So... I spent some time in Haiti this fall at an "art camp". It was workshop, retreat, international art symposium- whatever. Basically, we were set up to work in a hotel for two weeks, free of charge and in the end, we were to give the organization 3 pieces of work. Kinda like the barter system. The work is then stored (and stored and stored) and supposively given to sponsors and supporters of the program.
It was such a great opportunity not only to meet local Haitian artists but to get to know other artists from all over the world. I made friends during that time that I am sure will remain friends for a lifetime (I hope) and I am forever grateful for their company
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But the trip was not without its problems. Sparing you most of the graphic details, our movement around Port Au Prince and Petion- Ville was limited. We were not allowed to roam the streets or go out unattended. At times we felt as if we were in a upscale prison - and a nice one at that.
When I planned for my Haitian adventure, I decided that I wanted to paint people. You see, my father had just passed away and this was weighing heavily on my mind and I wanted to delve into that relationship and others in my work. After a few days of painting, I was told that I wasn't allowed to paint the other artists as models at the camp, that I could paint a little old lady on the street (which I could not do because I wasn't allowed on the street and photographing stranger was not always welcome) or I could use my "imagination". Hah! In art and in painting, imagination always plays a critical role in the creation process but I, as an artist, I am an observer. I absorb details- light, color, form, personality, time and spit it out on to paper or canvas in a personal interpretation based on the situation at the time. In retrospect, I should have just said Fuck You and continued to paint, but this new revelation hit me hard and I was the new kid on the block. Everything I painted after that sucked. Really sucked. And I spent my time trying to figure out what I could paint to get my distasteful feelings across. I felt like a child reprimanded and censored in my creative process. I had traveled hundreds of miles to this fascinating foreign country only to experience these foreign feelings of censorship and oppression.
That brings us up to today. I've spent the past couple of weeks doing those painting I was meant to do during my time in Haiti and they DON'T SUCK. I observed, I met fantastic people, had a life changing experience and I learned a few lessons along the way. Self doubt has no place in the life and work of an artist.
There are some small 6x6 portraits I have done in the last couple of weeks. There will be more to come. And some bigger ones as well. I'm calling this work DIGESTING HAITI.
