CHECKLIST OF THE EXHIBITION Jacques Nicolas Bellin Carte de l’Isle d’Hayti, 1754 Reproduction 40 x 26½ inches Green Library Special Collections Edouard Duval-Carrié Ayida Whedo, 1990 Mixed media on canvas with artist’s frame 31½ inches x 31½ inches Collection of Carol Damian FanFan Untitled (Market Scene), n.d. Oil on canvas 30 x 40 inches Collection of Vicky Silvera Gerard Fortuné Untitled (Twins), n.d. Oil on canvas 39¾ inches x 30 inches Gerard Fortuné Untitled, n.d. Oil on board 24 x 24 inches Gerard Fortuné Untitled, n.d. Oil on canvas 24⅛ x 36 inches Jean-Enguerrand Gourgue Untitled, n.d. Oil on wood 39¾ x 29¾ inches
Yvens Leger Tap-Tap, ca. 1983 Papier-mâché 20 x 30 x 5½ inches
Unknown Artist Tap-Tap La Joie, ca. 1984 Papier-mâché 22 x 22 x 5 inches
Lesly Untitled (Street Scene), n.d. Oil on canvas 25 x 21 inches
Unknown Artist Tap-Tap Silvers, n.d. Papier-mâché 16 x 18 x 5 inches
Fritznel Obin Untitled (Street Scene with Church), 1992 Oil on canvas 23.75 x 29⅞ inches
Jacques Valmidor Untitled (Village Wedding), n.d. Oil on canvas 24 x 22 inches
Gerard Paul Untitled (Dance), n.d. Oil on board 24 x 24 inches Jacques Pierrette Untitled (Market Scene featuring the Iron Market), n.d. Oil on canvas 30 x 40½ inches Lionel Simonis Tap-Tap Patience, 1982 Papier-mâché 21 x 24 x 4½ inches
Wagler Vital Country Scene, n.d. Oil on canvas 25½ x 33 inches
TAP- TAP Celebrating The Art of Haiti May 26 - September 5, 2010
Wagler Vital Fishing Boats, n.d. Oil on canvas 25½ x 33½ inches Wagler Vital Untitled (Boys in Soccer Uniforms), n.d. Oil on canvas 25½ x 37½ inches
Jean Thermidor Untitled (School Yard Soccer Game), n.d. Oil on canvas 23¾ x 31½ inches
Curatorial Assistant: Ana Estrada Catalog Design: Raymond Mathews The Frost Art Museum receives ongoing support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida; the Steven & Dorothea Green Endowment; Funding Arts Network; Dade Community Foundation; Target; and the Members & Friends of The Frost Art Museum; The Miami Herald 2009-2010 Media Sponsor
Lionel Simonis Tap-Tap Patience, 1982 Papier-mâché 21 x 24 x 4½ inches Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program
DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
TAP-TAP: CELEBRATING THE ART OF HAITI
Where did this joyous art come from? For over 50
embarked on a very special project: to have an
proud to live in Florida, so close to Haiti and the home
The tap-tap, a typical form of public transportation in
laden with fruit…Opposite the harbor there was a
Leisure and enjoyment are also significant aspects of
years, the art of Haiti has been celebrated. Inspiring,
exhibition of some of our works (a small percentage
of so many Haitians. This small exhibition is our way
Haiti, is also one of the most colorful sights on the
beautiful fertile plain…”1 The Utopian Landscape,
Haitian life and social themes show the people’s love
perplexing and popular as an expression in bright
of our holdings) in preparation for their return to Haiti
of giving them something to hold on to and smile
streets. Ranging in size from small to large, the
first popularized in the 1940s and 1950s by the artist
of pleasure and a good time. Few things will fire up a
colors, it depicts happy people enjoying daily life. Of
when the time is right. We also decided to exhibit
about when they most need the comfort we know
tap-tap is a converted pickup, a truck, a mini-van or a
Wilson Bigaud, is an accepted and prevalent
Haitian crowd more than a match de football, a
course, there are other “darker” symbols and visions
happy and festive work.
art can bring.
bus. Often crowded and perilously overloaded with
iconographic theme in Haitian Art. It reflects what
soccer game. Everyone knows that adults and
people, live animals, fresh fruits and vegetables, the
every Haitian and Haitian-American hopes for “yon lot
children will probably skip work and school to watch
tap-tap is a quintessential part of Haiti. Their colorful
Ayiti’ – another, better Haiti.”
an important game. From schoolyards and
that appear as a reflection of political turmoil and the
Carol Damian Director and Chief Curator The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum
mysterious rites of Vodou that cannot be ignored.
