Exhibition
The Cayman Brac component of the multi-site Cross Currents – 1st Cayman Islands Biennial exhibition featured a public art installation by Kaitlyn Elphinstone entitled Coral Tiles (Contemporary Anthropocentric Tile Design), 2019. This ambitious project combined underwater photography, coral patterns, Caymanian fretwork designs, and textures found in nature. It sought to comment on our intricate relationship with our surrounding landscapes, the value of our coastline as a commercial commodity, and to question the space between natural and man-made beauty. The artist explains, “this series investigates the space between beauty and reality, fabricated and natural aesthetics, as well as the anthropocentric view and commercial value we place on our coastal environments. I hope that the installation will draw awareness to the importance of our coastal environments and encourage us to carefully consider future development and the role we play.”
This multi-site project was on view at the following venues: National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, Little Cayman Museum, Owen Roberts International Airport, Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, Panama Canal Boat Launch, The Market Place, and Brac Scuba Shack.
About the Biennial
Developed and hosted by the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, and supported by Butterfield, the Biennial project featured artwork by 42 Cayman artists across sites in Grand Cayman (at the National Gallery’s venue), Little Cayman (Little Cayman Museum), and Cayman Brac (various venues). The project sought to showcase the high calibre of work currently practised in the Cayman Islands and to challenge the boundaries of contemporary Caymanian art. The Biennial was accompanied by an extensive education programme of workshops, school tours, panel discussions, screenings, and lectures, with an aim to spark dialogue between artists, educators, as well as the viewing public.
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About the Artist
Kaitlyn Elphinstone
b. 1985
Kaitlyn Elphinstone is an interdisciplinary artist who works in digital media and assemblage. She studied visual art and art history at the University of Toronto and has a master’s degree in arts policy and management from Birkbeck College, University of London. She has coordinated several local arts festivals and specialises in cultural communications and arts administration. Elphinstone was recognised with a Cayman National Cultural Foundation Silver Star for Creativity (2016) and is a founding member of the contemporary artist collective C4. NGCI exhibitions include The Persistence of Memory (2011), Art of Assemblage (2013), Metamorphoses (2014), tIDal Shift: Explorations of Identity in Contemporary Caymanian Art (2015), Upon the Seas (2017), Revive: Contemporary Caymanian Craft (2017), and Cross Currents – 1st Cayman Islands Biennial (2019).
