Face of the Gods: The Artists and Their Altars - Omega

13 Pages·2008·5.49 MB·English

Face of the Gods: The Artists and Their Altars
Author(s): Robert Farris Thompson
Source: African Arts, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Winter, 1995), pp. 50-61
Published by: UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3337250
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OF THE
THE ARTISTS
uratedb yR oberFt arrisT hompson, AND THEIR ALTARS
C
with speciala ssistancef rom
C. Daniel Dawson, "Faceo f the Gods:
Art and Altars of Africaa nd the African ROBERTF ARRIST HOMPSON
Americas"p resenteda pproximately
eighteena ltars composedo f moret han A
100 Africana nd African-American
ltars everywherea re sites of ritual communicationw ith heaven, ancestors,
artworks.O riginatinga t the Museum
and spirits, marking the boundary between the ordinary world and the
for AfricanA rt in New YorkC ity
world of the spirits. Elevated or grounded, simple or elaborate, personal or
(September2 4, 1993-January9 , 1994),
the exhibitionh as traveledt o the Seattle communal, they focus the faithful in worship. Altars are central to African religions on
Art Museum (see reviewi n African both sides of the Atlantic, inspiring women and men to set down offerings to the gods
Arts, Autumn 1994, p. 74) and is and build models of heaven.
currentlya t the UniversityA rt Museum, This exhibition articulates two principal metaphors for altars in the African-Atlantic
Berkeleyt,h roughF ebruary1 . Future world-one Yoruba, one Kongo. Among the Yoruba and other Kwa speakers of West
host institutionsa re the Museum of Fine Africa, the altar is referred to as a "face of the gods," a place for appeasement, where
Arts, Montgomery( March1 9-May 21), votive pottery is placed and cool liquids are poured from vessels. Yoruba altars gleam
and the VirginiaM useum of Fine Arts, with massed vessels whose fragility demands tact and delicacy in worship. In contrast,
Richmond( June2 7-September1 0). Kongo civilizations of Central Africa consider the altar to be a "turning point," the
Thea ltars in the exhibitionw ere
crossroads, the threshold to another world. Kongo worshipers make the tombs of their
installeda ftert he companionc atalogue,
ancestors into altars, using a cross-in-a-circle pattern mirroring the passage of the sun
by RobertF arrisT hompsonh, ad been
to signify the cycle of life and chart the immortal journey of the soul.
written (336 pp., 27 b/w & 286 color
In terms of museum practice, "Face of the Gods" adopts a range of approaches that
photos;$ 70 hardcover$, 39.50 softcover)
are usually separate. Some of the objects on display had religious applications long
and therefored o not appeari n that
volume.A frican Arts is pleasedt o ago, but have acquired a second history in museum exhibits or collections. Others
illustratem ost of the African-American were created and sanctified by religious leaders in the Museum for African Art, and
examplesi n thef ollowing pages, together these exhibits have religious applications now. Still others are partial or total recon-
with discussiond rawnf rom the structions, as in the dioramas found in traditional natural history museums. As a sec-
exhibitiont exts and short biographieos f ondary issue, the exhibition thus explores the contested borders between authenticity
theirm akers. and inauthenticity, art and belief.
50 africana rts* winter1 995
YORUBA GODS
AND THEIR EMBLEMS
The Yoruba of Nigeria, sixteen million
strong, are heirs to an ancient culture
renowned for its complexity. One section
of the exhibition presents the visual
vocabulary of Yoruba worship on both
sides of the Atlantic. The orisha, or
deities, in the Yoruba pantheon distin-
guish themselves in altars by their col-
ors, foods, banners, and icons. Under
creole inventive pressure, these emblems
vary and change, but nonetheless they
span three continents and many cen-
turies with remarkable consistency.
Transparent beads on Yoruba altars
speak of the goddesses of the waters;
blue and white symbolize Yemoja and
the Atlantic Ocean; transparent yellow,
the color of love, honey, and sweetness,
personifies Oshun. Black and red, sym-
bolic of extreme power, including night
and fire, identify the trickster Eshui-
Elegba. Raffia and seed stand for Nana
Bukuiu and her son, Obaluaiye, the deity
of earth and disease.
Foremost among altars of boldness
and immediacy on both sides of the
Atlantic are those dedicated to Shang6,
the thunder god. Religions of Yoruba ori-
gin have been named for him throughout
the Caribbean and Brazil. Shang6's colors
are red and white, red indicating the flash
of his lightning-like a knife in the eyes of
all liars and adulterers-and white his
controlling calm and purity of character.
