New Artwork by David Bridgeman donated to the National Gallery’s Permanent Collection

Local artist Mr David Bridgeman recently donated two pieces of art to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ (NGCI) Permeant Collection. The 18” x 24” acrylic on canvas Untitled (Red and Yellow), and a smaller etching on paper titled The Three Towers, now join the ever-growing public art collection which currently comprises of 200+ pieces from over 50 years of Cayman Islands’ Art History. NGCI Director and Curator, Ms Natalie Urquhart, explains, “The NGCI Permanent Collection lies at the very heart of our art museum and mission to promote the appreciation and practice of the visual arts of and in the Cayman Islands. Mr Bridgeman’s work will now be available for current and future audiences to view, enjoy and appreciate and we are most thankful for his generosity in recognising this.”

The donated works were exhibited as part of the recent solo exhibition David Bridgeman – The Road Not Taken held at the National Gallery in December of 2014. Mr Bridgeman’s autobiographical work draws inspiration from the landscapes of his native England as well as his home of 27 years, the Cayman Islands. Bridgeman explains, “A lot of the pieces are developmental. It isn’t meticulously planned. One piece of work develops from the next.” The first piece Untitled (Red and Yellow), is a painting in which, Mr Bridgeman says, “I wanted to use a lot of drawing and layered paint, so that it forms a cloudy, mystical scene with swirling mists around trees, woodlands and hills”. The second piece, The Three Towers, was created by etching on to a metal plate and applying pigments by using a printing press. The print depicts an Oxfordshire landscape, where Mr Bridgeman was born and spent the majority of his childhood and teenage years.

The new work Untitled (Red and Yellow) is now on display and represents part of the Gallery’s current exhibition, All Access – A journey through the National Gallery Permanent Collection, which runs until Thursday, 3 September 2015. The summer exhibition reveals the inner workings of the Gallery’s Permanent Collection by converting the entire lower exhibition hall into a temporary research lab while undertaking a full evaluation of the artwork. The Collection’s narrative continues in the upper exhibition hall where artworks are on formal display. Ms Urquhart notes, “The NGCI Permanent Collection is a remarkable cultural resource for our country, and serves to illustrate both the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of life in the Cayman Islands as interpreted by our artists.” The development of the collection is made primarily through generous donations from artists, patrons and corporate organisations. “It is especially pertinent when we can secure a piece of art by a major local artist that has been featured in an NGCI exhibition as it represents both a certain period in the artist’s work, and helps document a period in the Gallery’s own history.” adds Ms Urquhart.

Admission to the National Gallery is free of charge and the doors are open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. In addition, the Gallery has extended its hours on Saturdays for an additional two hours opening from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For more information about the National Gallery’s Permanent Collection and how you can support this programme, email [email protected] or call (345) 945 8111.