SCULPTURE
Art by Jane Turner (Jlily's Art), The Eatonville Artist
Sculpture
I have combined a painting and sculptures into a photograph that I exhibit as"The Collective Memory".
Jane Turner
This painting is a depiction of a ritual as demonstrated by the African Xhosa Tribe and many Bantu speaking peoples, showing the transformation of the adolescent boy from child to adulthood. The face whiting is particularly significant, as is the shrouding. The boys are separated from the rest of the tribe as they go through the ritual. It is a time for the boy to reflect upon his maturity and spirituality.
Oil on Canvas 20x28 Copyright 2004
THE MIMES
The Mimes are contemporary young Christian men, who popularized, in the Southeast U.S., the phenomena of merging the performance of pantomime to spiritual and gospel music. The origin of the Mimes begin in 1997, at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, in Eatonville, Florida. In 1999, they achieved national notoriety when they successfully competed in several performances at New York's famed Apollo Theater.
In the composition of the Mimes sculptures, I became aware that the phenomena closely paralleled the Xhosa Tribe's Rites of Passage. Again the face whiting is particularly significant and the Mimes'use of robes can be construed as parity to the African shrouding. Both rituals are grounded in transformation from child to adulthood, maturity and spirituality. Based on the similarities came the concept of "THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY".
Dresden Clay Sculpture, handpainted, copyright 2004
Photo: Painting/sculpture overlay, copyright 2004
POSIEDON
I have taken the time to acknowledge the one important member of the African American family that is often overlooked. My "Grandpa and the Kids" is a reflection of the time that my brother and I spent with our one living grandfather. He was right up there with Grandma. My memories, his legacy, included straw hats with wide brims, rocking chairs, big peppermint candy sticks, cut sugar cane and the many hours that he spent entertaining us with wonderful meaningful life stories.
A six peice composition which includes, Grandpa, (left to right) Jamal, Marley, Imani, Peter and Michelle.
White dresden clay, handpainted Copyright 2004
BRONZE GRANDPA AND THE KIDS
