalithic Temples in the world, and also the best preserved. Her painting is based on the local legend that a giantess has carried megalithic rocks all the way from Ta’ Ċenċ on her head, while carrying her baby daughter under her arm. No mortal could have possible done this, and thus the artist delivers this alluring vision of the giantess as the goddess of fertility or Mother Earth, who has started off our civilisation by the temple people (represented by her baby daughter) which has kept on developing till the present date. Bernice also makes use of poems for every painting, which she writes herself, in order to serve as a vehicle to help the audience to their destination, as the artist intends.
The artist also lets her soul indulge in famous artists’ work, such as Caravaggio, Van Gogh, Klimt, Goya and Warohl, while picking up influence from their unique style and vibe. She does this in order to deliver her message to the public in the most glamorous and varied way, to suit the different tastes and minds of the public, whom she refers to as the civilisation whose ancestors are deeply rooted into the Giantess’ prehistoric family tree.
Prestige… reviving the past is to be launched on Friday 23rd September 2011 at 7.30pm at Auberge de France in Birgu by the Mayor Mr John Boxall and the participation of Elements Dance Group; and will run till Sunday 9th October. Open on: Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th, Friday 30th September and Sunday 2nd October from 5 till 9pm; and during Birgufest from Friday 7th till Sunday 9th October from 5pm till late.
For more info please visit www.bernicebuhagiar.yolasite.com
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Il- wirja tal- arti, Prestige… reviving the past, minn Bernice Buhagiar, hi marbuta mat-tema tal- preistorja ta’ Malta. L-artista tgħati stampa mfawwra b’ enerġija u minn lenti kontemporanja. Bernice hi tal- opinjoni li l-gżejjer Maltin huma rikki fil- preistorja, li tmur lura sa 5000 sena QK, allura ssaħħaħ dan l-argument b’ xelta ta’ riżorsi (mixed media) biex tikkrea effetti differenti. Dawn jinkludu fost oħrajn, ħġieġ ikkulurit, mirja, ċeramika, Gesso, ħbula, collage, Lino printing u gold leaf. L-artista tipproduċi l-arti tagħha fuq daqsijiet differenti ta’ njam, tila u karta, kif ukoll ħafna drabi pittura waħda tkun imqassma fuq numru ta’ tili (dypthics jew tryptics.) Hi twassal il- messaġġ tagħha permezz ta’ kuluri definiti u vibranti, fejn f’ xi każi jkunu fuq l-istess skala (monochromatic.)
L-għan tal- artista hu li tolqot kemm tista’ l-għajn tal- pubbliku, biex b’hekk il- messaġġ tagħha jimraħ aktar. Infatti, l- artista timmira li toħloq viżjoni pożittiva u kkulurita tal- preistorja Maltija li tkun tappella aktar għall- pubbliku, għall- kuntrarju tal-istampa bla ħajja u vaga tal- preistorja li forsi għandna f’ moħħna. Barra minn hekk, l-artista tħalli ‘l ruħha timraħ f’ xogħol t’ artisti famużi, bħal Caravaggio, Van Gogh, Klimt, Goya u Warohl, waqt li tiġbor influwenzi minn kull stil uniku ta’ kull wieħed minnhom.
Il- wirja tal- arti tiffoka fuq Żmien it- Tempji, wieħed miż-żminijiet ewlenin tul il-preistorja tal- gżejjer tagħna. Żmien it-Tempji, li ssokta għal madwar 1500 sena ( 4100 – 2500 QK) hu kkaratterizzat mit-twelid, iż-żvilupp u t-tmiem taċ- ċivilazzjoni ta’ dan iż-żmien.
Kienu dawn in-nies primittivi li ħallewlna t-Tempji Megalitiċi ddedikati lill- alla tal- fertilita’. Kemm dawn it-Tempji, kif ukoll l-istatwi tal- alla tal- fertilita’ (li nstabu f’ daqsijiet u forom differenti f’ tempji bħal Ħaġar Qim, it- Tempji ta’ Ħal Tarxien u l-Ġgantija) jixhdu l-element reliġjuż taċ- ċivilizzazzjoni ta’ dak iż-żmien. Fil-fatt, il- maġġoranza tal- pitturi esebiti huma espressjoni personali tal- artista fuq l-alla tal- fertilita’ kif ukoll fuq it-Tempji Megalitiċi, fejn ħafna drabi huma mogħtija kwalita’ ppersonifikata jew metaforika, ibbażati fuq leġġendi, riċerka u sterjotipi (stereotypes)
Il- pitturi ta’ Bernice jistgħu jiġu rreferuti bħala rakkonti, apparti bħala espressjoni artistika fonda. Eżempju ta’ dan nistgħu nieħdu l-pittura ta’ mara li tirrappreżenta t- Tempji tal- Ġgantija qrib ix- Xagħra Għawdex, li huma x’aktarx l-eqdem tempji Megalitiċi fid-dinja, kif ukoll l-aktar li jinsabu f’qagħda tajba. Din il-pittura hi bbażata fuq leġġenda li tgħid li ġganta kienet bniet it- Tempju tal- Ġgantija waħidha f’ġurnata waħda billi ġarret il- ġebel megalitiku fuq rasha minn Ta’ Ċenċ, waqt li ġarret lil bintha tarbija f’ idha. L-ebda bniedem ordinarju m’għandu din il- kapaċita, għalhekk l-artista twassal din il-viżjoni kważi maġika ta’ din il- ġganta bħala l-alla tal-fertilita fiha nnifisha jew l-Omm tan-Natura, li ħejjiet it-triq għall- ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ warajha (rrapreżentati minn bintha tarbija.) Bernice tippreżenta poeżiji miktubin minnha stess mal- pitturi tagħha biex iservu bħala vettura li jgħinu jieħdu lill- udjenza fejn il-moħħ tal-artista xtaq permezz tal- pittura tagħha.
Prestige… reviving the past ser tkun uffiċċjalment miftuħa nhar il- Ġimgħa 23 ta’ Settembru 2011 fis- 7.30pm fil- Berġa ta’ Franza, l- Birgu. Il-wirja ser tiġi inawgurata mis-Sindku tal-istess Kunsill Lokali, is-Sur John Boxall, kif ukoll bil-parteċipazzjoni ta’ Elements Dance Group. D
Dati u ħinijiet ta’ ftuħ: Is- Sibt 24 u l- Ħadd 25 ta’ Settembru, il-Ġimgħa 30 ta’ Settembru u l-Ħadd 2 t’ Ottubru mill 5 sad-9pm; kif ukoll tul il- Birgufest, il-Ġimgħa 7, is-Sibt 8 u l- Ħadd 9 t’Ottubru mill- 5pm sa tard bil-lejl.
Għal aktar informazzjoni żur is-sit www.bernicebuhagiar.yolasite.com
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