This exhibition begins with a journey by bus, the
This exhibition, an expression of joie de vivre, was
colorful tap-tap so ubiquitous on Haitian streets,
born of two interesting situations that occurred
through markets and playgrounds, stopping at
recently: the disastrous earthquake of January 2010
football games, schools and little churches. It is a
and the documentation of a major collection of
vibrant life, now so devastated, that this art preserves
Haitian Art in the storage vaults of The Patricia and
for the future. It is a voyage through time that began
When the idea for this project was proposed, the
Phillip Frost Art Museum in Miami. With the realization
with the founding of the Centre d’Art by Dewitt C.
tap-tap was appropriately suggested as a unifying
and have balconies and tall wooden doors. The
that Haiti had lost so much of its cultural patrimony
Peters in 1943 in Port-au-Prince and continues with
theme for an exhibit celebrating Haitian Art and, by
children wearing school uniforms, ostensibly on their
Our journey would be incomplete without religion.
and that The Museum had numerous examples of
generations of painters, metal sculptors, printmakers
association, Haitian life. In our exhibit, papier-mâché
way to school, is a comment on childhood. As
Inspiration comes from both the Christian and Vodou
work by entire generations of Haitian artists, we
and object makers throughout the island. We are
tap-taps lead from one aspect of life to the next, just
Gérald Alexis explains: childhood is a prologue to
religions. Pieces by Fritznel Obin and Jacques
as an individual would ride a tap-tap to traverse the
adulthood and schoolchildren in uniform embody the
Valmidor prominently feature Christian churches,
city or even the whole country.
citizen of the future.3
while those by Jean Enguerrand Gourgue and
We begin in the countryside, les provinces, where the
The next stop is le marché, the marketplace, a
the religion, it provides Haitians comfort and hope for
landscape is lush and fertile and the peasants are
ubiquitous presence in every city and village, and yet
a better tomorrow.
well fed and happy. Nature’s abundance, as seen in
another popular theme in Haitian art. They are loud,
this iconography, shows what Haiti once was.
crowded spaces, where one can buy anything: live
This exhibit is a reflection of our hope for “yon lot Ayiti
Christopher Columbus headed to Ayiti, Kiskeya or
animals, produce, clothing and handicrafts. Jacques
– another, better Haiti” as we celebrate the country
Bohio, the island’s native names, because the natives
Pierrette’s interpretation provides a long view of a
through its art. We invite you to board our tap-taps
told him that it was the richest in the region. His ship,
Port-Au-Prince landmark, Le Marché en Fer (the Iron
and take a journey into Haiti’s art and life.
the Niña, landed at Môle Saint Nicolas on the island’s
Market), with a tap-tap parked in front. These market
northwest coast, and in his journal he recorded his
scenes manage to capture the vibrancy, tumult and
first sight: “…a field of trees of a thousand kinds all
noise one encounters at the marché.
2
decorations, often completed by anonymous artists,
backyards to the streets, a soccer ball is usually
reflect Haitian life and beliefs and, at times, mirror the
As so many Haitians do, we proceed from the
being kicked about. Music and dancing are also
iconography of paintings and sculpture.
countryside to la ville, the city. The street scene by the
important and all it takes is for someone to turn on
artist Lesly depicts the architecture of Haiti’s second
the radio for the dancing to begin. Our exhibit
largest city, Cap Haitien, where the homes are narrow
features scenes of both these pastimes.