Manifested in storms, Shang6 brings to
the world a purifying moral vengeance.
PHOTO: JERRY L THOMPSON. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART
OjuO xala:A fro-BraziliaAn ltar EneidaA ssungaoS anches
to the YorubaC reatorG od
Borni n 1962 in SalvadorB, ahia,B razilE, neida
Based on an altarm adeb y MaiJ ocelinhai n Sanches began studyingp aintings, culpture,
SalvadorB, ahia,B razils, ummer1 982.M ounted music,d ance, and copeirau ndert he tutelage
by Eneida Sanches,w itha ltar of RobitaB algida,D irectoro f the LittleS chool
metalworAbky ss Culnoqd.iom iMr enezesd a Silva( Oxala of Arti n Bahia.S he wento n to studyp ainting
staffs,m etalp lates),a nd EneidaA ssunqao and filma t the AntonioV ieiraS choola nd archi-
Sanches (crownb, ells,s poon),b otho f Salvador, tecturea t the FederalU niversitoyf Bahia,
Bahia,B razil. receivingh er bacheloro f science degree in
architecturien 1990.S anches learnedr eligious
Thisi mmaculatael tar( ojt)c onveyst he glory, metalworkinfgr omm asterm etalworkeGr ilmar
honesty,a nd purityo f Oxala( theY oruba Tavarest;h eirt echniqued escends froma long
god of creativitya ndc ustom.C lean traditionor iginatinign AfricaS. anches has
Owhbiatte.c ll.o),t hs,f lowers,m etals,a nd ceramict iles travelede xtensivelys,t udyingm ultiplefo rmso f
are evocationso f his spotless reputationB. efore architecturaaln d spirituaal rt,a nd is currently
the altari s a bed in whitel inenu ponw hich workinga s a sculptori n SalvadorS. he has
devotees mayk neela nd meditateb eforeh is exhibitedi n Brazial t the Boa MorteF estivali n
inspiringp resence.T he tins taffs (opaxorob) y Cachoeirat, he Casa do Benin,a nd the Centro
ClodomiMr enezesd a Silva( Mimitos)i gnifyt he de EstudosA froB rasileirosa;n d in the United
maturitayn d wisdomo f Oxalufomt,h e eldest of States at the CaribbeanC ulturaCl enterN, ew
Oxala'sa vatars. YorkC ity.
africaanr ts* winte1r9 95 51
Obatala'sW arriors
Madeb y JohnM asono f NewY ork.
the Yorubag od of creativitya nd purity,
Ohabsa ftolua.r,w arriorosr avatarsd edicatedt o his
protectionE: shb,t he trickster(t he head in the
lowe arthenwarbe owl);O gon,t he blacksmith
(metali mplementas nd ironp ot);O shbbsi,t he
hunter( antlersa nd bow);a nd Osanyint, he
doctor( staff)J. oinedt ogethert,h ese fourd eities
providea n everlastingsh ieldi n honor.
Obatal.'s
JohnM ason
Initiatedas a priesto f ObatalAin 1970,J ohn
Masoni s the directoro f the YorubaT heological
Archministriny NewY orkC itya nd has taught
and lecturedt hroughoutth e UnitedS tates on a
wide varietyo f subjects,m ost recentlyo n
Yorubaa rta t the ArtI nstitutoe f Chicago.H is
studyo f Yorubac ulturei n the AfricanA mericas,
based on fieldr esearchi n the U.S.,C uba,H aiti,
BrazilT, rinidadJ,a maica,a nd PuertoR ico,h as
yieldedt he books OnjeF unO risa,F oodf ort he
Gods (1981),B lackG ods:O risaS tudiesi n the
New World(1 985),a nd OrinO risa:S ongs for
Selected Heads (1992). He has also workedo n
feature-lengtfhil mso n AmericanY orubatr adi-
tions,i ncludingth e BBC'sN ew YorkS: ecret
AfricanC itya, nd was a special consultantto El
Museod el Barrioin NewY orkfo rt he exhibition
"SantaC ommida.M" asoni s also a designer,
musiciana, nd drumm akers, pecializingi n the
musico f Cuba,H aitiP, uertoR ico,T rinidad,
Nigeriaa, nd Ghana.
