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Joseph
This artist, who goes only by the name Joseph, is a contemporary Haitian artist of the “naif,” or naive school of art. Haitian art has a rich history and a number of styles of art, but it is known as one of the world’s biggest producers of high-quality naive art. Haiti, a tiny island in the Caribbean, has majestic mountains that look down on sandy beaches with palm trees and green valleys dotted with bright hibiscus flowers. What it doesn’t have is tourists. The reason this potential tropical paradise has few tourists is its tragic, turbulent history of abuse, bloodshed, power, and greed.(www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) In December of 1492, when Christopher Columbus landed on the island, the native Arawak Indians called it “Hayti,” or mountainous land. The Spaniards’ imperialistic ideology dictated that they use and abuse the Arawaks nearly to the point of extinction. Because Haiti has fertile soil and a strategic position, it was sought after by Britain, France, and Spain, becoming a French colony in the middle of the 17th century. (www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) Although Haiti flourished under the French—Haiti became invaluable for its cocoa, cotton, sugar cane, and coffee—the success brought increasing demands for cheap labor, which they supplied by importing slaves from the west coast of Africa. (www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) By 1780, Haiti was one of the richest regions of the world, and France relied heavily on the slave trade to maintain this economic position. This reliance on slaves set up several future problems for Haiti. First, the slaves brought with them their religious practices of Voodoo—more a lifestyle than religion, but at odds with the Catholicism of the French. Second, the French were unduly harsh with the slaves, creating hatred in an already resentful environment. Third, a class of mulattos arouse, helping to create the class system that is still in place today, in which a minority of light-skinned, Catholic, sophisticated, French-speaking, and wealthy Haitians are pitted against the dark-skinned, voodoo-worshipping, Creole-speaking, and poverty-stricken masses. (www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) Since a successful slave revolt in 1791, Haiti has been in a state of anarchy, with rampant poverty among the large lower class, with a short period of stability during the American occupation from 1915—1934. Although the American occupation resulted in an improved infrastructure, in 1957, Francois Duvalier, “Papa Doc,” declared himself “President for Life.” His repressive government ruled by terror and failed to help the people educationally or economically. When Duvalier died, his son Jean Claude, “Baby Doc,” came into power. His government, still oppressive and greedy, improved the peoples’ lot little. Since Baby Doc was exiled to France, the country has been ruled by elected officials and military leaders, none of whom have been able to lead the country effectively nor solve its problems of poverty, instability, and divisive class distinctions. Out of this complicated and often tragic history has come a rich art tradition that owes much to the complex Indian-French African-Spanish culture that spawned it. The first artists whose work came to the attention of the art world were self-taught artists with no preconceived idea of what art should be. This lack of outside influence resulted in an art that portrays “the whole kaleidoscope of Haitian life and spirit with an unprecedented vividness, openness, and honesty.” (www.egallery.com/about.html p. 1) However, as early as 1807, King Henry Christophe had encouraged cultural activities, and around 1820, the French artist Barincourt founded an art school in Port-au-Prince. We also know that some of the artists working in Haiti from 1830 1850 were trained in France and worked out of Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitian. Other academies of drawing, painting, and sculpture were founded in the 1850s, in 1860, 1880, 1915, and 1930. Then in 1943, an American, DeWitt Peters, moved to Haiti and founded the Centre de Arte and became “the spark that set the powder off and . . . detonated [a] formidable explosion of Haitian Art.” (Gerald Bloncourt, Haitian Painting: Reflections on Naifs and Moderns, found at: www.studiowah.com/intro/bloncourt.html p. 2) Since that “explosion of Haitian art,” several different schools or styles have developed as groups of artists have disagreed and split to form their own academies, each with its own philosophy. (Michel-Philippe Lerebours, Brief Overview of Haitian Art, found at: (www.studiowah.com/intro/lerebours.html p. 1) Some artists have joined the “modern” art world, and have carved themselves places in the American art market. These artists actually outnumber the “naif” painters, “at least those who left their mark on the saga of Haitian painting during the last 40 years.” (Bloncourt, p.1) Within the “naif’ or naive tradition, there are several different styles, although certain art historians argue some of these groups actually should not be categorized as naive, such as the “voodoo’ painters, or those termed “painters of dreams.” (Bloncourt, p.1) But many artists still exist whose colorful, detailed works of daily life convey their optimistic “versions of Eden.” These artists portray an innocence that art historian Gerald Bloncourt asserts naive art must have—an “authentic purity” that comes not just from a lack of outside influences but also from an untainted “vision . . . of creation.” Although little is known about the artist Joseph, his work is typical of the naive artists of Cap-Haitian—bright colors, elegant lines, detailed brushwork and meticulous paint handling. He paints everyday life, but his view is optimistic, depicting Haiti as the lush paradise it could be; a better life he “may have experienced only on a canvas.” (www.haitianart.com/biointro.htm p. 2) To look at another example of Joseph’s art, go to www.caribcreations.com/Paintings2.htm. To see other examples of Haitian art, go to www.oir.ucf.edu/bryant/haiti/html. This site, by the University of Central Florida, has 6 pages of haitian art, and each page has 10-12 images, all of which enlarge when clicked on.
