The Perception of the Plural in a Unique Space (2010)
by Maria Prada Naida (translated by Margaret Ann Harris)
An approach to the work of the Barbadian artist Annalee Davis cannot be done without a fragmentary, plural perspective, attending to characteristics of its own creative mission that identify with multiple and complex interpretations and approaches to the variants in Caribbean contemporary art. Her work cannot be restricted to a defined esthetic or technical expression, given the variety of approaches and ways of doing what fundamentally characterize the work of this artist.
This multiple vision is shown above all when analyzing the expressive variants that she employs to cover even only one of its subject matter. The esthetic solutions multiply in lines of extremely diverse thematic development such as trans-territoriality, emigration, the idea of the home and many others that have been touched in one form or another along her career.
Because of this, I propose as the content of this analysis a search for some of the variables with which she tackles the theme of emigration and the tourism sector in understanding and problematizing the Caribbean’s contemporary space, above all taking into consideration the reach that one or the other phenomenon and a critical position currently has for society in Barbados that Annalee assumes as an artist compromised with her reality.
The Caribbean as a narrowly interconnected cultural region is intended as a constant to a large extent in the work of this artist, in which reflection about the historic problem of migration and its consequences in a multiethnic space characterized by cultural convergence and the plurality of beliefs, histories and models of thought.
In this sense, it’s very interesting to analyze relations of dependence and the linkages that Annalee establishes between collective experience, the strict individual ones and the idea of liberty mediated or determined by external factors in works such as Creole Madonna, Evocations to a Caribbean and, above all, the film production entitled On the map, that manages to grasp the problems that accompany daily life in this part of the world.
Her work concentrates on a space that has been defined for centuries as an area of mobility, in which diverse cultures have flowed, with a pile up of fused traditions fused that today distinguish us from the rest of the world. Our history has from the outset been an open zone for the inclusion of customs, religions, race so diverse that they have had adapt to new conditions for their necessary survival in a constant evolution until finding forms of personal influence and reach. In this social terrain born of contrasts, racial conflict was, from the start, an imposed condition.
We were born under the mark of differences that we have carried as stigmas to our times without being able to get rid of the old structures of dependence and subordination. So that nowadays the theme of race in the Caribbean is one of the most problematic and concealed. What is buried behind the evidence of our social reality goes way beyond a simple current circumstance and comes to form part of a subordinated history that has situated us in the role of second-class citizens and have, at the same time, filled feelings of complex of the kind that we have not known how to undo.
Today, nevertheless, the problem is seen in a different social group, let’s say that has caused a change a change of position that has transferred the defendants to the band of those culpable, changing the order of the system of values and hierarchies in a society where the predominant racial group is the black one. It becomes a little paradoxical, that the same marginalized by class over centuries would be today capable of mirroring the repression exercised on them, maintaining discriminatory attitudes toward the white minorities in their country or the racially mixed population of other nearby zones.
And the fact is that a change as difficult as is social change, cannot take place, of course, at a superficial level, the alternatives can only be found through a collective conscience capable of understanding the magnitude of the problem and in this way manage to prompt change. There is a discussion about creating a state of knowledge of the I-individual of the Caribbean man, but not in aforementioned individual sense, but by way of a community, that, without presuming to ignore its differences, must be known for the strong unity of its cultural and historic ties.
I believe that a great part of the work of Annalee is directed towards activating that general state of consciousness, necessary for her to encounter a perspective for this insertion in our multiple origins. Currently, one of the main contradictions of this zone is the migratory phenomenon; where large sectors of the population emigrate yearly toward other spaces in the same Caribbean, but the majority goes to developed countries where they find greater opportunities, above all, economic and individual development. The migratory condition has accompanied us during centuries. But if before the Caribbean was characterized for a meeting point to the interior of the zone, today it has become a space of cultural outreach toward the remainder of the world.
This situation is converted then in a real possibility for the definition of the Caribbean man, who upon being transferred toward other parts of the world necessarily begins to be understood as someone, who at the same time, is different to the rest. The idea of seeking that which identifies us as Caribbean finds its revelation in the multiple works of the artist who has not ceased to investigate our reality and, above all, the specific conditions of her space: Barbados. Migration, as a current problem in this society, constitutes one of the main thematic lines in the work of Annalee.
Her work is a symbolic effort, but not because of it is it less direct, managing to scrutinize the most diverse spaces of our cultural reality with a constructive and extremely critical look. The allusion to home and its symbolic translation become that space of welfare and individual execution that the human being so needs, that place that defines and distinguishes him, acquiring the magnitude of an oft repeated symbol so that it comes to be present like a constant one in many of her productions.