PHOTOC: . DANIEDLA WSON
PHOTO: C. DANIEL DAWSON
52 africaanr tso w inte1r9 95
PHOTO: JERRY L. THOMPSON. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART
Altart o Seven YorubaD eities AlbertoM organ
Madeb yA lbertoM organo f UnionC ity, AlbertoM organw as borni n HavanaC, uba,i n
NewJ ersey. 1939 and came to the UnitedS tates in 1980.A
priesto f Santeriaf ort hirty-twyoe ars, he
Here,s even prominendte ities( orichasc) an be combinesh is artistict alentsa nd spiritual
distinguishedb y the coloro f theirc lotha nd sym- sensibilitiesto builda ltars.H e studiedd ance,
bolicallyc oded bead necklaces.T heya re, from drama,a nd paintinga t Havana'sw ell-known
left( thes pellingo f each Yorubad eityi s Cuban- San AlejandrSo choola nd has touredF rance,
Yoruba)C: hang6( reda nd white),O batala Spain,a nd Belgiuma s a performearn d dancer.
(white)O, chOn(y ellow)E, leguB( blacka nd red), Verya ctivei n the theaterM, organtr avels
Oya-Yansa(m aroon)Y, emaya( bluea ndw hite), betweenP uertoR ico,U nionC itya, nd Miami.
and Olokun( darkb luea nd coral).T he faces of He has performedin OchunO bejeye,a play
the Yorubad eitiesi n Cubaa re maskedw ithin aboutt he African-syncretsiaci nts/deities
coveredt ureensh oldings tones of spiritual OchOnS, t. LazarusS, t. Barbaraa, nd Elegui;
powera nd authorityT. he orichas,e ach richly at CarnegieH alla nd RadioC ityM usicH allw ith
draped,a re placedt ogetherf ora n initiation Olga Guilloa; nd withC eliaC ruzi n a tributet o
anniversaroyr the feast day of an individual the Cubanm usicalg enius BennyM oreA. n
orichaC. reoler ecombinationasr e evidenti n the authoro f songs and plays based on Cuban
iconography. legends, his currenmt usicalp rojecti s a
collaboratiown ithR uthF ernandezw, ho is
called "theC eliaC ruzo f PuertoR ico."
PHOTO C DANIEL DAWSON
africana rts* winter1 995 53
PHOTO: JERRY L. THOMPSON. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART
TIED SPACE AND SPIRITUAL
CIRCLING:
KONGO-ATLANTIC ALTARS Bottle Tree YardS how
(foreground) (background)
About forty percent of the ten million per- Combinest he string-and-husrtyl le of Cornelius Bottlel awni nt he style of BlackA ustinT, exas;
sons taken from Africa in the Atlantic Lee of TidewaterV, irgini(ai nw hichb ottles preparedg uardiand ollsa ndw heelw iths kullb y
connectedw iths tringa re throwno vera branch), blackt raditionaliGsty pP acknetot f southwest-
Trade between 1550 and 1850 came from
and the stub-and-jamst yle of the Mississippi ern Mississippi.
Kongo-influenced Central Africa. To this Delta( bottlesa rej ammedo ntot he ends of
day, Kongo elders "tie" plates belonging branches)T. he latterr ecallst he impaledp lates Bottlesf illedw ithc oloredw ater" wardo ffd ogs,"
to ancestors to trees or branches in the of Kongo. butm oret hand ogs are beingt urneda way.T he
powero f bottlesa nd medicinesa s protective
cemetery to arrest their talents for the Customsl ike" tyingt"h e talentso f the dead to artf ormsi s hallmarkehde re. Int his composite
benefit of the living. Under creole pres- trees withp lates,a ndt he belieft hatt he flasho f of variousA frican-Americyaanr dt raditionsG, yp
sure, this custom reemerged in the glass when hitb y lightc an attracat nd capture Packnettti ed twind olls,o ne witha pistol,t o the
African-American and African-Caribbean evil, havef used togetheri n NorthA mericain the frontw allo f his house so thata ll mightr ealize
festive-lookinbgo ttlet ree. Iti mpliest he forcesu nderG odg uardh is premisesa nd
"bottle tree," where spirits, attracted by followingm essage: "Ify ou come to do harm, "knowh owt o take care of things."I na dditiona,
the flash of the bottles, are captured. here are dead trees and dead branchesf rom tirep lanterb, lades frome lectricf ans, and a
Tying is the metaphoric binding together the foresto f the protectivde ead, buti f you come wagonw heel encode the preoccupatiown ith
of spirit and object, or spirit to a location, sintr geonogdt hfaeinthemd in a tyhy eo fularss ohuo lf bthee irs pirit."S pirit- the cyclinga nd continuitoyf the soul.
such as inside a bottle. It can be symbol- repellingsk illetsa re paintedr edt o
ized in various other ways, among them resemblet he taillightos f an automobile.
wrapping with string, driving in nails,
and chaining and padlocking an object.
