Haitian Craftivist Art with Voudou Flags – by Liza J. Lee
At first impression, Haitian art appears as Folk Art and Naïve Art, but if you look beyond what appears on the surface of the canvas as simple and bright images of food, markets and landscapes, you will discover the nuances the artist intends with minute details or transformations of simple shapes and color into the Haitian story-telling tradition.
In a country of political oppression, artists paint in fable where people are disguised as animals and animals are transformed into people. In an illiterate land, symbols take on great meaning. For example, a rooster often represents Aristide and the red and blue colors of the Haitian flag often represent his Lavalas party. Haiti is a nation with strong African contributions to the culture as well as its language, music and religion. French, Spanish, and to a lesser extent Taino and Arab customs are also present.
With “Haitian Steel Drum Sculpture”, the artisans of Croix des Bouquets are a miracle in the midst of extreme poverty in Haiti. They create beautiful art out of recycled oil drums and provide sustainable incomes for their families and the community. Much of the Haitian steel drum sculptures is outside of mainstream art and references the “Outsider Art” movement, as only a handful of collectors are aware of this unique Haitian art form. Dr. Lycia Trouton has researched and written an article on Haitian steel scultures called “Craftivist Art From Oil Barrels”.
Haitian Voodoo Flags are also a form of Folk Art. The sequin-covered Drapo Vodou or “Voodoo Flag” are derived from the practice of the Vodou religion, a syncretism of traditional African religions brought to Haiti by slaves, with the Catholicism of their former masters. These banners are traditionally the work of practicing Vodou priests and their followers. Each flag depicts the vévé symbol or image of the loa to which it is devoted. Made of shiny silk fabrics, each banner typically contains 18,000 to 20,000 sequins and may take ten days to complete. (image below)
Folk Art, Naïve Art and Outsider Art Defined
Folk Art and Naïve Art both include untrained artists. However, unlike Folk artists, Naïve artists aspire to High Art status and interact with the mainstream art world. Naïve Art is characterized by a childlike simplicity and has become an acceptable art style of artists who did not receive formal education in an art school or academy, such as Henri Rousseau. ‘Pseudo naïve’ or ‘faux naïve’ art describes the work of an artist imitating Naïve Art.
The difference between Folk Art and Outsider Art is that Folk Art typically embodies traditional forms and social values of an indigenous culture, where Outsider Art has a marginal relationship to society’s mainstream. Folk artists produce art works with little or no academic artistic training, nor a desire to emulate High Art. Along with painting, sculpture, and other decorative forms, costumes are also included under Folk Art.
Outsider Art has emerged as a successful marketing category since the Nineties. The annual Outsider Art Fair for “self taught, visionary and outsider art” has taken place in New York since 1992; I visited the Outsider Art Fair in 2000 to see an international audience appreciating wide range of Outsider Art, from authentic folk art to emulated Naïve Art and particularly to see pieces from William Hawkins, whose paintings are now represented in the Museum of American Folk Art and the High Museum of Art.
Outsider Art was coined by Roger Cardinal, an art critic in 1972 described Jean Dubuffet’s “Art Brut” as art that rejects contemporary art values. Dubuffet championed the art of the insane and artists in the margins of society as examples of avant-garde art challenging established contemporary art practices.
One World Haiti Fundraiser at Science World May 1
Greater Vancouver area artists are invited for submission in a large-scale group exhibit with 60 artists held May 1, 2010 called One World Art Show and Haiti Fundraiser. Artists who are interested in promoting their photography , painting, sculptures, or any other visual mediums are welcome to apply. The event is a partial fundraiser for Haiti relief funds and will be held at Science World in Vancouver, BC. Artists will have the opportunity to show and sell work to a large audience and be a part of helping those struck by the disaster in Haiti.
For more information on One World, visit http://artistrun.org/2010/03/02/haiti/
ENDNOTES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_art
http://www.sanangelfolkart.com/haitianflag/index.htm
http://www.artshaitian.com/Pages/flags.html
© 2010 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273)
Tags: folk art, Liza J. Lee, naive art, one world haiti fundraiser, outsider art, voudou flags