Memorials (2016)
Initially, this project was inspired by my father’s daily routine of stretching, cleaning and drying his many parachutes in our back yard in the Bahamas. He was a parasailing instructor by profession, and me, an artist.
This project was proposed to the National Gallery of the Bahamas. My then intention was to use the piece as an opportunity to help my father better understand contemporary art, with a deeper interest to use his profession and my profession to metaphorically connect with my deceased mother. These plans were to be executed several times over the past two years but our busy schedules did not allow the collaboration to be fulfilled.
Early 2015, my father found out that he had stage 4 stomach cancer and died shortly after (July 30th, 2015.) This work was completed after his passing using one of his favorite parachutes where he plaited the rope before getting ill. I made a terracotta urn that housed his ashes which was also a part of the final installation. In a sense, my father made most of the work without him physically being aware. This work served as a homage and celebration of the marvelous life of my father.