The powerful Kongo tradition of the
nkisi, or "medicine of God," tells the spir-
it what to do with material ideographs.
Hence a figure with a mirror drives off
evil in the flash of the glass, or soars
invincibly with feathers, or blesses mysti-
cally with other symbolic elements. "Face
of the Gods" includes two small mirror-
nkisi from Kongo and culturally related
feather- and mirror-studded "Kongo pac-
quets" from Haiti. Opposite these, a yard
show provides an answering black North
American tradition of using mirrors on
the porch or on the front wall to guard a
house from evil.
54 africana rts* winter1 995
Kongo TreeA ltart o the Ancestors
Prepareda nd consecratedb y Dr.K . KiaB unseki
Fu-Kiauof Zairea nd Boston.
The Kongoc ustomo f showinga ffectionfo rt he
dead by surroundintgh e gravew ithp lates
attachedt o sticksp refigureos ne kindo f North
Americanb ottlet ree. The plates'r esemblance
to mushroomesv okes a Kongop un:
matondo/tondam, ushroom/tloo ve. K. Kia
BunsekiF u-Kiauof feredt he followingw ordsa t
the consecrationo f this "mushroomtr ee":
InA fricab, eforea ny dedicatione vent
such as the dedicationo f this "mushroom
tree,"o ne woulda lwayss ay, Mfuman a
mfuman, gangan a nganga.T hism otto
states, "Politiciandse al withp oliticians;
doctorsw ithd octors."W eg atherh ere
because we all lovea nd appreciatea rt
and its hiddenm eaningsy, esterday,
today,a ndt omorrowW. hena powerful
individual-al eader,a chief,a twin-moth-
er, a hero,a communithy ealer,o r the
communithy istorian-dies,o ne says, N'ti
ubunddbid"i,T het ree has fallen,"o r Sisi
kiziminwi, hichm eans" Thef lamei s
gone."T hisf allent ree in the upperw orld
joinst he ancestorsi n the lowerw orld,
andt o offert hanks,j ars,p ots, knives,
plates,b ottles,a nd braceletsa re laido n
the ancestratl ombs.
K. KiaB unsekiF u-Kiau
Originallfyr omZ aire,K . KiaB unsekiF u-Kiau
noww orksa t the SuffolkC ountyH ouseo f
Correctionosu tsideB oston.T hereh e
developeda nd implementedth e courses
"AfricaWn orlda nd Culture,a"n insighti ntot he
Africanr ootso f African-Americcaunl ture,
geared towardb uildings elf-esteema nd a
sense of pridea mongi nmateso f African
descent in particularH. e has also taughta t
severalu niversitiesa, mongt hemY alea nd
Tuftsa, nd publishedn umerousa rticleso n
Kongof aitha nd healingt raditionsF. u-Kiauh as
receivedd egrees in psychologya nd cultural
anthropologya,s wella s master'sd egrees in
educationa nd librarysc ience, and a Ph.D.i n
educationa nd communityd evelopmenftr om
the UnionI nstitutien Cincinnati.
PHOTO: JERRY L THOMPSON. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART
africaanr ts* winte1r9 95 55
SaamakaA ltar
An evocationo f the Saamakah igha ltart o the
ancestorsa t AsindoopoS, uriname.
A flag altart o the ancestorsw ouldh ave housed
a guardianfi gurew ithf unereawl hiteh eadwrap
and the stripedc lothsp rizedb y the ancestors.
Pegged and dramaticallhyo istedt oward
heaven,t he fabricse xaltt hose who liberated
themselvesf romp lantationsl averyT. he
surroundinfge nce is an old-styleo rnamentation
meantt o please the ancestorst hrough
re-creationof theira rtf orms.
FLAG ALTARS
TO THE ANCESTORS
In the rain forests of Suriname, South
America, multiple African and European
traditions fuse in the flag altars of the
NdjukA and Saamaka. Composed of peo-
ples of Mande, Akan, and Fon/Ewe, as
well as Kongo and Yoruba origin, these
African-influenced maroon societies use
flags to signal spiritual presence and cul-
tural independence. They specially honor
heroic ancestors who "heard the guns of
war"-who successfully fought-for libera-
tion from plantation slavey in the eigh-
teenth century.
