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Art meets music - Trini Style

Posted by CaribShout on November 5, 2010 at 11:54pm

The spirit of the artist is often keen to express itself in varying media, but not many develop the actual talent, or even the technique to make that a reality. But Jeffrey Pataysingh is one of the few who made it happen. He found a way to develop both his art and his music to a sufficiently high standard, and with the deep flourish that is associated with this courtly gentleman, will launch an exhibition and show of both forms of his work over the last couple of years. The show, The Art and Music of Jeffrey Pataysingh, will be held at Satchmo’s Restaurant on Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook, on November 7 from 5 pm to 8pm. Pataysingh will exhibit about 15 pieces of his art work, a reproduction of the nature he loves in coloured pencils, pen and ink. He will also perform with his jazz ensemble, Nite Life, which released its first CD, Midnight in St James in November 2007. They will be joined by Patti Rogers. Pataysingh said his art career started off when he was an office boy at the ad agency, Davies and Chislett. Keen, ambitious and talented, he was soon designing newspaper ads and other products. He went on to work for the Mirror newspaper, and then became art director at NCK Advertising. He may have settled there had he not been wooed by Gerry Besson to join his new agency, Creative Advertising. Besson was a very influential person in Pataysingh’s development as an artist and designer, and his involvement in fine art. Pataysingh grew up in San Juan. His mother, Mable, was a housewife, and his father, Winston, worked at the Trinidad Guardian newspapers. “I was always exposed to hearing music, as my parents were always listening to music at home,” he said. He believed the side of him that was drawn to the visual arts came from his grandfather, who took great joy in beautiful penmanship, and had a fascination for collecting newspaper clippings of World War II. His grandfather left him these treasures. “I am a person who admires beautiful things and I always surround myself with books,” he said, adding that it was part of his legacy. And although he was creating a name for himself at the advertising agency, Pataysingh remained fascinated by art— aural and visual, and he was busy playing gigs, backing up the local singing stars of the seventies and eighties, and doing the hotel circuit. Things blossomed when Creative Advertising merged with Lonsdale Advertising, and he broadened his interests even further, getting involved with event management and producing set designs for various functions in Trinidad, and even the St Lucia Jazz Festival, where he worked for Benson & Hedges. Jeffrey continued working at Lonsdale Saatchi and Saatchi until he retired a few years ago. All the while, this seemingly quiet, unassuming artist, known in the agency studio for his meticulous use of brushes and pencils, his preference to be off-line, and his placid demeanour, was living it up most nights at gigs at most of the night spots around town. His art too has been on display at places like Tides Art Galley in Barbados. He’s played at practically all the noteworthy jazz shows in the region, and at 64, has certainly lived up to the idea that life can be anything you want it to be…if you have the spirit of the artist. • For further information contact Pataysingh at 789-9136, or patay22@tstt.net.tt.
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Tags: 5, 7, 15, 2007, 8pm, advertising, ariapita, art, avenue, besson

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