HAITIAN ART

CEDRIC TAYLOR EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY

OPENING VIDEOA short video to serve as an introduction to Haitian history, culture and art

Contents◦ Preface

◦ Early Haitian Art

◦ Haitian Renaissance

◦ Modern Art

◦ Conclusion

◦ References◦

Preface

The following presentation will serve as a chronological timeline of dominant art forms in Haitian culture. Its purpose is to outline the roots and origins of Haiti’s eclectic art and storied past. This presentation contains depictions of art dating from the 1800s to present. All pictures and information contained in this presentation are accredited in the references.

Early Haitian Art◦Historically the earliest forms of Haitian art was in the form of wall painting made

by the indigenous Taino Indians

◦ Taino Indians painted elaborate painting on their dwellings, in caves, and on their bodies

◦ It is widely believed that much of Taino art is not widely influenced in current Haitian art to the resentment of the natives during slavery and colonization though it may be present in some forms through the arrival of African slaves

Early Haitian Art ◦ In 1807 Henry Christophe, one of Haiti’s founding fathers whom himself King Henry I in 1811,

encouraged the development of arts in the republic

◦ In 1816 President Alexandre Petion assisted French artists in establishing an art school in Port-au-Prince

◦ During this period several English artists also taught at the Royal Academy of Milot

◦ Painters such as Thimoleon Dejoie, Numa Desroches, Colbert Lochard and his son Archibald Lochard were prominent artists during this period

◦ Though emphasis on the arts were on the risemost artists were regulated to the painting and decoration of buildings and homes of the wealthy not of people or scenes

Early Haitian ArtPicture of Citadelle Laferrière home of King Henry Christophe

Haitian Renaissance ◦ The arrival of American Dewitt Peters in 1943 is widely regarded as the beginning of

an art revolution in Haiti◦Dewitt was on a wartime assignment when he noticed the country had no visible

artwork, painting activities or galleries◦He could not believe such a beautiful countryside had no real art history and set out

on a mission to modernize Haitian art◦He efforts led to the opening of the Centre d'Art on May 14, 1944 in Port-au-Prince

Haitian Renaissance ◦ Peters actions were pivotal in the rise in interest in art in Haiti, commonly referred

to as the Haitian Renaissance

◦ Artists such as Hector Hyppolite, Philome Obin, Rigaud Benoit, and Castera Bezile stepped forward to work with Dewitt.

◦Hyppolite a "hougan", a priest in the voodoo religion, who wanted to start a new career was painting flowers with a brush of chicken feathers on doors in his local community of Saint-Marc and Mont Rouis. Hyppolite is better remembered as the father of the Southern school of Haitian art

Haitian Renaissance ◦Obin, who painted Les Bourgeois du Cap-Haitien vers 1900-1919, was a self-taught

master of architectural geometry and documented historicism. He was already known for painting religious illustrations and scenes of the United States Marine occupation, in which Obin depicted a violent struggle between the American forces and the Haitian peasants in Northern Haiti.

◦Obin went on to found the Northern School of Painting, known for orderly composition and narrative works.

◦ Benoit was more interested in illustrating his "barbed vignettes of Haitian life", and Bezile, was concentrating on bringing forth the miseries and the glories of the peasant existence.

Haitian Renaissance Photo of Dewitt Peters and Henry Hyppolite, a Haitian born painter, in 1948

Haitian Renaissance Philomé Obin: "Les Bourgeois du Cap-Haitien vers 1900-1919"

Haitian Renaissance "La Reine des Lougarous“ by Rigaud Benoit

Haitian Renaissance “Au Marché” by Casters Bezile

MODERN ART◦ Today art in Haiti in generally divided in two categories: naives and moderns◦Naives art is generally considered primitive in nature, lacking artistic education and

disciplines◦Moderns are painters with artistic education many studying abroad and having

strong French, English and Spanish influence◦Modern art in Haiti still has roots in religion and many artists seek to paint

depictions of joy and happiness, often found extremely strange for a country known for its social and economic issues

◦ The following video will provide a snapshot of some of the bright brilliant paintings prevalent in modern Haitian art

MODERN ART

CONCLUSIONThe history of art in Haiti is storied, yet by many standards, relatively brief. Many documentation or pictures of artworks prior to 1944 are rare. The opening of the Center d’Art proved a huge step in putting Haitian art on display around the world and drove the rise of prominent artists in Haiti.

REFERENCES◦ 50000, B. 1. (n.d.). HAITIAN ARTS. Retrieved September 01, 2016, from

http://www1.american.edu/ted/haitiart.html◦ Agoue and La Sirene by Rigaud Benoit. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2016, from

http://www.artshaitian.com/Pages/haitianartbenoit.html ◦ Castera Bazile. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2016, from

http://www.haitianarthopkins.com/bazile.htm ◦H. (2015). MUST SEE: VIDEO GUIDE- Haiti - History, Art, & Culture. Retrieved

September 11, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkc183Ak-bM◦History of Haitian Art. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2016, from

http://www.martellyartgallery.com/haitianarts.html ◦ June 2009 DC Exhibition Conference Flyer. (n.d.). Retrieved September 03, 2016,

from http://haitianartsociety.org/photo6.html◦ P. (2009). Destination Haitian Arts. Retrieved September 11, 2016, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2reuRI3jVeE