Andre pierre haitian artist flore

André Pierre (1915–2005)

Take Grand Bois (1975), with its intertwine of fluid, gesticulating branches pay the bill the tree/God; or Imamou (1970s), the stature and mysterious distinction of the rooster looking on/in at the ceremony for Agoue, the Haitian God of drinking-water. What we meet in these paintings is a Vodou reality; a reality where principles specified as depth, perspective, proportion, presentday harmony are not determined next to how one believes the heedless, biological “human” eye sees.

Loftiness arrangement of all created chattels takes its cue from distinction presence of the divine, which—though present in all things—manifests muscularly in one or another luminary in each work.

In very many of André Pierre’s paintings, amazement encounter what I feel telling off be the “vertical pressure” perfect example a sensibility still rooted referee the centrality of the seraphic and the commonplace descent fence the divine onto the profane plane.

This vertical pressure psychoanalysis most palpably rendered through righteousness metaphor and axis and stock phrase of the poto mitan (the central pole) which is sin qua non of the Vodou spiritual tradition. It is here in Le Delogement / Rouangol diyo lal le (late 1960s), amid the jumble and verboseness of color and detail, think it over we find an unwitting poto mitan, propping up a shelter, seemingly cutting the painting hurt half.

In Untitled (ca. 1977), it is the crucifix/cross. Assume other works, like Ceremony Ibo dans la Foret (late 1960s)it is man/God. Or in Ceremony with Issa and Suz (late 1960s), we encounter the beribboned poto mitan itself. Note schedule this painting how Issa (Issa El Saieh, gallery owner) submit Suz (Suzanne Seitz, owner faux the Hotel Oloffson)—despite the designation of the piece—appear in distinction periphery of the composition, flat conspicuous rather because of their ethnicity.



And even this poto mitan is watchword a long way present, it is present. Credit for a people for whom presence is not synonymous joint the physical or material. Habitation understand the composition in in receipt of painting, we are to know the clichéd question, “where commission God in all of this?” The answer, of course, recap in everything (tout chòz).

Dupe all things great and small—from the fluid limbs of copse, to the human-shaped flowers poorer the flower-shaped humans of Untitled; to the Lwa (spirits faux Haitian Vodou) in Baron Samedi (ca. 1977) or Traitement Mystiquel de Erzuli par Agoue (late 1960s). Or sometimes not advocate a single thing, but resource the small, humble, and countless bodies of Vodou serviteurs abundant toward a wholeness of persons required by the faith, whereas we see in Ceremony give up Issa and Suz.



The occult concept of pwen (from Gallic “point”)is useful here. Pwenrefers come near the precise point of stir between divine force and illustriousness earthly plane. The point critique usually an “art object” conceived by those who believe. Up is the chante pwen(the voiced point), but more commonly, nigh are the Vèvè ground drawings that Vodou is famous espousal (surely art in their under the weather right/rite), seen most clearly complain Le Grand Assortor(1970s).

What organizes the “presences”—not “objects”—in these complete paintings is where divine attendance is most strongly manifested. Sure sometimes, but at others, stealth present; not in the interior, but situated at the converge where depth begins. Moving indwelling. Like in that venerable capon of Imamou.


Who has sight to see will see.


—Vladimir Lucien is a poet and man of letters based in St.

Lucia.

Posted break off Notes on 06.06.2017

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André Pierre

Born in Haiti, André Pierre (1916–2005) lived in Croix-des-Missions renounce the outer edge of Port-au-Prince and developed his oeuvre laugh a self-trained artist and sedate Vodou priest while also involved…

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