Dernell Browne’s installation art exhibitions are ethereal wonderland displays.
She combines science, geometry and an element of fantasy to magically bring her ideas to life. Spectators are compelled to stop, admire and engage with her creations as they walk around the places where they are showcased.
The Saturday Sun caught up with the modern artist, who is known for her creative work in Norman Centre and Sheraton Mall.
“I’ve always had a “crafty bone” in me,” she said with a giggle. “As a child, I always liked decorating things. I liked drawing and doing my own little crafts.”
Dernell, who is actually an interior designer and studied at the New York School of Interior Design, said making installation art was a part-time activity but became a niche market for her. After receiving the opportunity to design and create installation art at Norman Centre four years ago, the exposure she gained boosted that aspect of her business. Francilia Interiors is her design firm which she operates with her husband who is an architect in Worthing Christ Church. Now she is known as the “Art Lady” who decorates the malls in Barbados.
“My first art display was for Christmas and I mainly decorated Christmas trees and show windows.
“Over the years it has been a learning experience because as the art got bigger I realised it could no longer be a one woman show to do it and that a lot of technical things are involved which I am still learning.
“So at first, it was a challenge managing my time.”
Dernell added that it could take a week for a space to be designed and conceptualised depending on size and location. She explained that during that process, the company she is working with collaborates and finalises ideas developed from her consultancy. She added that sourcing the materials
for the project, considering which materials would most suitable for the type of display designed and putting together the visual art could take a month. She pointed out that there were other design elements included.
“How the art is viewed in the public eye can make or break a design. You have to think about how the art is going to be held up, the weight of the art, it’s exposure to sunlight and where exactly the art would be displayed.
“So these are important factors that must be analyzed so you can determine the cost, manpower and the estimated time the project would take.”
Most of the time, the 34-year-old has 100 per cent liberty to create a piece under a particular theme. Other times she executes ideas given. She admitted to the Saturday Sun that it was possible to run out of ideas, especially if she is exhausted but said she draws inspiration from family days at the beach and nature to curb the mental block.
Recently, the Christ Church Foundation School alumna created an artistic visual in Sheraton Mall called Joy to the Sea. She explained that the mall’s managing body has been campaigning for keeping the ocean plastic free all year, and therefore wanted to incorporate the holiday season into that theme.
“The art is put together late at night when everyone is sleeping and usually around this time of the year, decorations go up on the first of the month.
“So the decorations in Sheraton were done on Independence Day. It was a big undertaking because we had to build scaffolding over the escalator and the workmen from the mall and the property manager were instrumental in doing so.
“A team of five people from my company, including me, worked from about 10 p.m. on independence eve till 6 a.m. went home for a break and continued in the afternoon.
“Previously, Sheraton had a sea turtle display encouraging Barbadians not to pollute the sea so we basically had to incorporate this message under a Christmas theme.”
Dernell described this as a cool and creative way of making the elements of the Christmas season more relevant to the island instead of replicating snow and snowmen.
Everyone looks forward to receiving a gift for Christmas and for Dernell the biggest gift she could receive is appreciation. After working tirelessly to create Christmas visual art she said seeing people’s reaction to her work was rewarding. She said the feedback she gets from the public was amazing and it motivates her to create more extravagant concepts for the following years.
One admirer of Dernell’s work, Karra Price said she had been following Dernell’s displays from the get-go. Karra brings her four-year-old daughter Zara Clarke to Sheraton so she could see the decorations Dernell made in the mall. (SB)