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New Book
Published By Macmillan Caribbean On Life And Work Of St.
Lucia's Premier Artist Llewellyn Xavier |
Posted November
04, 2007;
BOOK LAUNCH TO BE
CELEBRATED DECEMBER 8, 2007 UNDER THE DISTINGUISHED PATRONAGE OF ST.
LUCIA GOVERNOR GENERAL DAME PEARLETTE LOUISY.
 CaribPR
Newswire, NEW YORK, NY.: A new, 208-page retrospective of
work by Llewellyn Xavier - St. Lucia's pre-eminent visual
artist known worldwide for strong conceptual work that has
explored such issues as race, sex, spirituality, and the
environment - has been published by Macmillan Caribbean as
part of its series on Caribbean artists. The book, titled
Llewellyn Xavier: His Life and Work, is narrated by both
Xavier and series editor Edward Lucie-Smith, and provides a
fascinating, in-depth look of the artist's 40-year creative
journey.
The book launch will be celebrated from 3:30 to 6 p.m. on
Saturday, December 8, 2007 at Pigeon Island National Park
with an exclusive book-signing and champagne reception held
under the distinguished patronage of St. Lucia Governor
General Dame Pearlette Louisy and hosted by Macmillan
Caribbean and Sunshine Bookshop.
Twenty years ago, Xavier made statements about the ongoing
destruction of the natural world through his internationally
renowned masterpiece series Global Council for Restoration
of the Earth's Environment. Inspired by impending threats on
St. Lucia that he discovered upon returning to the island in
1987 after living abroad, the artist hoped this work would
raise awareness about dire ecological issues. Now, 20 years
later, Xavier's concerns are forefront in the international
political arena with such leaders as United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon challenging governments and
policymakers worldwide to join hands against climate change. |
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In addition to his
environmental work, Xavier is well known for his creation in
the 1960s of the "mail art" or contributory art concept now
used globally by contemporary artists. He also is esteemed
widely in the U.K. for his abstract watercolours and oils
inspired by the dynamic Caribbean weather and for his
striking and colorful depictions of the Pitons, which are
featured on the book's cover. The Pitons were granted World
Heritage Site status and were cited in O, The Oprah Magazine
in 2005 as one of the top five sites in the world to visit
during your lifetime.
The book offers an inclusive look at Xavier's most
significant work from the 1960s-including powerful work
exploring racism-through the present. It also features
Xavier's second environmental series, Environmental Fragile,
which involved conceptual works made entirely from recycled
cardboard and ends of commercial paint, and embedded with
shards of 24-carat gold representing the millions of trees
that have been ground into dust for commercial purposes, the
finality of earth's resources, and the preciousness of our
environment. Xavier is currently completing his third series
of environmental work titled Global Warning, which has not
yet been shown to the public.
"By demonstrating that contemporary art can be created
without the use of virgin material, I hope to awaken world
consciousness to the wanton destruction of the earth's
environment and its dwindling resources," says Xavier.
"These works aim to warn humankind of impending disaster
unless the devastation is stopped immediately." Inspired by
American abstract expressionists as well as impressionists
who lived and worked in the Caribbean including Pissarro and
Gauguin, Xavier also is greatly influenced by St. Lucia's
natural light, flowers, colors, sunsets and sunrises notes
that the island is "unquestionably the most beautiful
earthly paradise."
The British poet, photographer, art critic, and curator
Edward Lucie-Smith provides the book's informative
commentary. "Llewellyn Xavier is an outstanding example of
the independent spirit of Caribbean art," says Lucie-Smith,
who has authored more than 100 books on art. "Caribbean
artists have always been spokespersons for the societies
they live in. In this handsome book, people will find the
true creative spirit of one of the most beautiful places on
earth."
The book also includes a foreword that places the artist in
a historic and global context written by Lowery Stokes Sims,
a renowned art historian and curator, who has served as
executive director at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art,
president of The Studio Museum of Harlem, and is currently a
curator at The Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
In her foreword, Sims notes: "As the unique aspects of the
St. Lucian environment continue to guide and impact the
evolution of his imagery, then, Xavier stands as a vital
force in the ongoing dialogue of globalism and locality,
cultural tourism and cultural sovereignty in the art of the
Caribbean."
Xavier was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in
2004 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his significant
artistic contributions over nearly four decades. His work
has been shown at the world's most prestigious art galleries
and institutions and is in the permanent collections of the
Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and
the American Museum of Natural History, all in New York; the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London; The Fitzwilliam Museum
in Cambridge; and in numerous European and Canadian
institutions.
Born in St. Lucia, Xavier studied at the School of the
Museum of Fine Art in Boston and has spent more than half
his life traveling around the world gaining rich and
rewarding visual experiences that continue to influence his
work. An active Christian preacher, Xavier currently lives
and works in northern St. Lucia with his wife, Christina,
continuously creating new work in a magnificent home and
studio in Cap Estate and supporting political and
environmental issues close to his heart. |
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