This artist, who goes only by the name Joseph, is a contemporary Haitian artist of the “naif,” or naive school of art. Haitian art has a rich history and a number of styles of art, but it is known as one of the world’s biggest producers of high-quality naive art. Haiti, a tiny island in the Caribbean, has majestic mountains that look down on sandy beaches with palm trees and green valleys dotted with bright hibiscus flowers. What it doesn’t have is tourists. The reason this potential tropical paradise has few tourists is its tragic, turbulent history of abuse, bloodshed, power, and greed.(www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) In December of 1492, when Christopher Columbus landed on the island, the native Arawak Indians called it “Hayti,” or mountainous land. The Spaniards’ imperialistic ideology dictated that they use and abuse the Arawaks nearly to the point of extinction. Because Haiti has fertile soil and a strategic position, it was sought after by Britain, France, and Spain, becoming a French colony in the middle of the 17th century. (www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) Although Haiti flourished under the French—Haiti became invaluable for its cocoa, cotton, sugar cane, and coffee—the success brought increasing demands for cheap labor, which they supplied by importing slaves from the west coast of Africa. (www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) By 1780, Haiti was one of the richest regions of the world, and France relied heavily on the slave trade to maintain this economic position. This reliance on slaves set up several future problems for Haiti. First, the slaves brought with them their religious practices of Voodoo—more a lifestyle than religion, but at odds with the Catholicism of the French. Second, the French were unduly harsh with the slaves, creating hatred in an already resentful environment. Third, a class of mulattos arouse, helping to create the class system that is still in place today, in which a minority of light-skinned, Catholic, sophisticated, French-speaking, and wealthy Haitians are pitted against the dark-skinned, voodoo-worshipping, Creole-speaking, and poverty-stricken masses. (www.medalia.net/Hhistory.html) Since a successful slave revolt in 1791, Haiti has been in a state of anarchy, with rampant poverty among the large lower class, with a short period of stability during the American occupation from 1915—1934. Although the American occupation resulted in an improved infrastructure, in 1957, Francois Duvalier, “Papa Doc,” declared himself “President for Life.” His repressive government ruled by terror and failed to help the people educationally or economically. When Duvalier died, his son Jean Claude, “Baby Doc,” came into power. His government, still oppressive and greedy, improved the peoples’ lot little. Since Baby Doc was exiled to France, the country has been ruled by elected officials and military leaders, none of whom have been able to lead the country effectively nor solve its problems of poverty, instability, and divisive class distinctions. Out of this complicated and often tragic history has come a rich art tradition that owes much to the complex Indian-French African-Spanish culture that spawned it. The first artists whose work came to the attention of the art world were self-taught artists with no preconceived idea of what art should be. This lack of outside influence resulted in an art that portrays “the whole kaleidoscope of Haitian life and spirit with an unprecedented vividness, openness, and honesty.” (www.egallery.com/about.html p. 1) However, as early as 1807, King Henry Christophe had encouraged cultural activities, and around 1820, the French artist Barincourt founded an art school in Port-au-Prince. We also know that some of the artists working in Haiti from 1830 1850 were trained in France and worked out of Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitian. Other academies of drawing, painting, and sculpture were founded in the 1850s, in 1860, 1880, 1915, and 1930. Then in 1943, an American, DeWitt Peters, moved to Haiti and founded the Centre de Arte and became “the spark that set the powder off and . . . detonated [a] formidable explosion of Haitian Art.” (Gerald Bloncourt, Haitian Painting: Reflections on Naifs and Moderns, found at: www.studiowah.com/intro/bloncourt.html p. 2) Since that “explosion of Haitian art,” several different schools or styles have developed as groups of artists have disagreed and split to form their own academies, each with its own philosophy. (Michel-Philippe Lerebours, Brief Overview of Haitian Art, found at: (www.studiowah.com/intro/lerebours.html p. 1) Some artists have joined the “modern” art world, and have carved themselves places in the American art market. These artists actually outnumber the “naif” painters, “at least those who left their mark on the saga of Haitian painting during the last 40 years.” (Bloncourt, p.1) Within the “naif’ or naive tradition, there are several different styles, although certain art historians argue some of these groups actually should not be categorized as naive, such as the “voodoo’ painters, or those termed “painters of dreams.” (Bloncourt, p.1) But many artists still exist whose colorful, detailed works of daily life convey their optimistic “versions of Eden.” These artists portray an innocence that art historian Gerald Bloncourt asserts naive art must have—an “authentic purity” that comes not just from a lack of outside influences but also from an untainted “vision . . . of creation.” Although little is known about the artist Joseph, his work is typical of the naive artists of Cap-Haitian—bright colors, elegant lines, detailed brushwork and meticulous paint handling. He paints everyday life, but his view is optimistic, depicting Haiti as the lush paradise it could be; a better life he “may have experienced only on a canvas.” (www.haitianart.com/biointro.htm p. 2) To look at another example of Joseph’s art, go to www.caribcreations.com/Paintings2.htm. To see other examples of Haitian art, go to www.oir.ucf.edu/bryant/haiti/html. This site, by the University of Central Florida, has 6 pages of haitian art, and each page has 10-12 images, all of which enlarge when clicked on.
Artist Objects
