Haitian Artists Bring Garbage to Life

National Public Radio ^ | 5/24/05 | Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

[Republicanprofessor]

Using bits of garbage and flotsam and finding their roots in voodoo, poverty and the urban Haitian experience, a group of men in Port-au-Prince is pushing Haitian art's boundaries.

At the end of a twisting dirt alleyway crowded with tin shacks, a large metal man with hair made of shredded tires and feet of wheel spokes sits in a small clearing. According to its creator, who goes by the name Guyodo, he and other local artists are inspired by their daily surroundings.

"We use all that society throws away, all that is not going to be used again that we are bringing back to life," Guyodo says.

Sonny Valesco, a traditional woodcarver, says the street art has brought a measure of pride to the depressed area. "These guys are doing very good work," Valesco says. "They organized themselves and they are getting people to talk about the country and their artistic movement."

[Republicanprofessor]

I heard this on NPR on the evening commute home tonight. I knew that FReepers would love this art. There may be more on the audio at the NPR link.

[Republicanprofessor]

Art ping.

[Cagey]

Artist Richard Fleeger receives a check in the amount of $35,000 for his winning masterpiece, "NJ Meadowlands, Hill #237".

[SoDak]

We had a crazy neighbor on a neighboring farm that created this sort of 'art'. People would cross the street to avoid running into him.

[Joe 6-pack]

Many US Army MPs deployed to Guantanemo during the early 90's due to the mass exodus of Haitians, many of whom were given refuge at the Naval base. While I didn't deploy I knew quite a few soldiers who did. Some of them were astounded by a few Haitian artisans who would melt down brown MRE bags and other scraps of plastic into blocks and then make some of the most delicate carvings from it...

Sounds kind of campy, but I saw photos and some of these were quite impressive.

[edpc]

One man's junk is another man's........art?

That doesn't sound right.

[xJones]

Haitian Artists Bring Garbage to Life

More PC than zombies, I guess.

[Checkers]

This sounds like "Derelicte" from Zoolander.

[Republicanprofessor]

Many US Army MPs deployed to Guantanemo during the early 90's due to the mass exodus of Haitians, many of whom were given refuge at the Naval base. While I didn't deploy I knew quite a few soldiers who did. Some of them were astounded by a few Haitian artisans who would melt down brown MRE bags and other scraps of plastic into blocks and then make some of the most delicate carvings from it...

Sounds kind of campy, but I saw photos and some of these were quite impressive.

Your post reminds me of some great Day of the Dead sculpture that I saw from Mexico. There is quite a bit of this "untrained" art that is very moving.

I tried to find better pictures of the Day of the Dead work, what you suggested and other Haitian sculpture. Maybe someone else will have better luck than I.

[Sabatier]

Some of this art is ingenious. It resembles early American folk art, which is very charming, and very valuable.
There's a school of art called "outsider" because the artists are self-taught. Often their work is way, way better than that produced in the New York scene, where everyone is trying too hard to be "cool".

[Republicanprofessor]

Yes, outsider art is awesome. There's a man whose work was at the Smithsonian, but his name escapes me now. He did a huge installation with either aluminium foil or the wrappings from gum.

Can anyone help me with his name?

Many of these outsider artists are from the stix in the south, and many are African American. They have great personal power and individual styles, perhaps because they are away from the big city art scene.

[reformedliberal]

I own a lovely little metal sculpture of a chameleon made from an olive oil tin. The can is mainly green w/red and yellow areas used to great effect as the lizard's markings. It was made by someone in South Africa. I have seen fantastic little cars and planes made from scrap and junk that the children there make for themselves as toys and a wonderful hippo made from many, many feet of brake cable.

These pieces, IMO, go beyond outsider art and evince advanced aesthetic sensibilities. Nothing is awkward. While realistic, they are still quite sophisticated, in the same way prehistoric cave art is sophisticated: elements that are simply suggested with an economy of line or volume that is breathtaking.

While not a great fan of most outsider art, these South African pieces are ones I love and I covet the ones I don't have.

[Sam Cree]

Art ping.

Let me know if you want on or off of the art ping list.