re: Haitian vs. Dominican artists

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kingofdice

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re: Haitian vs. Dominican artists

After 14 trips to the D.R. in the past 5 years, I've bought a number of oil paintings in Boca Chica and Santo Domingo, and most recently from some of the galleries in Colonial City. While I've bought some nice Haitian paintings, I'm starting to develop a bias that the Dominican artists are better painters, using a better palette of colors, with finer detail.

While I understand that many Haitian paintings are mass produced, all things being equal, time, materials, etc. - are the Haitians really just as good but lacking the resources of Dominican artists or are the Dominican artists better trained and generally more talented?

Or have I been psychologically lulled into believing that since Dominican artists demand more money for their paintings, that they must be superior?
 
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Ken

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Certainly the Haitian paintings sold at the beach and tourist shops are mass produced. You see the same things wherever you go. However, Barbara and I have a liking for Haitian art and buy it from a dealer in the Colonial City that specializes in it. And though he has some mass produced stuff, much of what he sells isn't. And while it is true that what we have bought is not as "refined" as paintings from some other artists, it is the more primitive charm of these paintings that makes us like them so much.

Dominican painters might display more technical skill than Grandma Moses, but she has a large following and her paintings command high prices.
 
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amy2761

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From the North Coast .... The Hatian 'art' here makes me cry, if anybody knows of anywhere to buy Hatian art, the real thing, then please let me know because I don't even know what it looks like - if it's anything like what they sell in the streets of Cabarete/Sosua then rather don't let me know ;)

On the other hand, I have bought from Dominican artists that I know, mostly in the Cabarete area because of the plain fact that it has been painted by a PERSON and not in an assembly line.

Stay well,
Amy
 
K

kingofdice

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I agree with you, Ken, that there is a primitive appeal with the Haitian paintings. Admittedly, my first purchase in July 2000 was on the Malecon, between the Jaragua and the Melia Hotels. Probably known as Sucker's Row for tourists. At the time, the Dominican peso was 16.5 to 1 dollar and my Dominican girlfriend was shocked that I paid 400 pesos for a little painting of Haitian women picking cotton in the field, a scene probably mass produced a 1000 times. Yet, I loved it and had it professionally framed in the U.S.

Later, my Fiesta Hotel taxi driver, Jose Solano, schooled me that the malecon paintings were on sidewalk display, 7 days a week, subject to brutal sun rays, rain, car pollution, and dust. Never thought of it that way. Perhaps that is what makes the Dominican paintings in the Colonial City galleries appear to look better.

I suppose the trick is to uncover a cache of Haitian paintings that have not been assembly line produced (as Amy reveals) and hope to find a treasure at a very good price. That is probably akin to finding hen's teeth.

My instinct suspects it is only the Dominican painters that could come close to painting something in the realm of a Daeni Pino masterpiece.
 
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Quisqueya

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King of Dice,

I don't think haitian nor dominican painting are superior to one another..Besides, haitain art has alot of recognition in Europe and N. America. Again it is where you purchase ur haitian paintings..If you want good quality haitian painting u will spend lots of money...but I'm sure you'll get your moneys worth..Now, on the malecon you are basically getting bad quality painting.. Just about every haitian are natural artist but if you want the top notch painters you won't find them on the malecon thats for sure....A professional haitian painter will never sell his art like that..thus, what you are seeing are natural haitian painters making their days bread.. ;)

This painter is pretty good..and I'm sure you'll like some of his paintings..


http://www.folkart.com/stsurin/


kingofdice said:
I agree with you, Ken, that there is a primitive appeal with the Haitian paintings. Admittedly, my first purchase in July 2000 was on the Malecon, between the Jaragua and the Melia Hotels. Probably known as Sucker's Row for tourists. At the time, the Dominican peso was 16.5 to 1 dollar and my Dominican girlfriend was shocked that I paid 400 pesos for a little painting of Haitian women picking cotton in the field, a scene probably mass produced a 1000 times. Yet, I loved it and had it professionally framed in the U.S.

Later, my Fiesta Hotel taxi driver, Jose Solano, schooled me that the malecon paintings were on sidewalk display, 7 days a week, subject to brutal sun rays, rain, car pollution, and dust. Never thought of it that way. Perhaps that is what makes the Dominican paintings in the Colonial City galleries appear to look better.

I suppose the trick is to uncover a cache of Haitian paintings that have not been assembly line produced (as Amy reveals) and hope to find a treasure at a very good price. That is probably akin to finding hen's teeth.

My instinct suspects it is only the Dominican painters that could come close to painting something in the realm of a Daeni Pino masterpiece.
Click to expand...
 
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Bok

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you said it, KoD

If you love it, it's all that matters.
Who cares if you paid 400 pesos on the street for a Haitian painting or 400 dollars in a gallery for a Dominican painting as long as you like it. You're the one who's going to look at it.

I can see the difference in quality in the paint used when you compare the street works and gallery works in zona colonial, but I don't think the painters work under the same conditions. And the paintings certainly aren't displayed under the same conditions. :laugh: Most of the motives are the same anyway, Dominican or Haitian.

I think it would come down to the individual painter to determine if he/she is a great painter.

And then there's the usual problem: Who decides what is beautiful? Some prefers blondes, some prefers brunettes.................................. :D

I like those colourful paintings but Pib won't be seen next to one. The only one we agreed on liking was gone when I went back to get it for her birthday. Tough luck.
 
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Ken

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amy2761 said:
From the North Coast .... The Hatian 'art' here makes me cry, if anybody knows of anywhere to buy Hatian art, the real thing, then please let me know because I don't even know what it looks like - if it's anything like what they sell in the streets of Cabarete/Sosua then rather don't let me know ;)
Click to expand...

Amy, I'll be back in Sosua August 7. You are welcome to come to our apartment after that and see our Haitian paintings. I'm sure you will agree they are nothing like what you see on the street. We also have some Haitian metal sculpture that we like.

I don't have the address card of the person we buy from, but I will post it when we get back.
 
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amy2761

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That'd be great!

Ken said:
Amy, I'll be back in Sosua August 7. You are welcome to come to our apartment after that and see our Haitian paintings. I'm sure you will agree they are nothing like what you see on the street. We also have some Haitian metal sculpture that we like.

I don't have the address card of the person we buy from, but I will post it when we get back.
Click to expand...


I would enjoy that, thanks Ken :)

Stay well,
Amy
 
K

kingofdice

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Bok,

Yes, I would think that PIB with her refined sophistication would abhor the colorful Haitian paintings. She strikes me as the Auguste Renoir or Peter Paul Rubens type. Or at least preferring a very fine Dominican painted picture. My God, how can you afford her? ;)
 
K

kingofdice

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dear Aegap,

Thanks for the link of Paula Saneaux. I yi yi yi yi yi... :lick: :lick: :lick: what a body. Not sure if I am talking about the paintings or the painter. Anyway, I am in love. :cross-eye What Haitians? Who are they? :D
 
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