Gerard Fortuné feature Vodou subjects. No matter
Stephanie Chancy Curator
Yvens Leger Tap-Tap, ca. 1983 Papier-mâché 20 x 30 x 5½ inches
Jacques Valmidor Untitled (Village Wedding), n.d. Oil on canvas 24 x 22 inches
“First Voyage of Columbus: Meeting the Islanders (1492).” Athena Review, Vol. 1, no. 3. (http://www.athenapub.com/coluvoy1.htm, accessed April 4, 2010). Benson, LeGrace, “Kiskeya-Lan Guinee-Eden: The Utopian Vision in Haitian Painting.” Callalloo, Vol. 15, No. 3, Haitian Literature and Culture, Part 2 (Summer 1992), pp. 726-734. (www.jstor.org/stable/2932015 accessed March 2, 2010) 3 Alexis, Gérald. Peintres Haïtiens (Paris: Éditions Cercle d’Art, 2000) p. 120 1 2
DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
TAP-TAP: CELEBRATING THE ART OF HAITI
Where did this joyous art come from? For over 50
embarked on a very special project: to have an
proud to live in Florida, so close to Haiti and the home
The tap-tap, a typical form of public transportation in
laden with fruit…Opposite the harbor there was a
Leisure and enjoyment are also significant aspects of
years, the art of Haiti has been celebrated. Inspiring,
exhibition of some of our works (a small percentage
of so many Haitians. This small exhibition is our way
Haiti, is also one of the most colorful sights on the
beautiful fertile plain…”1 The Utopian Landscape,
Haitian life and social themes show the people’s love
perplexing and popular as an expression in bright
of our holdings) in preparation for their return to Haiti
of giving them something to hold on to and smile
streets. Ranging in size from small to large, the
first popularized in the 1940s and 1950s by the artist
of pleasure and a good time. Few things will fire up a
colors, it depicts happy people enjoying daily life. Of
when the time is right. We also decided to exhibit
about when they most need the comfort we know
tap-tap is a converted pickup, a truck, a mini-van or a
Wilson Bigaud, is an accepted and prevalent
Haitian crowd more than a match de football, a
course, there are other “darker” symbols and visions
happy and festive work.
art can bring.
bus. Often crowded and perilously overloaded with
iconographic theme in Haitian Art. It reflects what
soccer game. Everyone knows that adults and
people, live animals, fresh fruits and vegetables, the
every Haitian and Haitian-American hopes for “yon lot
children will probably skip work and school to watch
tap-tap is a quintessential part of Haiti. Their colorful
Ayiti’ – another, better Haiti.”
an important game. From schoolyards and
that appear as a reflection of political turmoil and the
Carol Damian Director and Chief Curator The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum
mysterious rites of Vodou that cannot be ignored.
This exhibition begins with a journey by bus, the
This exhibition, an expression of joie de vivre, was
colorful tap-tap so ubiquitous on Haitian streets,
born of two interesting situations that occurred
through markets and playgrounds, stopping at
recently: the disastrous earthquake of January 2010
football games, schools and little churches. It is a
and the documentation of a major collection of
vibrant life, now so devastated, that this art preserves
Haitian Art in the storage vaults of The Patricia and
for the future. It is a voyage through time that began
When the idea for this project was proposed, the
Phillip Frost Art Museum in Miami. With the realization
with the founding of the Centre d’Art by Dewitt C.
tap-tap was appropriately suggested as a unifying
and have balconies and tall wooden doors. The
that Haiti had lost so much of its cultural patrimony
Peters in 1943 in Port-au-Prince and continues with
theme for an exhibit celebrating Haitian Art and, by
children wearing school uniforms, ostensibly on their
Our journey would be incomplete without religion.
and that The Museum had numerous examples of
generations of painters, metal sculptors, printmakers
association, Haitian life. In our exhibit, papier-mâché
way to school, is a comment on childhood. As
Inspiration comes from both the Christian and Vodou
work by entire generations of Haitian artists, we
and object makers throughout the island. We are
tap-taps lead from one aspect of life to the next, just
Gérald Alexis explains: childhood is a prologue to
religions. Pieces by Fritznel Obin and Jacques
as an individual would ride a tap-tap to traverse the
adulthood and schoolchildren in uniform embody the
Valmidor prominently feature Christian churches,
city or even the whole country.
citizen of the future.3
while those by Jean Enguerrand Gourgue and
We begin in the countryside, les provinces, where the
The next stop is le marché, the marketplace, a
the religion, it provides Haitians comfort and hope for
landscape is lush and fertile and the peasants are
ubiquitous presence in every city and village, and yet
a better tomorrow.
well fed and happy. Nature’s abundance, as seen in
another popular theme in Haitian art. They are loud,
this iconography, shows what Haiti once was.
crowded spaces, where one can buy anything: live
This exhibit is a reflection of our hope for “yon lot Ayiti
Christopher Columbus headed to Ayiti, Kiskeya or
animals, produce, clothing and handicrafts. Jacques
– another, better Haiti” as we celebrate the country
Bohio, the island’s native names, because the natives
Pierrette’s interpretation provides a long view of a
through its art. We invite you to board our tap-taps
told him that it was the richest in the region. His ship,
Port-Au-Prince landmark, Le Marché en Fer (the Iron
and take a journey into Haiti’s art and life.
the Niña, landed at Môle Saint Nicolas on the island’s
Market), with a tap-tap parked in front. These market
northwest coast, and in his journal he recorded his
scenes manage to capture the vibrancy, tumult and
first sight: “…a field of trees of a thousand kinds all
noise one encounters at the marché.
