Caroline Sardine, better known as ‘bops’ is the fourth artist in Young Talent V to be featured on this blog. Her section is curated by NGJ Chief Curator, Dr. David Boxer. Please note that bops uses a personal, poetic orthography, which is partially based on Creole, in her writings – she calls it “word powah.” She writes her name “bops” with a lower case “b” and the date format “20010” is also deliberate.
Biography
Caroline ‘bops’ Sardine was born 1977 in St.Vincent and the Grenadines. she attained an Associate Degree in Fine Art from the Barbados Community College, Barbados in 1996, a Diploma in Painting from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Jamaica in 1998 and a Masters Degree in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London, England in 2001. She lived and worked in London until returning to St.Vincent and the Grenadines in 2003. She has exhibited in several Group Shows in London and Wales and participated in the Triangle Arts, Cyfunaid International Artist Workshop in Wales in 2001. She was selected as one of the final 12 artists for the Trinidad and Tobago CLICO 2004 Corporate Art Calendar. She lived and worked in St.Vincent and the Grenadines until coming to Jamaica in June 2009 and is currently volunteering at the Ocho Rios Methodist Basic School…and creating, painting, assembling a body of work…
Artist’s Statement
prayer an paint are bettah dan sleep an speech…ah 9 munt strong battle, between d wax.in, wane.in an wale.in of d dark an d lite, dat gave birth to a body of work balanced between d devil an d deeep blu sea, baptized unda vincy eye wahtah an ochi star juice. ah chile of dee caribbean c.v.lie.say.shan, decleerin to bee present, heer an now…nuttin mor, nuttin lesss…
small scale scraps of my mind manifested into canvas, collage an construckshon attempt to ansa to d unknown…inspyad by d bew.T of betrayal, d peace of pain, d happyness of hurt, d angels of d abused, d lafftah of d lost an d majik of dose who mourn…selah
– bops 20010
National Gallery of Jamaica 
18 replies on “Young Talent V: Caroline ‘bops’ Sardine”
Healing
Distinction
Colours of our dreams
and nightmares
Hope and Prayers blend into black or white
We are ‘tween it all
Lookin’ for the rainbow
To be found only in Love.
Vivid,bold,intriguing it disturbs the senses and makes you look again!
Catharsis.
Powerful.
Remember,
The promise is yours,
The mystery is God’s.
I Heart…Sigh!
the light cometh
that happy place
finding the holy grail
u r on ur way
bless!
disturbingly heartfelt expression from the soul, a visionary warning cry to babylon past and present from vincyland’s premier artist
Keepin’ it real, unique! haunting! … refreshingly “out-ah-de-box”
Imagination
written for bops
by Maralyn Ballantyne LLB.Hons.
Imagination circles the world, we say,
In art, in music, it paves the way.
In song, in dance, by night, by day,
Imagination circumscribes without delay.
Caroline bops inspires!
Unique bops beauty, contradictory, haunting and does what art should do… evoke emotion, bring ones senses to life and create connections that are lost and tangled within the complex web of ones mind. Love you & your creations long time.
It only takes a second to see THAT LIGHT BEAMING! So very……….amazing. You are my inspiration.
“Artists and poets are the raw nerve ends of humanity. By themselves they can do little to save humanity. Without them there would be little worth saving.”
Caro, you are an original, authentic artist and poet, and a wonderful soul.
Have a bang-up exhibition! And thanks for what you share.
One love,
Lisbie
Powah to you, bops.
Your unique, very special and powerful expression engender a mix of awe, surprise and pride.
I waited until I saw the exhibit to comment. When I stood in that room and felt the power of those images and constructs I cried. Raw emotion pumps through that little room.
bops, ah love ya work, is dee firs time ah sit dong home wit Liv’s computer and ah watchin ya picture. Miss ya miss ya miss ya so much an wish ah could be dee too – ah still trying to mak meh work – it is so loneleeeeee here – no one to share dese torts and feelin stiffffffled fur so, an pappppppyshow’s over an ove and ova in dis place. I have wet eyes mos days, meh soul longin to sing but love prevails
all my love always and allways phine
I was startled to see another Sardine that I’ve never heard of from St. Vincent , my birthplace ,with such a miraculous talent exuding a uniqueness of style & power seldom seen these days here in Canada , outside our aboriginal communities. Bless you ,bops ,your artistry takes my breath away . If you read this let me know who your parents are please.
Bops my friend I am honoureddddd to be your friendddddddddddddddd as we sit talk on eve nin by studio 577 at yo place .Me love your work ,your mind a=nd heart stay strong my sistren,
inspiring.