My work at the 47th Annual Exhibition of the Grenada Arts Council, at its new gallery, 9 Young Street in Saint George’s. My thanks to Tracey Chan http://traceychan.com for taking the original images from which I have extracted these details.
‘Every artefact have it story, and these stories happening here in this Grenada’
Beer cans, Blue glass, Charcoal, Jute, Nails, Oil pastels, Paint, Paper, Plastic Doll, Red thread, Wire and Wood. These manmade objects I have used to tell some of Grenada’s story.
Beer cans – the Heineken butterflies made from a few of over 400 cans of this local favourite collected in 2010 after a school event, are a nod to at least one Dutch connection to Grenada: 19 Dutch ships fully laden with cargo were beat to pieces against the rock-strewn shore by an October 1780 hurricane.
Blue glass – cobalt blue in glass beads or glass bottles is potent spiritual protection, a West African derived practice against misfortune, evil spirits and illness.
Charcoal – a destructive and still practiced tradition of burning wood for fuel, which someone?? is still apparently working on fixing, since circa 1898, when attention was called to the serious effect of deforestation in Grenada, with the best timbers being destroyed to convert into charcoal by the then Botanic Gardens Curator. I have little hope of that problem being successfully addressed.
Jute – rugged jute sacks were used to export goods from Grenada’s estates, and are still used within the inter-island trafficker trade.Nails – cut nails and wire nails were some of the articles imported into Grenada from foreign sources in 1896.
Oil pastels – used to represent Amerindian rock art etching, and ShortKnee carnival elements.
Paint – Amerindians created pottery vessels with black paint on the inside, or monochrome vessels with white paint on the clay-washed natural surface.
Paper – photocopies from the Supreme Court registry archives, detailing research to the history of my mother’s family’s name. Paper or lack thereof could back then in colonial times (and still can), determine a person’s freedom and personal fate.
Plastic Doll – the doll represents the red annatto and black guinep plant body paint of the Amerindian peoples. With the single shoe and nails, it acts as a messenger to the otherworld, an element of Haitian voudoun, a merging of West African, Arawakan, and Roman Catholic Christianity religious beliefs.
Red thread – wicks of red cotton threads were marks listed in the Laws of Grenada 1766-1875 as approved for use in or on Her Majesty’s naval and victualling stores.
Wire – as to Larceny of Things attached to or growing on Land, in particular with reference to wire, etc set up as part of a fence, the Laws of Grenada 1766-1875 provided for a fine of 5 pounds or up to 12 months in the common gaol.
Wood – the Prevention of Accidents by Fire Act of 1869 provided for a fine of 10 pounds for each offence of accidental wood fire.