The uprooting also forms also part of this play with the identifier. Emigration always carries this dual load of what is alien or, unknown and that with which one has always been responsible for, without being important to place or time: one’s own roots. The frequent traumatic ending that accompanies these decisions surfaces many times in her works, alluding to the pain of being confronted by hostile circumstances in a society that itself shows no hospitality. This reflection on identity can be appreciated above all in works of the last years in which
Annalee investigates the interior of the Caribbean human being Caribbean bring to the surface its more defining characteristics. In this manner, standard behavior such as racism in the Barbadian society or its multiethnic characteristics and its religious variants, become sources of artistic inspiration and working material. It is interesting how she manages to maneuver beyond the aesthetic concept, with other aspects of life, allowing herself to carry them to the artistic plane. Thanks to this critical traspolación of a social or economic horizon to the aesthetic realm is then that one can speak of an art committed to social status with which she feels compelled to interact in order to transform her reality.
Her subjects, in addition to not being coincidental, bring about a critical discourse that Annalee throws towards the work itself and that aims beyond artistic analysis to address the issue from a position of generating new ideas. Arguing, discussing, finding new alternatives to the problems shown inside as well as outside of the work, are the main objectives pursued by the artist. Is not enough to appreciate her work, it must be capable of provoking a reaction that causes a transformation, however small it may be, even when operating only within the individual. Interaction in this sense is key, and the work of Annalee is not static, but rather plays with all possible meanings and through them she seeks from the viewer the completion of a result for themselves.
The complexity of the work is evident in its ability to address an issue through varied aesthetic resources from traditional formats to the use of new media such as audiovisual or digital techniques. This creative ability permits a vast symbolic universe that takes us down different paths to a single, well defined goal. . Alluding to the sense of identity in her work, is the idea of totality. A curious contrast defines its production from two points of view. Through the image of the home, the house, representative of the notion of privacy, of something very personal and intimate, is a defining symbol, the search for a collective feeling, to sense the Caribbean as a whole, where every man is able of being reflected in the other , reveals to us the breadth of her analytical capabilities.
Annalee tries to find in the most intimate spaces of human consciousness that which we identify as Caribbean and is able to serve as a bridge between all. The questioning of who we are resonates like an echo in all the works of Annalee. Her answer here is clear: she analyzes and wants to see the Caribbean as a human unit connected to itself without separation of classes or races. In defending the idea of a united Caribbean, her work has been aimed at diluting all kinds of boundaries, physical and mental, to find the path of integration. But an idea like this demands, in turn, an assumption of responsibility manifesting itself in the sense of commitment.
It happens that such liability cannot be measured in any individual, but must necessarily acquire thereby achieving collective influence in the process of social development. It seems essential that awareness is placed in the hands of men now living in the Caribbean, about the ability to make decisions for tomorrow. I find it instructive to refer to one of the last works of Annalee, introduced in Cuba and whose information we have obtained directly from the artist. The project running through the beaches of Barbados acquires the sense of a complaint about the critical situation that is causing the expansion of the tourism market in this small island only 34 km. long and 23 km. wide. Over 7 miles, Davis travels the coast to find out how many public beach accesses of hotel companies are still in place for the public.
The result of the experiment yields the reality of a fully privatized space, exclusive to a minority group with high purchasing power and tourism companies that have taken over much of the coastal territory. But the big business of tourism is not only about beaches, but has also been responsible for reducing the living space to the interior of the island in building numerous recreation centers for many foreign visitors . A great golf course in the shape of islands of the Caribbean becomes the representative image of a touristic and consistently superficial and temporary vision of the Caribbean that Annalee tries to denounce in Just Beyond My imagination, Where the original slogan of the tourism office of Barbados is appropriated and recreated. Contrary to a general attitude, Annalee does not create for tourism, but creates from it, taking its more preoccupying aspects for the future not only in Barbados, but in the general Caribbean community.
While the first work shows a space encroached on in the most coveted areas, it launches criticism beyond the image itself to an area such as economic activity on the island, mostly dependent on the United States and Europe, which constitute its broad market sector.
However Just Beyond My Imagination is a direct reference to one of the light games of the upper class: golf, which shows the extent of economic power, even moreso when there exists a clear suggestion about segregation in two territories: Guyana and Haiti. Countries because of discrimination and poverty, not part of the game in which only select members enter. Both works are of crucial importance because they exceed the limits of the artistic, encountering very important issues for Barbadian reality, a living space shrinking more and more as regards an inspirational area in which forces may join in a just demand for the transformation of the situation that threatens to displace the natural population of the country in a race to win the most coveted pieces of land with the aim of making tourist playgrounds for those who come from outside.
