Leon F Simeon is a Trinidad-born graphic designer, teacher, digital artist and photographer with an affinity for pan. Residing in America for the past 34 years, he returned home on July 14 to see his 94-year-old mother, and to stage an exhibition of his works in Port-of-Spain. Since migrating this is only his third visit to his homeland....
So, why Simeon’s preoccupation with pan?
“When I was doing my thesis at Lamar I chose pan. But, the professors were bemused and asked ‘what is pan?’ At first they rejected my suggestion saying that they didn’t know what pan was and would be unable to adjudicate on such a topic. I then did my thesis on ‘printing’, from Gutenburg to the digital era. I did nine pieces for my thesis. I showed one of the professors the history and technology behind the pan and they accepted them as photographic pieces but not as thesis material.
“I coined the phrase ‘Panology’. Panology I call ‘simeonistic expressionism’, my personal artistic concept. I am the first person to do this and it is how I express our national instrument. I am thinking of writing a book which I intend titling The Revolutionary Birth and Technological Growth of the Pan.”
Admitting to having a penchant to Witco Desperadoes, Simeon revealed that his wife, Kathleen, who played pan here, is an in-law of the late Rudolph Charles. He said: “I have always kept in touch with my roots while in the States. I am a member of When Steel Talks and my work is displayed on its Web site.”
http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2014-07-21/pan-lover-grows-tt-culture-houston
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