2
decorations, often completed by anonymous artists,
backyards to the streets, a soccer ball is usually
reflect Haitian life and beliefs and, at times, mirror the
As so many Haitians do, we proceed from the
being kicked about. Music and dancing are also
iconography of paintings and sculpture.
countryside to la ville, the city. The street scene by the
important and all it takes is for someone to turn on
artist Lesly depicts the architecture of Haiti’s second
the radio for the dancing to begin. Our exhibit
largest city, Cap Haitien, where the homes are narrow
features scenes of both these pastimes.
Gerard Fortuné feature Vodou subjects. No matter
Stephanie Chancy Curator
Yvens Leger Tap-Tap, ca. 1983 Papier-mâché 20 x 30 x 5½ inches
Jacques Valmidor Untitled (Village Wedding), n.d. Oil on canvas 24 x 22 inches
“First Voyage of Columbus: Meeting the Islanders (1492).” Athena Review, Vol. 1, no. 3. (http://www.athenapub.com/coluvoy1.htm, accessed April 4, 2010). Benson, LeGrace, “Kiskeya-Lan Guinee-Eden: The Utopian Vision in Haitian Painting.” Callalloo, Vol. 15, No. 3, Haitian Literature and Culture, Part 2 (Summer 1992), pp. 726-734. (www.jstor.org/stable/2932015 accessed March 2, 2010) 3 Alexis, Gérald. Peintres Haïtiens (Paris: Éditions Cercle d’Art, 2000) p. 120 1 2
CHECKLIST OF THE EXHIBITION Jacques Nicolas Bellin Carte de l’Isle d’Hayti, 1754 Reproduction 40 x 26½ inches Green Library Special Collections Edouard Duval-Carrié Ayida Whedo, 1990 Mixed media on canvas with artist’s frame 31½ inches x 31½ inches Collection of Carol Damian FanFan Untitled (Market Scene), n.d. Oil on canvas 30 x 40 inches Collection of Vicky Silvera Gerard Fortuné Untitled (Twins), n.d. Oil on canvas 39¾ inches x 30 inches Gerard Fortuné Untitled, n.d. Oil on board 24 x 24 inches Gerard Fortuné Untitled, n.d. Oil on canvas 24⅛ x 36 inches Jean-Enguerrand Gourgue Untitled, n.d. Oil on wood 39¾ x 29¾ inches
Yvens Leger Tap-Tap, ca. 1983 Papier-mâché 20 x 30 x 5½ inches
Unknown Artist Tap-Tap La Joie, ca. 1984 Papier-mâché 22 x 22 x 5 inches
Lesly Untitled (Street Scene), n.d. Oil on canvas 25 x 21 inches
Unknown Artist Tap-Tap Silvers, n.d. Papier-mâché 16 x 18 x 5 inches
Fritznel Obin Untitled (Street Scene with Church), 1992 Oil on canvas 23.75 x 29⅞ inches
Jacques Valmidor Untitled (Village Wedding), n.d. Oil on canvas 24 x 22 inches
Gerard Paul Untitled (Dance), n.d. Oil on board 24 x 24 inches Jacques Pierrette Untitled (Market Scene featuring the Iron Market), n.d. Oil on canvas 30 x 40½ inches Lionel Simonis Tap-Tap Patience, 1982 Papier-mâché 21 x 24 x 4½ inches
Wagler Vital Country Scene, n.d. Oil on canvas 25½ x 33 inches
TAP- TAP Celebrating The Art of Haiti May 26 - September 5, 2010
Wagler Vital Fishing Boats, n.d. Oil on canvas 25½ x 33½ inches Wagler Vital Untitled (Boys in Soccer Uniforms), n.d. Oil on canvas 25½ x 37½ inches
Jean Thermidor Untitled (School Yard Soccer Game), n.d. Oil on canvas 23¾ x 31½ inches
Curatorial Assistant: Ana Estrada Catalog Design: Raymond Mathews The Frost Art Museum receives ongoing support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida; the Steven & Dorothea Green Endowment; Funding Arts Network; Dade Community Foundation; Target; and the Members & Friends of The Frost Art Museum; The Miami Herald 2009-2010 Media Sponsor
Lionel Simonis Tap-Tap Patience, 1982 Papier-mâché 21 x 24 x 4½ inches Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program