September 13 through October 18th, 2008
The Edward Thorp Gallery will present a comprehensive survey of Haitian Painting. This will be the gallery’s second exhibition of Haitian Art.
This exhibit will focus exclusively on the paintings of some of the most renowned Haitian artists known for their originality and mastery of their medium. Trained and self-taught artists will be represented with works from the mid -40s to the mid -80s. Despite their familiarity to the most avid collectors of Haitian Art these artists remain underexposed and underappreciated.
Haitian painting began to receive worldwide attention in the early 1940s when Le Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince helped galvanize a fever for expression that was independently taking hold in individual artists. Haitian painters represent their everyday lives as mediated and controlled by Vodou saints and rituals. These paintings are narrative depictions of the rich yet turbulent ways of Haitian life. They utilize an intuitive approach to color, composition and draftsmanship: vibrant color, a strong graphic sense and pervasive spirituality.
Vodou’s popular appeal in Haiti finds expression in the social, political and private realms, it coexists with a prevailing Catholicism. The tumultuous history and political instability of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere is the backdrop to the creation of these amazingly expressive works.
What was once France’s richest colony today has become one of the world’s poorest nations, hindered by dictatorships, depleted natural resources and overwhelming spiritual darkness. It is against all odds it seems that such a resilient and potent expression of Haitian life and spirit can prevail.
Artists to be included are Prefete Duffaut, Edger Jean- Baptiste, Seneque Obin, Wilson Bigaud, Hector Hyppolite, and Fernand Pierre among many others.
The gallery would like to thank Jonathan Demme and Pebo Voss for their collaboration and assistance.