My artwork Tres Chantuelle, shows the ShortKnee as puppeteer, my translation of a 2007 untitled serigraphy on handmade paper containing the words Agbo elebo, by Cuban artist Santiago Olazábal, and a nod to my 2007 work Gallowed Chantuelle, a mobile installation of handmade fabric puppets, made with scraps of one of a kind batik from Chris and Lilo at ArtFabrik. This installation was featured in a 2007 paper ‘Vienna Actionists Caribbean J’ouvert’ – the same or different, a presentation by Dr Susan Mains, Australian Association for Caribbean Studies International Biennial Conference, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Tres Chantuelle begins a crossover from, and connects with my interest in the use of Grenada’s Amerindian petroglyphs as artistic subject, and includes background face images and clothing design from the Mount Rich and Victoria petroglyphs. The hand stigmata mark is a directional petroglyph taken from the Mount Rich collection.
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| Tres Chantuelle |
I have translated the works of over 19 artists on war, migration, desolation and isolation, in particular with reference to works including or featuring pierrot, harlequin, clown or acrobat figures, precursor to our present day ShortKnee. ShortKnee can be traced back to the spoken word traditions of the West African Chantuelle, oral libraries whose recollections made bearable the suffering of slaves on the plantations of Grenada, fused with French Pierrot elements, and wrapped in six and a half yards of vulgar fabric that is breathtaking in sunlight masquerade. I have researched both the Egungun and Pierrot traditions as part of my ShortKnee study, and have formed the following opinion: Once a disguise and a way to compromise, the ShortKnee is today, in this artist’s opinion, the iconic instrument of the history of Grenada, and a subject worthy of vigorous visual artistic study.