Another of her most popular topics is the relationship between the collective and individual experience of the human will. It is not difficult to find a direct correspondence between these two concepts and the issue of Caribbean identity. The reality of the coexistence of a diverse culture, makes Barbados today, a space marked by social and cultural plurality. The theme of migration comes back again and again, this time to offer the measure of the extent of this problem from a female perspective in the work Evocation of Caribbean which refers to the convergence of stories that have taken place in Barbados. The work is presented as an installation that invites viewers to participate in an interactive experience with the piece, which must, by means of a lever, activate movement in different boxes simulating the natural movement these women have had throughout the history of the Caribbean.
Women and Goddesses from around the world become the evocation of a great image of the Caribbean in which there are fragments of history which must be grouped in a single area of identity: Aboriginal women, English, African, Indian, Chinese and Creole appear in correspondence with their respective goddesses in a parallel historical line. The uprooting of a native tradition on the one hand, and adapting to a new geographical and cultural space, on the other, becomes the result of a motion at the level of social consciousness beyond migration. The multiple realities that occurred in the Caribbean have been the cause of numerous discrepancies in society.
The differences are not only raised to a social or economic level, the issue of religion or race is perhaps even more troubling. Expressing the uniqueness of the relationship between all these people so different and far between, as well as finding new ways for unity is essential to Annalee. The footage On The Map of the Caribbean speaks from their own voices from numerous interviews conducted mainly Guyanese immigrants moving into the territory of Barbados annually in large populations.
The material shows the consequences of a political and economic integration and a single market for Caribbean countries in the CARICOM should promote social and political union, as well as regional economic integration. Contrary to expectations, this model encourages further economic contradictions of the area. Resistance becomes a weapon of struggle for those who are threatened in a Barbados already reduced in its physical space and above all work. The markedly xenophobic Barbadian society creates a state of denial and aggression against Guyanese immigrants.
The film purports to speak from the experience of these people, who in their capacity as Indians, experience the burden of discrimination in a country that is assumed to be black from very nationalistic and aggressive feelings. The film provides a space for expression for this group of people who feel free to talk about their experiences as migrants. The notion of community acquired in this case a wider political scope, however this assumption of unity or collective space appears constantly in contrast with a tragic life experience of the interviewees. The migratory movement within the Caribbean is today one of the main causes of internal conflict.
Passing through physical and geographical borders is much easier to go through than the mental barrier of men, which is why Annalee attempts to show that other image conscious of her origin and consistent with a Caribbean experience: the person who knows all his differences but especially who do not feel black, white, French, Creole or Chinese, but all at the same time. This is where the artist's role takes on added significance in terms of social work.
Art should offer the possibility of debate and confrontation of ideas that encourage social change from an active position. The role of the artist must be a commitment to the historical conditions surrounding it and does not mean that is necessarily political, but if you need to defend an idea from a vision consistent with its principles, culture, roots, religion, etc.. From this point of view of Davis's work appeals to many different resources, but always well-defined positions and, above all, with a deep feminine sensibility.
Her work starts, often in an analysis of the historical condition of the Caribbean, hence the issue of political conflicts and racial diversity, but this only becomes a starting point to get us to reflect on our present condition and place. What is the image of ourselves that we have and what is the notion that our reality we must take? Davis calls for a space of communication, a right to speak for those who have been silenced for a long time. That is why we address the issue from the perspective of incursion and search of the symbolic key works with the artist explained the meaning of her work and is very useful for our understanding of conflict and current status from an unprejudiced vision and alien to stereotypes imposed over centuries, which have dented our image and vision of our identity and we must aim to recover today.
September 2010
Materiales consultados:
Digital Documentos:
On The Map. A film by Annalee Davis, 2007
Recorded Interview:
Interviewee: Annalee Davis
Interviewers: Alena Méndez Moreno, Maria Prada Naida y Yudith Linares Suárez
Lugar: Hostal Los Frailes, La Habana Vieja, Cuba
Día y Hora: 27 de marzo de 2009, 9:00 a.m.
Revistas y Catálogos:
The New Bajan. October, 1990: The power of art, pág.8
Annalee Davis. What Matters
Entrevista a Annalee Davis
Members Preferred, texto que precede semejando una alfombra roja, la entrada al campo de golf en Just Beyond My Imagination. Por otro lado el silenciamiento y la falta de información es una realidad con la que me he topado a la hora de buscar información no sólo de estos lugares, sino del propio Barbados en los circuitos de Internet. Muy poco información especializada, escasos estudios serios revelan las fuerzas de un poder que somete a los países del Caribe.
Entrevista de Annalee Davis
Tomado de: On The Map
