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The metal figures standing like sentinels in the middle of an exhibit of contemporary Haitian art are created from a mishmash of scrap metal and found objects: nails, marbles, old shoes, bed springs, tire treads, hub caps, pieces of fans and other discards.
It would be easy to dismiss them as the inevitable kitschy, sympathy-seeking products of a country that seems cursed by chaos, a bickering left in the wake of a horrific earthquake that struck two years ago Thursday.
There's nothing disposable or pitiful, though, about the figures. Silver-green in color, they seem armored for a post-apocalyptic battle. They stare with open marble eyes. Some mock the viewer with graphic gestures. Nothing about their ramrod postures suggests waiting for a handout or a tourist's
attention. Each may have been born from debris, but each is a strong, witty piece that commands respect for its sharp edges.
The artists who crafted these figures and other artists featured in "Global Caribbean III: Haiti Kingdom of This World" argue that Haiti to be seen as a creative hub instead of a catastrophe.
It would be easy to dismiss them as the inevitable kitschy, sympathy-seeking products of a country that seems cursed by chaos, a bickering left in the wake of a horrific earthquake that struck two years ago Thursday.
There's nothing disposable or pitiful, though, about the figures. Silver-green in color, they seem armored for a post-apocalyptic battle. They stare with open marble eyes. Some mock the viewer with graphic gestures. Nothing about their ramrod postures suggests waiting for a handout or a tourist's
attention. Each may have been born from debris, but each is a strong, witty piece that commands respect for its sharp edges.The artists who crafted these figures and other artists featured in "Global Caribbean III: Haiti Kingdom of This World" argue that Haiti to be seen as a creative hub instead of a catastrophe.
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