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Haïti


1999

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Haïti
1999

"When your eyes get used to the layer of dust covering the city with a miserable veil, it becomes obvious that the local population doesn’t spend its time nailing chickens on your door or bumping you off at the street corner to steal your wallet."

Abstracts

"André Pierre, a naïve painter inspired by voodoo, himself a houngan, singlehandedly makes up a manifesto. He has borrowed Rimbaud’s palette, and his color blends compose words. Each of his paintings is a poem that merits being delivered with a recording on tape. For painting, you see, has nothing to do with beauty, but 'should speak goodness.' André Pierre is a wonderful storyteller. My artist friends, Jean Gérard and Sergine, accompanied me to visit the old master. Under the studio’s arbor, Clairin was passed around and kept our little band in perfectly high spirits. André Pierre is very inspired today. You have to admit that Sergine is probably the most gorgeous product of the country’s artistic heritage in recent years.

He’s hyped up. Paintings keep on parading past on the four shoddy planks of wood that serve as an easel. Every time, we’re treated to a short sonnet-length rhyme with a surprise ending, interrupted by trips to the storeroom to bring new works back to us. I’ve never heard voodoo being described in such a merry manner.
'Have you ever seen the devil’s true face?'
No, none of us has ever seen him. What’s he going to come up with next?
He ducks back into his storeroom and reemerges with a lopsided smile, but, to our great surprise, without a painting in sight. He plumps down in front of us, and after putting his hand in his pocket, he throws, into the dust at our feet… a handful of coins.
'There’s the true face of Satan!'"

Extract from Titouan en Haïti, 2003, Éditions Gallimard

Works

Haïti 3863
La palette du maître, 1999

Haiti
Pencil and gouache on paper
42 x 33 cm

Haïti 3865
Le cercueil de Préfète, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
36 x 24 cm

Haïti 3867
Le maître, 1999

Haiti
Pencil and gouache on paper
42 x 66 cm

Haïti 3847
André Pierre, 1999

Haiti
Gouache on paper
42 x 66 cm

Haïti 3877
Titouan par Sergine, 1999

Haiti
Pastel and gouache on paper
41 x 32 cm

Haïti 3875
Sergine André, 1999

Haiti
Gouache on paper
41 x 32 cm

Haïti 3869
Louisiane Saint Fleurant, 1999

Haiti
Gouache on paper
41 x 32 cm

Haïti 3871
Œuvre de Louisiane, 1999

Haiti
Oil on canvas
41 x 32 cm

Haïti 3849
Bato, 1999

Haiti
Ink and gouache on paper
46 x 37 cm

Haïti 3873
Régates de Pestel, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
33 x 26 cm

Haïti 3879
Vévé, Agoueh, 1999

Haiti
Gouache and sand on paper
32 x 41 cm

Haïti 3851
Île de la Tortue, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
24 x 30 cm

Haïti 3853
Île de la Tortue 2, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
24 x 30 cm

Haïti 3855
Île de la Tortue 3, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
24 x 30 cm

Haïti 3857
Île de la Tortue 4, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
24 x 30 cm

Haïti 3859
Île de la Tortue 5, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
24 x 30 cm

Haïti 3861
Île de la Tortue 6, 1999

Haiti
Gouache enhanced silver print
24 x 30 cm

Maps

Haïti 3881
Map of Haiti, 1999

Gouache on paper, 55 x 75 cm

Books

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