History of Sybil Atteck presentation at the Art Gallery of Burlington
In recent years Keith Atteck has turned his attention to his roots in Trinidad, and to his family’s history. He is following in his parents’ footsteps in researching and writing the story of the Atteck family in Trinidad, with an emphasis on building his aunt, Sybil Atteck’s legacy. The Art Gallery of Burlington worked in concert with the Keith and the Atteck family to bring their private collection of Sybil Atteck’s collected notes, preparatory drawings, exploratory paintings, and sketchbooks into the public sphere—transporting the works from the walls of the family’s homes to the walls of the gallery.
Researching, collecting, and organizing her life’s work has been a full-time passion project for Keith. He has become an archivist and detective, unearthing a collection of unknown and undocumented work, along with critical reviews, catalogues, and photographs to piece her artistic trajectory together.
He has meticulously penned the story of her life, from her early days as a botanical illustrator at the Ministry of Agriculture to the self-portraits of her later years, and constructed a timeline that visualizes the overlapping influences of the political and artistic movements that shaped Atteck’s works, in form and subject matter, from her everyday life to national independence. He has been actively presenting her work internationally, speaking at universities and conferences, offering engrossing, informative lectures. We are very grateful to be able to hear more about her story from his unique perspective.