Hannah Dumes with Christopher Cozier in Trinidad


Hannah Dumes, the director of David Krut Projects in New York, visited Christopher Cozier in Trinidad in December 2012 to prepare for his upcoming solo exhibition at the gallery, opening January 25th. While there, she stayed at Alice Yard, an arts center and residency program founded in 2006 by Cozier, architect, Sean Leonard, and writer, Nicholas Laughlin. Alice Yard is located in the backyard of a house in Woodbrook, Port of Spain, which once belonged to Sean Leonard’s great grandmother, Alice, and now operates as a non-profit space for exhibitions, performances and conversations.

Upon arrival, Hannah visited the current exhibition by Marlon Darbeau at Alice Yard’s new project space, Granderson Lab, in the Belmont neighborhood. Mornings and afternoons were spent with Cozier in his studio, which occupies the bottom floor of his home, located in a beautiful vegetative area atop a mountain just outside the city. Filled with papers and stacked books, notes pinned on the wall and works in progress on the floor, Cozier’s studio is swirling with activity.  When he wants to step back to get a better look at his drawings, he opens his large studio doors which swing outward into his front yard, filled with colorful flowers and fruit trees, and stands among them to contemplate his next move.

Cozier’s newest works on paper are inspired by “breeze bricks,” the decorative concrete bricks used widely in the Caribbean (and other tropical parts of the world), to enclose and ventilate space. Driving through Port of Spain, one sees how prevalent these bricks are and better understands Cozier’s fascination with the various patterning and colors, which to Cozier, represents a specific time post-independence of “modest hope and possibility.” Dumes also visited the foundry producing Cozier’s limited edition aluminum brick “templates,” which are available at David Krut Projects and online. Cozier invites people to participate in the project by creating their own designs on any surface and emailing images of designs made, their location and any thoughts to : [email protected]. Submissions will be posted on dpatterns2013.wordpress.com.

For more information on Alice Yard, click here.

Cozier standing outside his studio doors
Cozier standing outside his studio doors
View from inside Cozier's studio
View from inside Cozier’s studio
Cozier's studio
Cozier’s studio
From left: Cozier, Nicholas Laughlin, Hannah Dumes and Sean Leonard
From left: Cozier, Nicholas Laughlin, Hannah Dumes and Sean Leonard
View of Alice Yard
View of Alice Yard
A visit to Temply by the Sea, Waterloo, Carapichaima
A visit to Temple by the Sea, Waterloo, Carapichaima
A visit to Temply by the Sea, Waterloo, Carapichaima
A visit to Temple by the Sea, Waterloo, Carapichaima
Maracas Beach, a winding 45min drive from Port of Spain
Maracas Beach, a winding 45min drive from Port of Spain
The famous Richard's Bake and Shark, a fried fish sandwich with a unique and delicious buffet of toppings, Maracas Beach
The famous Richard’s Bake and Shark, a fried fish sandwich with a unique and delicious buffet of toppings, Maracas Beach
Video still from Cozier's template instructional video
Video still from Cozier’s template instructional video

 

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