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Ellie Lescot
Caleb Mentor
Sammo
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Painter Samuel “ Sammo” Augutin In Solo
Show at Galerie Marcelin
For a first solo show in the
community, Samuel Augustin “ SAMMO” introduced himself in a flamboyant
appearance at the opening of Galerie Marcelin on December 14th,
2006. An imposing array of paintings are on exhibit showcasing the
artist versatility and mastery of diverse genres and techniques ranging
from fundamental sketches and drawing with application of water color to
avant-gardist cubism, and from Saint-Soleil influence to the most
sophisticated impressionism.
In the main room of the
gallery , the show introduces the painter’s original collection in a
series entitled ” Deep thoughts”, appropriately named for its depiction
of women in various thinking positions based on the life circumstances
that they might be. In one instance, a pregnant woman is holding her
stomach in contemplation of the responsibilities associated with child
bearing. In another, she is left undressed in her room and is holding
her head in a manner suggesting that she just made a mistake. She is
wondering about the consequences of her indecisions.
In this series, Sammo uses
mixed media compositions of drawing on paper with a splashy application
of water color to allow the fluid to flow freely. The latter, the artist
explains, is symbolic of the freedom of choice women have. Water, he
continues to say, has the faculty to follow its course and cycle with
minimal artificial disturbance
In the second room of the
gallery is on display another series that sets Sammo apart and is a
personal favorite: The Voodoo Emancipation collection. What is striking
about it is the complete balance between the articulation of the
content and the composition. The content evokes the new found freedom
practitioners of voodoo found in 2004 after the President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide declared voodoo a national religion that can be practiced
openly like any other, thus the emancipation. The composition organizes
the elements in a cubist style where one execution gives the impression
of having been artificially patched with various geometric pieces canvas
to create the illusion of a quilt with visible stitches.
“ Rennaissance”( 2005 ),
37x54 in, acrylic on canvas, captures in perplexing fashion all
onlookers . In another painting, the voodoo drum, the soul of all
ceremonies, is the central subject; and its size with respect to all
positive space on the work reveals the significance and grandeur of the
instrument for its role in religious rituals. The elements of design are
intricately organized to suggest the “ Veve” , Cosmo grams that
symbolize the ‘ loas “( spirits) being honored. The result is a
wholesome ensemble of masterpieces that one must acquaint oneself with.
Samuel Augustin is an
educator who teaches in the New-york city public school system.A
graduate from Brooklyn College with B.A in Fine Arts; Sammo admitted
that most of his works are recounts of scenes from his native Haiti that
he left in March 1990 to settle in New-York with his wife and four kids.
His passion for painting started by the age of ten, when he was enrolled
in drawing classes at the “College Adventiste de Vertieres”. He
remembers the greeting cards Madame Nicole used to make him do for
special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ day and Christmas.
Sammo digs motivation for painting in reminiscence of his childhood
memories. As a result, he has grown attached to all his work to the
point where it is difficult for him to sell them.
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