2 cols.

A beaded flag that originated as a part of the voodoo ceremony and is now collected as art.

3-16

BEYOND VOODOO: ART FROM HAITI W/1 cut

set 3-6; AK; #69184

 

NEW LONDON, CONN. — A great deal of Haitian art is imbedded with the symbols of voodoo; most specifically, the beaded “flags” that originated as elements of the ceremony, but have now become independent works of art. “Beyond Voodoo: Art from Haiti” at the Alva Gallery through April 28 is an exploration Haitian art today.

It includes colorful beaded voodoo flags and paintings by third generation Saint-Soleil school artists — works filled with fanciful renditions of flora, fauna and faces; there are poetic depictions of Haitian life and darker, more abstract, works and many pieces of cut metal and sculptures.

It would have been possible to find much of this work in the galleries of Port-au-Prince, but most came from visiting the artists in the hills above the city. It was gathered from tiny roadside studios, as well as the homes of artists, such as a tiny, dark house that belonged to one of the recently deceased founders of the Saint-Soleil movement. More pieces were found at the site where the Saint-Soleil movement began, where murals still adorn the walls of a gated, disintegrating house.

Another artist was found down a dirt path, living in a decomposing RV, where the work was shown by a practically toothless old man. More work could be seen in a three-story house, practically devoid of furniture, with paintings spread throughout all of the rooms and halls of the top floor — the current work of a prolific young artist. The final stop was in Croix des Bouquets, whose dusty dirt streets ring with the pounding of hammers on metal and are lined with small ateliers.

In looking at this work, it is important to remember that there are no art schools in Haiti, and little formal education for much of the population. Materials are extremely hard to come by; art galleries are few and art patrons still fewer. Yet the art thrives.

Alva Gallery, 54 State Street, will host reception and gallery talk at 5:30 pm Saturday, March 24. The public is invited.

For information or images, www.alvagallery.com or 860-437-8664.