Guy Beckles eager to open kinetic art museum

KINETIC artist Guy Beckles is one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets as the late cultural icon Pat Bishop once described him. Beckles is on a mission to reveal his unique style of art as his dream is to open a kinetic art gallery in an effort to showcase his art and pass on his vast knowledge to upcoming artists.

Beckles, a former secondary school teacher for 26 years, has dabbled in art for almost 50 years.

Beckles, 72, is a graduate of Queen’s Royal College (QRC) and Dartmouth College in the US where he studied visual arts.

He now lives and works in Delray Beach, Florida.

The curator of the Central Bank Museum, Nimah Zakuri, who has shown Beckles immense support over the years, said the kinetic artist “has devoted most of his life to the pursuit of producing kinetic art.”

The kinetic art that he creates is influenced by his extensive travels throughout North India, North Africa, Western China and Europe. Beckles has exhibited around the world including in London, New York, Washington DC, Boston, Toronto, Florida and of course his birthplace, Trinidad and Tobago.

It is no wonder that Beckles' medium of choice is kinetic art, as TT is renowned for its Carnival with masqueraders, costumes and rhythm at the forefront.

Beckles’ work is certainly Carnival-like as movement, creativity and colour are all portrayed in his pieces. Kinetic art is characterised by movement.

Two of his recent exhibitions held in Trinidad were at Central Bank and at Arnim’s Art Galleria. In those exhibitions, Beckles collaborated with over 20 of TT’s leading artists.

Beckles gave each participating artist a blank canvas made with PVC pipes that move. The challenge for each artist was to tell a story when the pieces move.

Not many artists are like Beckles, as Bishop once described him as “a voice crying in the wilderness, one of Trinidad's best kept secrets.”

Beckles is eager to share his skills with others as his goal is to “establish a kinetic gallery/museum here in Trinidad where we can showcase a large selection of differing forms of kinetic art.”

“A place where we can offer workshops, mentor other potential kinetic artists and collaborate with artists in different genres who want to incorporate movement in their work. Such a museum would present the opportunity in a very tangible way, to give back to the society and to train others – open the hearts, minds and hands, especially those of the next generation.”

Beckles is also willing to customise art pieces for schools and corporate TT. Earlier this year, he mounted a piece on the QRC compound, a piece dedicated to the college’s iconic main building.

Describing his art, Beckles said, “My work is often reflective of a society’s dynamics – the ethnic, cultural, political and social constructs. I seek, explore and ponder the duality of life, the ying and yang, the ebb and flow.”

The artist goes on to say, “I hope to evoke curiosity and amazement, where the viewer asks how, why, where and when about each piece, or smiles or remembers a childhood memory.

“I want viewers to be aware that my work is whimsical yet profound; simple yet effective; complicated yet therapeutic; soothing yet disturbing.”

His work can be experienced at his next two exhibitions at Island Space Caribbean Museum in Broward Mall, Florida and at Arnim's Art Gallery in San Fernando.

The Florida exhibition is scheduled for November 22-January 18 and the exhibit in San Fernando will be held from March 2-27.

Those interested in supporting Beckles' venture of opening a museum to create an avenue for the next generation of artists can contact Beckles at gkebeck@yahoo.com or at 1-929-272-9234.