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Alfredo Antonio Codallo
Codallo was born in Arima, Trinidad in 1913 but grew up in Port-of-Spain. From an early age he became very much involved in the folklore (stories) of Trinidad. As he grew older he began to undertake serious research in the folk-tales. He was employed in a local newspaper publishing company as an artist, photographer, photo-engraver and lithographic artist. Later he became Head Artist to a leading advertising agency. He also "free-lanced" for various firms. Over many years he received several commissions such as a series of pen and ink drawings of all the folk-lore characters, old time Trinidad-Bread-making- commissioned by a flour packaging company which subsequently donated the entire series to the National Museum. He has also pro- duced very realistic drawings of folk dances and festivals. Codallo's masterpiece is a very large watercolour which depicts all the folklore characters (nocturnal) in their "habitat". This work is preserved in the National Museum. ---------------------------------------------- With his own hand in 1962. Alfredo Antonio Codallo an outstanding Artist and Folklorist of Trinidad and Tobago attempted in a few lines to set out his philosophy and approach to his creative expression (reproduced). He wrote, "Through Art I wish to speak in a language that all should understand. A language of beauty-unspoilt by confounding 'isms', yet rich with common understanding andnative pride. In my self-imposed job of preserving the Folklore way of life, dances, (Land, River and Sea Scapes) of my country - I am trying to establish a link with our past in the most comprehensive way that I know." To those of us who knew Codallo very well and associated with him especially in the context of the Trinidad Art Society's activities called him 'Alf'. He liked this abbreviation since by nature he was a simple man who always seemed to have preferred the informality and unpretentious atmosphere of genuine camaraderie. It was easy to converse with him and his views were generally pointed, serious and sometimes colourfully expressed. AIf was a friend to all those who came to him for advice or expressed the desire to learn from his techniques of draughtsmanship. He never flinched from imparting his knowledge to those who sat at his feet. Even though he was not privileged to have had a fornial education in the visual arts. Alf Codallo educated himself through constant practice and self criticism. He developed his talents in painting and the graphics. as well as a keen appreciation for research in our Folklore. If one attempts to analyse his outlook on art, it becomes apparent that the intellectual approaches in art which are characterised by "ism" eg. Impressionis, Fauvisin, Dadaism, Expressionism, etc, held little interest for him. He considered them, in his own words - "confounding". On the contrary he felt that simplicity should be his guiding light so that those who view his works would not only encounter beauty of expression in line, form, tone, texture and composition but more importantly communicate easily with his artistic endeavours. Undoubtedly, Codallo's works reflect that quality of superb realism. Perhaps this was the only approach which would have enabled him to justify the imposition which he had placed on himself to give visible forms to his concepts of the several folkloric themes, traditional cultural patterns and the environment. His aim was to "establish a link with our past," needless to say that he had accomplished this with the expertise and finesse of an artist dedicated to an ideal of leaving for posterity masterpieces which may never fade into oblivion. He was born in Arima in the year 1913 and died fifty-eight years later. His father was a native of neighbouring Venezuela and his mother was of East Indian descent, perhaps this mixture of his parentage may partly account for the qualities found in his works. As a visionary - the ability to create realistic renditions of the legendary characters might be attributed to his mother's background. On the other hand, to his father's Venezuelan origin he may owe that unique quality of having been a good "mixer" with a joie-de-vivre as exemplified in his drawings of the rural folk customs and celebrations of which there is no doubt that he might have been an active participant even as a spectator. As a child, Alf grew up in Port-of-Spain. From an early age, it is said that he took to the Anansi stories quite seriously and attempted to make drawings of the chief characters. As he grew older he found greater satisfaction and fascination in the local folk-tales and for many years he researched this aspect of our culture. Codallo was keenly aware of the fact that West Indian folklore has a rich heritage and that legends surrounding the mythical characters of La Diablesse - the female devil, Soucouyants, Douens etc, never fail to stir the imagination. It was Alf himself who gave the name of Paul Carr Landeau (Polycar) as a man who delighted in telling tall stories in the open air of Tamarind Square in Port-of-Spain wherever he happened to be away from his occupation of a shipwright. Because of his talents, the Trinidad Publishing Company employed Codallo as a commercial artist. He also worked as a photographer, photo-engraver and lithographic artist. It is perhaps through these disciplines that he developed a keen eye for details and a flair for realistic repres' ition both in his graphics, and water-colour paintings. At one time in his career he became the Artistic Director of a leading advertising firm, and later on he "free-lanced" for various firms. Over many years Codallo received several important commissions such as a series of pen and ink drawings of the Folklore Characters and scenes of Old Time Trinidad as well as drawings of a few popular Folk Dances and village life. These are all reproduced in this book with appropriate texts designed to further develop an appreciation for the contribution of this outstanding artist of Trinidad and Tobago. Perhaps, with some degree of justification, one might conclude after studying these several reproduced works of Codallo, that he had been an introspective artist of visionary ideas. His creations have a metaphysiêal and mythological concept, each one showing a genuine power of characterisation. His drawings particularly have evolved a very developed idiom on the basis of a natural, indeed passionate, feelihg for the strength and power of the line on one hand, and dynamic form on the other. The combination of these elements have in no small measure contributed to his mastery of technique. Unfortunately, at the peak of his career he passed away, thus creating a void amongst the rank of established and practising artists which would be difficult to fill, for he had set standards through personal sacrifice and dedication to ideals which placed him apart as an artist of distinction. Holly Guyadeen
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born 1913, Arima
