Abridged Biography: Penny Slinger

"It is the visual poetic contents of her work that matters. Everything is to her part of the universal life of women, men, beasts, flowers, and the earth they grow from" - Sir Roland Penrose

"Her achievement is singular. She emerges as one of the most active and socially relevant artists around" - Peter Fuller- The Connoisseur.

 

Penny Slinger graduated with a Diploma in Art & Design, 1st Class Honours degreee, from Chelsea College of Art, London, England.

The late Sir Ronald Penrose, then President of the Institute of Contemporary Art (I.C.A.), distinguished art critic, biographer and collector of art- specialising in Surrealism - became her patron.

She exhibited at the I.C.A. the year she left college, and went on to numerous acclaimed solo exhibits at the Angela Flowers Gallery, London. From 1970 through the '80s she was included in many group shows in London, Europe and New York. In 1973 she was awarded the "Achievment in Art" grant from the Casandra Foundation, Illinois and exhibited in the San Paulo Bienal, Brazil. In 1977/78 she had two major solo exhibits in London, and in 1982 her solo retrospective exhibition at the Visionary Gallery, New York.

Apart from her reputation in the visual arts of painting, sculpture, and photography - where she is particularly known for her work in collage - she has participated in a woman's theatre group, and was featured in a fillm of this production.

She has a number of books of her work published, and has co-authored/ illustrated several works with Nik Douglas, including the best seller "Sexual Secrets- The Alchemy of Ecstasy".

In 1980, she moved to the West Indies and spent her time between the islands of Trinidad, Tortola, and Anguilla. Anguilla was her home from 1982 to 1994. During this phase her work reflected the life of the islands, both ancient and modern.

Her series of historical murals are featured in Anguilla's Wallblake International Airport. Her paintings on Indian Life are on permanent display in Marigot as part of the "On the Trail of the Arawaks" exhibition. She was a regualr contributor to the magazine Anguilla Life on art and artists. Her media include oils, acrylics, pastel, pencil, printmaking, life cast, and other 3-dimensional constructions, as well as photography, videography, and collage.

Her work has been reviewed or featured in the following publications:

Art & Artists, The Image, Honey, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Playboy, Connoisseur Magazine, The Observer, Cosmopolitan, Sunday Telegraph, Harpers, Die Zeit, Pan Arab Weekly, Turkish Vogue, The Artist, Arts Review, Anguilla Life, Sunday TImes, Art World, Photographic Year Book, High Times, Magical Blend, New Age Magazine, Whole Life Times, Yoga Journal, & Omni.

Timeline of Carribbean/ Island Art (1981- 1994)

1981-1994 Worked on Arawak Art & Island Art pieces. To see these works click on the appropriate gallery in the site menu.
1985 Co-arranged and exhibited work in From Anguilla, the first group exhibit of art from Anguilla in St. Martin and Nevis.
1986 Poisson D'Or, solo exhibit, Marigot, St. Martin
1989 Commissioned to paint historical mural series for Wallblake International Airport, Anguilla
1990-1991 An archaeological series of paintings commissioned for On the Trail of the Arawaks, permanent museum display, Marigot, St. Martin
1992
  • Opening of New World Gallery, Anguilla
  • Series of paintings of Anguilla commissioned for branches of the Caribbean Central Bank
  • Amerindians- Studies of a Lost People, solo exhibit at the Devonish Cotton Gin Art Gallery, Anguilla
1993
  • Designed two sets of postage stamps for the Government of Anguilla
  • Solo exhibit at World Resources Gallery, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.A.
  • Solo exhibition of Arawak Renaissance- The Tribute Continues at New World Gallery, Anguilla
1993-1994
  • Completed Visions of the Arawaks, a 70 minute video edited at National Video Industries, New York distributed by Mystic Fire Video, New York.
  • Featured artist in Presents Caraibes, 500 years of Amerindian History, Fort Delgre, Bass Terre, Guadulupe.

For more about Penny Slinger goto www.pennyslinger.com

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