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 Haiti Art Show and 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

Liza J. Lee is the Co-founder and Blogger for Artistrun ArtConverge.

© 2010 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273‏)

Name: Email:

With the January 12, 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti, greater awareness of its arts and culture has been raised, as well as great continued need for relief around the world. Brilliant colors ranging from foods, vegetable markets and landscapes characterize much of the folk art from Haiti. Decorative design themes bring in story-telling, oral history, music and dance as well as the deep sea and stars in the night sky. Also, “Haitian Steel Drum Sculpture” made from recycled oil drums provide sustainable incomes for families and their communities. Dr. Lycia Trouton provides an in-depth look into this unique Haitian art, crafitivism made from oil barrels.

According to research by Actuary Gail E. Tverberg, “Haiti consumes 12,000 barrels of oil a day in 2008, all of which is imported—[There is] no natural gas or coal…” Craftivism art is made out of these same barrels, which would otherwise be lying around in landfills!

“Haiti’s per capita energy consumption is about one fifth as much as India’s and about 1/17 as much as China’s. It is about 1/22 as much as the world average… Unlike the world, Haiti’s per capita electricity consumption has not been growing. Its per capita electrical consumption is now less than half of the level it was in the mid 1980s.” Tvergerg, January 2010, from 1980 – 2006 statistics, based on the E.I.A’s International Energy Statistics.

How are the oil drums made into art?

These discarded steel drum are ecologically recycled to create craftivism art creations: wonderful artistic circular design-cut-outs, such as you see here in this photo. For example, in 1990, a multinational group of entrepreneurs and Caribbean craftivist art movement, calling themselves “Drexco”, has promoted this artistic tradition. In the process they are helping make more career options for Haitians living in poverty, with few work options, let alone artistic ‘quality-of-life’ luxuries! Our readers might consider buying one of these circular Haitian craftivist designs in the aftermath of The Quake, to help re-build the lives of artists there.

The drums are burnt to get rid of any residue, then the rounded end or cylindrical long sheet part of the barrel are hammered flat and, finally, a design is hand-drawn and then cut and chiseled and hammered out fully.

This “folk” art seems to be made by both men and women, and it emerged during the mid-1900s. It was attributed to a Croix-des-Bouquets blacksmith-for-graveside crosses, Georges Liautaud. An international artist-entrepreneur DeWitt Peters opened a Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince with local blacksmith Liautaud and a small group of craftivist sculptors. Croix-des-Bouquets has since become known as a creative center for Haiti sculpture and craftivism. Later this type of artwork become popular, globally, through web-based sales, since the advent of the high-speed internet and e-social networking.

In conclusion, artistrun.org advocates helping Haitians in their time of greatest need and commemorating this difficult period with an oil drum craftivist artwork. This art is ideal for hanging outdoors on your patio. Just be sure to varnish them annually.

As well, you might consider how:

“Other supplemental approaches for employment and fuel /electricity [can help Haiti:] Solar ovens …so as to cut back on the need for wood or charcoal for cooking. Perhaps some donations of solar PV would help”, such as providing charging for cell phones (Tverberg 2010). Additionally, artistrun.org is a co-promoter for the upcoming “One World Haiti Art Show and Fundraiser”:

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 Haiti Art Show and 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/REFERENCES:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6168 and http://gailtheactuary.wordpress.com/ accessed March 4 2010
http://www.buydominica.com/Haitian-Steel-Drum-Art-From-Discarded-Metal-a604.html © 2008 This Site is Designed, Developed and Promoted by HUNTSVILLE Web Design, accessed March 4 2010
http://haitiansteeldrums.com/13/angel-trumpet-duet-haitian-steel-drum-wall-art-34-x-34/ accessed March 4 2010
http://ethnicarts.com/metal-haitian-steel-drum-cutouts-c-11_37 accessed March 4 2010
http://giftsoflife.org/recycled_steel_drum_art_from_haiti.html accessed March 4 2010

According to Dr. Lycia Trouton, this article does not adhere to academic standards of integrity and she means this article as a public relations note only for artistrun.org, March 2010. It is not intended for copy other than for artistrun.org et. al. charity fundraising purposes.

Dr. Lycia Trouton (b. Belfast) is a sculptor, arts interviewer/presenter-writer/critic and educator. She works internationally. By 1991, at age 24, she had obtained her MFA in sculpture at one of the top graduate schools in the USA, Cranbrook (est. 1932), cited by the New York Times magazine as having a profound effect “on the physical environment of this country…Cranbrook, surely more than any other institution, has a right to think of itself as synonymous with contemporary American design (Goldberger, P. 1984)”. After a decade of working as a site-sculptor and educator in N. America, she migrated to Australia, obtaining her Doctorate in 2006. She was then was selected to train as a TV presenter-interviewer at the infamous National Academy of Dramatic Arts (N.I.D.A.) in Sydney. Trouton’s regional radio arts program, ”Kick in the Arts!” will air on 103.7 City Park Radio, Launceston in April.

Dr. Lycia Trouton is Head of Art and Design Theory, School of Visual and Performing Arts (SPVA), University of Tasmania (UTAS).

Dr. Lycia Trouton www.smartcraftivism.com www.speakercontemporaryart.com
http://www.acadarts.utas.edu.au/?q=node/176

Liza J. Lee is the Co-founder and Blogger for Artistrun ArtConverge.

© 2010 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273‏)

Name: Email: