Details, details

September 20, 2012

What speaks to you when you look at art?  Is it the medium?  Is it the design?  Is it shape or color or pattern?  All of those elements play their part, to be sure.  Still, my guess is that when you look at a piece of art, whether it’s a 17^th century painting by Jan Vermeer, or a contemporary piece of glasswork by Dale Chihuly, or a piece of Haitian folk art by Jean Eugene Remy, it is the details that draw you in.

Take for example this one-of-a-kind piece. Jean Eugene has whimsically imagined this bus going to market.  Unencumbered by proportion, the round bus goes bumping through the countryside, dodging low-flying birds.  The youth riding on top points the way as he reclines against a box and a 3-D basket containing a chicken and various produce.  The dimensional effect of the basket is achieved by cutting the contents backwards as a side piece and then bending the metal tightly behind the slitted, concave basket. A little bit more time spent in execution, but the result is good visual impact.  A fine detail

Look again.  Notice that all of the passengers vary somewhat.  Different hats, different clothing, different fullness in the face, longer hair, shorter hair.  Individual characteristics that give the riders character.  Clones don’t ride the bus, people do.  Details.

And the bus itself. Notice how small caps have been hand-riveted on the front end as headlights.  Clever.  The wheels, however, are the coup d’grace.  They revisit vintage wire wheel hubcaps on Corvettes and Cadillacs, 1968-1982.  (Yes, I looked it up, and by-the-way, you can find them on ebay for about $1250, if you’re in the market.) Jean Eugene innovatively uses spout caps and rivets and wire hooks, which are bent one at a time to create each spoke. Fifty-seven in the back and sixty-three in the front. Talk about detail!

This kind of craftsmanship is not unique to one artist alone, though Jean Eugene does raise the bar.  Bicycle chain, metal tubes, coins, spikes and more have been utilized with good effect as design elements in Haitian metal sculpture across the board.  Next time you look, really look.  The more you see, the more you will appreciate.  It’s in the details.

Adding to the stack on your night stand

September 11, 2012

Book report time!  Anyone?  Ok, I’ll go first.  I’m reading a new book by Paul Farmer, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  In 1987, Dr. Farmer, along with several colleagues, founded Partners in Health, an organization dedicated to serving the health care needs of the poorest of the poor.  He has worked tirelessly as an advocate for health services as a basic human right and has actively promoted and provided health care in Haiti for decades. His latest book, “Haiti after the Earthquake” gives a superb account of the situation in pre-quake Haiti, the cataclysmic event itself, and the aftermath.  Most valuably, Dr. Farmer gives a forthright assessment of what went right and what has failed in the international attempt to help Haiti “build back better.”

Admittedly, this is not a light read.  Having said that, however, it is very readable.  As brilliant an academic as he is, and as complicated as the problems are, Farmer’s presentation is accessible.  Moreover, it is important.  When Haiti was struck by the 2010 earthquake, the public response for emergency and restoration funding was tremendous.  $10 billion dollars were pledged!  How that money has been spent, how it has been useful, and how it has been wasted is invaluable information when it comes to understanding disaster relief, if for no other reason than helping us to decide where and how to contribute next time the coffers are rolled out.

One of the biggest points that Farmer makes, or at least the one that resonates most with me, is the importance of working with – and within – the established system, in this case, the government of Haiti.  Say what you will about corruption, feebleness, inefficiency, and/or historical ineffectiveness, in Haiti or anywhere. A national government is the only entity with a mandate to serve all of the people. Within the system of government, systemic problems, such as poor water supply, insufficient energy and transportation, inequitable education opportunities, and inadequate public health services can be addressed and ultimately resolved. NGOs of course, OF COURSE, have their place, but coordination of their efforts through the framework of government must be part of the equation.

In Haiti, relief and reconstruction have been slow in part because the framework of government there was already in a weak state before the quake.  It had shown itself to be ill-equipped to handle matters on a good day, let alone in a time of catastrophe. Nevertheless, Farmer maintains that in order to “build back better,” it will be necessary to build and strengthen the government concurrently with other broken items on the list.  Not by building the government and its systems for the Haitians, but by empowering her citizens and enabling them to participate in the process.  One of the more innovative ideas in the reconstruction effort has been to go out into the villages of the hinterlands and ask the people what their priorities are for their country.  Can you believe it?  That was a novel concept – no one had bothered to ask them before!

I could go on and on.  “Haiti after the Earthquake” is thoughtful, challenging, and ultimately hopeful. It is unpretentious, not claiming to have all of the answers, but making it possible believe that there are answers to be found.  It may not be the last word on disaster and recovery, but it is an excellent first place to start.

Helpful Hints for Sculpture Maintenance and Better Living

September 5, 2012

People who buy metal sculptures for the first time often ask:  “Is there any care and upkeep involved with this?” Reasonable to wonder, heaven knows.  We advertise that they are perfectly suitable indoors and out, but it’s obvious to anyone that’s left their bicycle out in the rain or forgotten garden tools by the sprinkler head that metal will, of course rust. Surface scratching can also occur, for instance if you are storing or stacking pieces. However, neither rust nor scratches are anything that a little clear coat application can’t correct with good result.

In fact, the artists in Haiti finish each piece in their workshops by painting on a clear enamel coating and allowing it to dry in the warm Caribbean sunshine.  We touch them up again in the warehouse before they are shipped out to our customers.  Though we’ve experimented with many different products, we’ve found that the spray-on clear coat, such as you can buy from Ace Hardware for

for about $4.89 is very satisfactory for that purpose.

Though I can’t say with any great precision, I think I’ve spray coated about 200-300 recycled metal folk art sculptures from Haiti in my time.  Most were in preparation for retail and trade shows, but admittedly, some from my own collection at home have needed a little “touching up” here and there. Thus, I will tell you that it is a quick and easy fix that I’ve accomplished many times.  It’s also one I’ve botched up with a recklessness that has bordered on remarkable.

There was the time that I grabbed the black spray-on enamel instead of clear out of the tool shed and used it to touch up the face of a mermaid.  I didn’t even notice ‘til I hung her up with two others that something wasn’t quite right. (Note for future reference:  the color of the cap is the color of the spray.) Then there was the time that I sprayed a sunface just as the first drops of a torrential rain began to fall, resulting in a splotch effect most unbecoming.  Oh, and  another time I got distracted by a bee and sprayed so much on the metal that it appeared as though I was going about rust-prevention with creamy vanilla frosting.

So, not that this would EVER happen to you, but if it did, do not despair. In each case, I waited until the misapplication had dried completely.  Then, using first medium-coarse sandpaper and then a fine steel-wool, I removed the black/splotched/excessive coat.  Finally, exercising a careful assessment of the cap color, the likelihood of imminent cloudburst, and localized bee activity, I proceed as directed on the label of the can. Quite simple, really.

Sometimes I feel as though I live my life as a warning to others.  I don’t mean to, actually, but if it helps, you’re welcome.

A Hedonist’s Guide to Art Acquisition

August 29, 2012

This is just my opinion, mind you, and maybe it’s really just me.  But I think art acquisition ranks right up there with food and sex in terms of hedonistic drives. Anybody else?  So why is that?  What triggers that first impulse to buy art?  And then what makes us feel compelled to buy more?  When does the act of purchasing a single piece of art become a full-on libertine pursuit? And if we are so driven, how do we pursue it as gourmands, and not gluttons?

Perhaps the first and most important consideration regarding the purchase of any artwork for collection is its overall aesthetic appeal. The “experts” say that, “A piece of high-caliber art will harmoniously orchestrate the aesthetic qualities of line, tone, color, shape, space, texture, etc. These elements will work in synchrony to maximize the descriptive, emotive, and spiritual effect upon the viewer. Hence, the piece becomes a visual symphony that informs, challenges, and engages the viewer long after the initial response.” And what, in blue blazes does that mean?  Taken down to their most basic form, these criteria are the heart of any decision for purchase.  Simply put: “Do I like it?  Is it pleasing to me?” If the answer is yes, the piece has potential.

Evaluating the technical aspects: i.e. the “line and tone” and “harmonious orchestration” of the piece takes a little homework, though you’ll get better as you go along. Talk to people who know the art.  Let them help you develop your eye for “line and tone” and so on.  Casey Riddell comes to mind for Haitian metal sculpture.  This is her business website, to be sure, but take advantage of her wealth of knowledge, if Haitian art is what you’re into. Good, reputable art dealers – and Casey is one of them – is happy to inform and instruct prospective collectors in evaluating the merits of a particular piece.  They can help you “see what you’re looking at,” so to speak.

By all means, visit art galleries and museums, too. Join art societies and mingle with other collectors and experts in your area of interest. (The Haitian Art Society might be one for you.  www.haitianartsociety.com) Check out books and other references, explore every avenue open to you. The more you learn and develop your eye, the better you will become in assessing aesthetic components and their relation to the whole.  When you become familiar with the best examples of a particular type of art, you’ll know how your potential acquisition stacks up.

The corollary to this is: Buy the finest artwork that you can afford.  Let’s break that down.  “Buy the finest…” Certainly! Buying something that is “pretty good” that you “kind of like” won’t give you pleasure in the long run.  You’ll end up wishing you hadn’t settled and the piece will not take its place amongst your treasured collection, it will end up in a garage sale. The second part, “…that you can afford,” is good common sense.  Don’t break the bank.   Not even if you are tempted.   That won’t give you pleasure in the long run either.

And we are back to the original idea.  Do you like it?  Does it give you pleasure? For that is the joy of collecting; to look at your pieces, remembering the where and the when, the knowledge gained, deal struck, and the thrill of the hunt.  Oh yes, there can be more to it than pleasure.  Much more.  But that is where it starts.

Double Trouble and The Marassa Twins

August 21, 2012

When a sculpture is selected to be sold in the Beyond Borders catalogue or on our website, we photograph it, give it an inventory number, and a name.  This one, for what may be obvious reasons, we chose to name “Double Trouble.” The impish looks on these faces, the hair standing on end, the shape of the mouths – all of that said, “Uh-oh” to us.  “Double Trouble,” absolutely.  It’s cute, it’s catchy.  Maybe someone with twins will buy it.

Well, it turns out that twins is exactly what the sculptor, Orelien Romaire had in mind when he created this piece.  But in his culture, images of twins do not symbolize cute and catchy “Double Trouble” at all.  In traditional Haitian belief, twins are Twins.  The powerful loa, Marassa Dossous Dossa, is a plural spirit representing blessings, abundance, the gift of children, the sacredness of family, and the divine. The Marassa Twins are invoked in very serious matters, and especially in the case of the mortal illness of a child.

These traditions of loa spirit veneration were brought to Haiti during the colonial period by the native Africans that were enslaved to work the French sugar plantations.  The Africans tried to keep their religious culture intact, but the French slave owners forbade the practice of any religion other than Catholicism. Period.  Attempts at any other form of worship were punished severely.

To get around the French, then, the slave population adopted a means of correlating their own deities with Catholic saints.  Catholic iconography was thereby appropriated and the The Marassa Twins came to be symbolized by Saints Cosmas and Damian, twin brothers who lived in what is now Turkey and were martyred in 297 A.D. by the Roman emperor Diocletian.

There, the similarities start to diverge.  Cosmas and Damian were physicians and standard-bearers of the early Christian Church.  Today, they are recognized as the patron saints of doctors, veterinarians, children, orphanages, confectionaires, and daycare centers and are invoked in prayer against hernias and the plague. However, there is a rather ironic footnote to add.  To have been canonized, of course, saints must have performed miracles.  The twins, Saints Cosmas and Damian performed a miracle of healing:  They successfully grafted the leg of a recently dead black man onto a disabled white man, who was thus able to walk again.

