Jacques-Enguérrand Gourgue (1930–1996)
Jacques-Enguérrand Gourgue was born in Port-au-Prince. His father was a French psychiatrist, and his Haitian mother was thought to be a mambo (a priestess in the Vodou religion). Drawing and painting were Gourgue’s favorite subjects in school. In 1947 he joined Le Centre d’Art, and at the age of seventeen, he painted “The Magic Table,” which is now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Never formally trained, Gourgue mastered the techniques taught in the academy without losing his personal style. He developed a unique aesthetic language borrowed from Surrealism but included Haitian elements such as skeletal trees, peasants, huts, and Vodou symbolism. He also excelled at portraits of historical figures, rendered in bold colors and dramatic poses.
Gourgue’s imagery is not easily interpreted by those unfamiliar with Haitian life, folklore, history, and religion. He often juxtaposed familiar objects in a personal and surprising way that was challenging visually and emotionally.
Source: https://arthaitian.com/gourgue-jacques-enguerrand-1930-1996
Jacques-Enguérrand Gourgue (1930–1996)
Jacques-Enguérrand Gourgue fèt Pòtoprens. Papa li se te yon sikyat Franse epi manman li yo panse se te yon manbo manmzèl te ye. Lè l te lekòl sijè l te pi renmen se fè desen epi fè tablo. Li antre nan Le Centre d’Art an 1947, lè sa a li te gen 17 an, li fè yon tablo ki rele “Tab majik la”, se yon tablo ki nan koleksyon yon mize Nouyòk ki rele “Museum of Modern Art.”
Malgre li pa janm resevwa okenn fòmasyon fòmèl, Gourgue aprann tout teknik yo te anseye nan akademi an san l pa janm pèdi estil pa li. Li devlope fòm estetik pa li ki prete kèk eleman nan fòm Sireyalis la men ki te gen eleman Ayisyen ladan tankou eskelèt pye bwa, peyizan, ti kay pay, epi kèk senbòl Vodou. Li te bon nan fè tablo pèsonaj istorik, li te pentire yo ak koulè vif epi yo te gen pòz estwòdinè.
Se pa fasil pou moun entèprete imaj Gourgue yo si yo pa abitye ak jan Ayisyen viv, ak fòlklò Ayisyen an, ak istwa peyi a, epi ak relijyon peyi a. Anpil fwa li mete kèk bagay moun abitye avè yo yon fason pèsonèl epi yon fason pou siprann moun ki fè tablo te yon jan difisil pou moun gade epi tablo yo te rantre nan santiman moun.
Men ki kote enfòmasyon sa a soti: https://arthaitian.com/gourgue-jacques-enguerrand-1930-1996