Honoring the ancestors with cloth is a
tradition of the Yoruba, Kongo, and other
cultures throughout West and Central
Africa. Yoruba-Cuban practitioners drape
their altars with vertical pieces of cloth to
create throne-like atmospheres. The
Kongo use flags spiritually to capture the
wind; their word for "flag" also carries
meanings of wind and spirit, a banner
waving in the breeze that represents an
honored ancestor.
Two maroon flag altars, both commu-
nal, are represented in the exhibition. One
is an evocation of the Ndjuka high altar to
the ancestors at Dii Tabiki, the capital of
the Ndjukd people. It recalls how Ndjukd
altar makers suspend long, immaculate
white cloths from the top of a T-form cross
within a carpentered enclosure to call on
God (Gaa Gadu) and the ancestors. The
second, a Saamaka altar, is shown here.
PHOTOJ ERRYL THOMPSOCNO. URTESOYF T HEM USEUMFO RA FRICAANR T
56 africaanr ts* winte1r9 95
THE CIRCLING OF THE SOUL
AND KONGO MEDICINES OF GOD
At the coreo f classicaKl ongor eligioni s
the cosmogramc alled dikengaa, cross
within a circle,a symbolicc harto f the
voyageo f the soul.I t revolvesl ikea star
in heaven,a shiningc ircle,t he sun in
miniature. As a miniature of the sun, the
soul has four moments: birth (sunrise),
flowering (high noon), fading (sunset),
and the return in the dawn of a coming
day. The dikenga sign also takes the form
of a cross without a circle, a simple dia-
mond, or a diamond with adornments at
each of the four points. Because the
Kongo believe the soul resides in the
forehead, dikenga motifs often adorn the
foreheads of masks.
The nkisi (pl. minkisi) is a "medicine of
God." It is created by a priest, filled with
earths to summon spirits, and with ideo-
graphic writing and objects to tell the
spirit how to protect the soul of its owner
and others in need. Among the more
dramatic minkisi are the zinkondi, the
famous Kongo blade images, studded
with thorns, wedges, nails, and blades,
and used in Central Africa for oath-tak-
ing, protection, and healing. In Cuba,
minkisi are placed in isolated rooms, clos-
ets, corners, or crossroads, and adorned
with feathers, stones, sticks, beads,
earths, and iron. Many minkisi are set in
spiritual motion with multiple feathers.
PHOTO: JERRY L THOMPSON. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART
Altart o the SpiritS arabandaR ompeM onte FelipeG arciaV illamil
Designeda nd executedb y FelipeG arcia FelipeG arcia'sS arabandaw as mounted. Thes ynthesisa nd syncretismo f Afro-Cuban
Villamoilf Matanzas( Cuba)a nd the Bronx Hangingfr omt he nkisia re beadeda nimahl orns religiona nd musica re FelipeG arciaV illamil's
(NewY ork)W. alld rawings( firmase) xecutedb y used forp rotectionan dd ivinationT. he horns heritageA. masterm usiciana nd craftsmanin
AlfonsoS erranof, lag executedb y Santiago withm irrorasr e calledv ititmi ensu( leavesa bout bothY orubaa nd Kongot raditionsh, e was born
Barriarioas,n d metals ymbolo f Sarabanda the eyes), and one withouat mirroirs calleda in MatanzasC, uba,i ntoa well-knowmn usical
made by OgundipeF ayomi. mpaka( horn). and spirituafla milyH. is motherT, omasaV illamil,
MMI1 w9yy9anr 3soa .ba moderi s in sSo Nnar ktahubey atuwnW deanat.t ayr-fiairmostfb Sae. ptember, nmSkaoriOrsanicb naian tlhnlgoeed rd fa eaL lv onueodcnr aie innsr sfogMris sottuansrn toh .dIf i mtSoa w,aic nrhts ahi cabihssa rw naeo dpsraqrikse u .Tsa iernhneoet to tsth heer tBPishae tenlh ocieiM gt gnyro-oasnG tntaaedtr.Fde ocr afioa uOGm gyhah oirts,ce N oYiraf io ,ghY reeuorlrdbiau sagH.eb rvaemies af nuta- sdtgihecregiaarrn,ne desff sra oitnmh e rs
bottleo n the leftc ontainsc hamba,a mixtureo f GarciaV illamiinl heriteda set of sacred bata
One formo f Kongoa ltarf oundi n the Afro-Cuban ruma nd herbsu sed to salutea nd activate drumsa nd was initiateda s theirc aretakerA.