I wonder how the French slave holders felt about that…

Standing in Canada with Haiti on My Mind

August 15, 2012

Summertime is vacation time for many of us, and as my family lives in a place to which people escape winter’s wrath, it’s probably no surprise that we chose to migrate northward as the summer’s heat became too intense for general tolerance. We set off for Victoria, British Columbia but, of all things, by the second day there, I was reminded of Haiti.

Haiti? You would think that about all Victoria and Haiti have in common is that they are on islands and that the residents speak some French.  But on an early morning stroll among the float homes on the Inner Harbor, I spied a fish sculpture by Guy Duval and instantly, my mind wandered back to his workshop in Croix-des- Bouquets. Guy is a remarkably talented person that takes great pride in his work.  I thought how pleased he would be to see his art so perfectly set in this beautiful place. It tickled me later when I re-read the letter he wrote to Beyond Borders accompanying a sample of this very design.  He said, “I take this moment extraordinary to introduce to you my model of fish. I think you and your friends are going to like it very much.” He was so right! Haitian art is as perfectly at home at the beach on the Caribbean Sea as it is along the Straits of San Juan in the North Pacific.

After our quayside amble, we hopped on an excursion bus and headed north from Victoria to nearby Buchart Gardens, a glorious 55- acre spread of botanical extravagance that receives upwards of 1 million visitors annually.  The Gardens are the result of great vision on the part of Jennie Buchart, who, in 1904 sought to restore the site of an old quarry after it had been depleted of its limestone. Even on an afternoon when the coastal fog had been slow to dissipate, The Gardens were a photographic wonderland.  Everywhere I turned there were marvels of color and delicacy to behold.

And I thought again of Haitian sculptors, this time, Jimmy Prophet and Willie Juiene, whose artful eyes and exacting hands re-fashion Nature’s work so elegantly in steel. The monochrome of the metal they work focusses one’s attention to form and line, and emphasizes the refined precision of the artists’ touch. These men have never seen Buchart Gardens nor are they likely to, but flowers and trees that serve as their inspiration are miracles of design no matter where they bloom and flourish.  In Haiti, as in Canada, the miracle is the same.

Haiti’s Olympic Team Competes for Hope and Pride

August 7, 2012

Poor countries have a generally have tough time in Olympic competition.  There are exceptions, of course, but the powerhouses generally are big countries with big populations and big budgets for international athletics.  In this year’s Olympics, it is not surprising that the greatest number of medals is currently around the necks of athletes from United States and China.  Yet the athletes of smaller countries compete fiercely and with pride, doing their best to bring honor and glory to their respective homelands in the name of sport.

Representing Haiti in the 2012 London Olympics are five athletes competing in six events. Three are men, two are women. Four are runners.  But only one, Lineouse Desravine, a judoka, is actually from Haiti.  The rest are products of the Haitian diaspora, running in the name of a country for which they have only a connection of heartstrings.  They are in London essentially on their own, yet they are emotionally attached and very close as a team.

Born in New York of Haitian parents that migrated to the United States, triple-jumper Samyr Laine describes the hurdles to be cleared by aspiring Haitian Olympians: “Haiti’s last Olympic medal was earned by Silvio Cator in Amsterdam in 1928. Its current budget for sponsoring athletes is $400,000, compared with, say, the United States, which spent $170 million. It just doesn’t have any resources and, from my perspective, bureaucracy actually works to hinder the athletes.  Then there’s the damage sustained by the earthquake.   Three of the nation’s five very, very basic tracks are still being utilized as sites for temporary housing.  In short, you pretty much have to be self-motivated.”

So why do they do it?  Well the first and most obvious answer is for the opportunity to compete with world-class athletes on an international stage.  Haiti’s team is composed of good athletes, no question, that have worked very hard to get to London, in terms of training and physical conditioning but also in amassing the requisite backing, both governmental and financial.  As of this writing, however, the judoka, Lineouse Desravine, 800m runner Moise Joseph, 110m hurdler Jeffry Julmis, 200 and 400m runner Marlena Wesh have all been eliminated in the first or second rounds.  Only Laine remains.

Perhaps it is not the hardware that drives the Haitian team.  It is the possibility.  It is the chance to give their country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, something to cheer about.

Something to take pride in. As Laine says, “If we did win a medal, I know that the entire country and the Haitian diaspora, and people on the island itself, they would just be elated. Even without the earthquake from two years ago, it would still be a big deal to give people their hope.  As athletes, we realize that this is a way for us to use sport to inspire others to rebuild the country, to do great things,” Give hope its wings – Jump, Samyr, JUMP!

Stellar Shigras

July 31, 2012

Andean textiles have the longest historical record in the world, with scholarly estimates dating them back to 3000 B.C.

 One marvelous example, still being woven today in the highlands of Ecuador is the shigra. Traditionally utilitarian, shigras were carried to market as produce bags or in the high Andean fields as seed bags for planting. It has been theorized that shigras were originally woven in standard sizes and used for measuring and carrying seed units. While still in agricultural use in remote areas, shigras have recently taken their place in the world market as a fashion accessory.This shigra is particularly valuable, both because of its size and because of the pictoral as well as geometric aspects of its design.

Despite their emergence on the contemporary style scene, the method of producing shigras has changed little since ancient Incan days.  Leaves from the succulent plant known variously as cabuya, penca, fique, or maguey (similar to agave) are harvested and cut into slender strips.  Next, they are soaked for a period of 15 days to separate the pulp from the fibers.  Once they are separated and dried, the fibers are cut int

o fine strands and dyed.  Originally, vegetal dyes were used, but as they are not colorfast, aniline dyes have largely replaced them.  The colored fibers are then wound onto spindles and from there, the weaving begins.

Starting at the base, the weaver – who is almost always female – uses a blunt needle and begins a looping sequence rather like crocheting.  Round and round she goes in an ever-widening circle, eventually forming the seamless bag.  She will create wonderful patterns of color as she works her way through the piece.  Prior to 1970, human and animal forms were very typical, though those are rarely seen now, having

given way to a trend of geometric shapes.  The finished bag will have two long, braided, cross-body fiber straps.

That’s how mine looked, the day it was given to me. A beautiful shigra with bold geometric patterns, animals, trees, numbers, and letters in pink, red,orange, brown and black and two long fiber straps. Two days later, however, it had been altered by my dog, who decided to add a little fiber to her diet, I guess.  She had a mouthful and my straps were a tattered mess. I said, “Oh no, no, no, you naughty Little Darling,” or maybe something a tiny bit stronger, and saved what I could.   I retied the ends and that worked well enough for a while, but admittedly, they were a little short. Eventually I replaced them entirely with leather.  This was at no small expense, but in all honesty, I think it was worth the price. The new handles nicely preserve the integrity of my shigra and I happily carry a fantastically functional and fashionable Andean textile everywhere I go. My basset hound too, is pleased with my shigra’s stylish utility and she is very glad she didn’t eat the whole thing after all.

Maybe Coke holds the key to HIV/AIDS solutions in Haiti

July 27, 2012

Haiti is inspirational.  It’s colorful and it’s filled with amazing people that possess incredible vibrancy and joy of spirit. Their ability to produce wonderful art, to continually create and re-create and innovate is a phenomenal.  But it’s a tough, tough place. That’s why, no matter how tired we are of hearing about suffering and hardship and chaos and disaster, we have to listen and confront the realities of those who struggle just to survive from one day to the next in Haiti and elsewhere around the globe.

Confront the reality of HIV/AIDS, for instance. Since the International HIV/AIDS Conference is being held July 22-27 in Washington, D.C, it seems timely to do so. Worldwide, tremendous strides have been made in the fight against the disease, with 22 countries seeing a 25 percent or MORE drop in incidence of new infections over the past decade.  However, in Haiti in 2010 (the most current figures available) HIV/AIDS was shown to be present in 1.9 percent of the population, more than double the global average rate. That percentage may seem small, but it represents 120,000 individuals.  One in ten of those individuals is a child.