religiono f PaloM onte( also calledP alo minkisiT. he smallw hites hells on the floora re skilledd rumm akerh, e also creates exquisitely
Mayombei)s nkisiS arabandaS. arabandais calledc hamalongoa nd are used ford ivination. beaded ceremoniaol bjectsa nd clothb anners
consideredb y some Palop riestst o be the spirit Abovet he closet enclosureh angsa protective thatp resentt he ideographicw ritingo f his
of a powerfurla ilroawd orkerT. hisn kisiw as spiritG, urufindaT.h e nkisi,t he closet doors, religioust raditionI.n C uba,G arciaV illamil
createdb y a priesta nd is composedo f objects andt he larger edf lag on the backw alla re became a membero f the all-males ociety,
fromt he worldo f the living( e.g., bones, shells, coveredw ithp rotectivsei gns calledf irmas Abakuat, hatb roughtth e drums,b eats, and
feathers,p lants)a nd othero bjectss uch as (signatureso) r gand6s( spiritualol cks).T hese costumeso f CalabarN, igeriat, o the island.H e
stones and differentty pes of soils. The altard is- signs are also used to assist the nkisii n its foundedt he folklorigc roupE mikekes,e rving
playedh ere is based on a closet modeli n which movementth roughti mea nd space. as musicald irectorm, usiciana, nd teacher.
GarciaV illameilm igratedt o the UnitedS tates i
n 1980a nd currentllyi vesi n the BronxH. e
performsa nd teaches at manye ducational
institutionsin, cludingth e AmericanM useumo f
NaturaHl istoryC, olumbiaU niversityth, e
CaribbeanC ulturaCl entera, nd YaleU niversity.
africaanr tso winte1r9 95 57
PHOTO: JERRY L. THOMPSON. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART
Kongo-CubanA ltart o LuceroM undo, Jose Bedia
Francisco Siete Rayos, and Comisi6nI ndia Jose Bediai s a Cuban-bornp ainterw ho has
Designeda nd installedb y Jose Bediao f exhibitedt hroughouEt uropeL, atinA merica,
HavanaC, uba. and the UnitedS tates. He studieda t the School
of Arti n San Alejandraon d the Superior
Jose Bediaw as initiatedin toP aloM ontei n Institutoe f Arti n Havanab eforem ovingt o
HavanaT. oc oncealh is faithh e createda n altar MiamiH. isw orksh ang in the permanent
whichh e hidi n a laundryh amperT. he altari n collectionso f the PhiladelphiMa useumo f Art,
"Faceo f the Gods"i s similarto the one in the ArkansasA rtC entert, he Museod e Belles
Havanai n designa nd proportionsC. entrails Artesi n Caracas,a nd the CentroC ultural/Arte
LuceroM undoa, descendanto f the nkisi Contemporaneion MexicoC ity,a mongo thers.
nkondiw, itha "nailedh"o okeds ticko f powera, Bediai s an active participanitn the PaloM onte
cross honoringG odA lmightya,n d a seashell for traditiona, creole mixo f the ancientt raditions
longl ifea nd the soul'se ternalj ourneyA. tl efti s of Kongoa nd SpanishC atholicisma,n d
the spiritF ranciscoS iete Rayos;a t righti s contributeda n altarr eflectingh is Afro-Cuban
Comisi6nI ndiaT. he paintingso n the backdrop spirituadl evelopmenat nd heritage." When
portrayth e two worlds:n ighta nd day,t he (RobertF arrisT) hompsons aw the personal
ancestorsa nd the living. altara t my home,h e asked me to makeo ne for
the show.N ormallyp eople have onlyo ne altar
forp ersonalr ituals, o the one I am creatingi n
New Yorkw illb e a replica.I 'llc onstructt he altar
in a corners pace, a crossroads,w heret wo
wallsm eet;o n the one side I'llp aintt he day
witht he sun and on the others ide the moon
witht he stars-a cosmogramO. n the floorw ill
be a brickt rianglef illedw ithe arthr epresenting
a garden,a nd on top of it rests the Lucero
Mundoi, n this case a larges eashell,w itha
bundleo f healingm edicinesi nside,s urrounded
by brokenb ranches."
58 africana rts* winter1 995