The aftermath of the earthquake has compounded the problem tremendously.  Population displacement and the nearly complete breakdown of infrastructure have limited access to the anti-retroviral drugs necessary for survival.  According to last year’s UNAIDS report, Haiti’s own Ministry of Health estimated that fewer than 40 of those suffering from HIV/AIDS have access to treatment.  While it is unclear whether anti-retroviral therapy can actually help slow the spread of the disease, there are indications that it might.  At the very least, it eases the suffering of those afflicted when administered on a consistent basis. By the way, that means administration on a consistent basis FOR LIFE.

Just about every source out there, from the World Health Organization to the Global Fund to the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief acknowledges that increasing access is the first and biggest step on the path to conquering the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  An intriguing pilot program that has met with early and somewhat surprising success is beautiful in its simplicity.  Dr. Christophe Benn, Global Fund’s Director of Resource Mobilization and Donor Relations noticed that there were Coca-Cola bottles in the most remote villages of Tanzania.  He thought, if Coke can get their product out here, why can’t we get medicine out here too?  Thus The Global Fund forged within the past year, a partnership between Coca-Cola, Accenture, and the Tanzanian government to improve the supply chain from end to end.  Though the program is still in its infancy, it holds great promise.

As Dr. Benn noted, there are great similarities between the problems in Tanzania and those in the rest of the developing world. He believes that if the problem of access can be solved in Tanzania, the solution can be exported to other places in need. Places perhaps like Haiti.

(To learn more, watch the video explaining the program at http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/blog/29348/ )

Santa Fe Folk Art Market 2012 – After Action Report

July 16, 2012

So how was it?  Being there for the dual purposes of A) supporting the worthy goals of the Market and B) personal acquisition, I can tell you without reservation, it was GREAT!  The high quality of the art and the variety of goods available is incredible.  Plus, it’s such a treat – not to mention an education – to meet the artists.  In many cases, there is the additional opportunity to see them demonstrate their craft.  Throw in the chance to participate in an event that last year generated $17,300/booth for the artists to take home to their families and communities and WOW, you’ve got plenty to feel good about.

The Market organizers said that there were more than 150 participating artists, including 60 newcomers, this year from 54 different countries. In real terms, that meant I saw many of my old favorites and met a few new ones.  Among those I was particularly excited about was not entirely new, just new to me.  Cuban painter and wood-block printer, Roberto Domingo Gil Esteban was delightful.  His paintings are bright and cheerful and beautifully executed, but it was his woodblock prints that I couldn’t walk away from.  The one that I seized upon is of two roosters contemplating an egg and the title of it is “Paternity?”  Too funny!  My original thought was that it could go to a friend of mine for Christmas.  She’s a great collector and has been wanting a piece of Cuban folk art for some time.  Wouldn’t that be nice of me?  Problem is, I don’t know if I am indeed nice enough to give it up, worthy though she is.

Oh, and there was so much more!  It’s hard not to gush and get all frothy.  There were Tibetan puppets and Uzbek ceramics and Peruvian textiles that I was mad for, but for every visitor, there is undoubtedly a different list of favorite things.  Which is kind of the beauty of it all.

NEXT TIME – for this has become a July tradition for me ranking right up there with fireworks on the Fourth – I will definitely purchase the early admission tickets again, if not go to the Market Opening Party on Friday night.  You pay more for these – in the case of the Opening Party, quite a lot more.  However, with the Market’s increasing popularity has come increasing crowds.  That’s good in the Big Picture, but from a shopping standpoint, this means that by 10:00 and lasting until about 4:00 on Saturday, the booths do become quite congested.   From 4:00 until closing time at 6:00, it slows down and the tents become more navigable once again. Sunday, the second and final day, gets pretty reasonable after lunch, ” they say.”  The risk there is that many of the “goodest goods” are long gone.  Who wants to be saying “Coulda…shoulda…woulda,” at the end of the Market and still have money left in their pocket, begging to be spent?  Not ME!