Ralph Allen: Artist of the Month Exhibition: Carrie Art Collection: Haitian Art

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   Biography of the Artist
   Ralph Allen by Michel Philippe Lerebours
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I N T E R V I E W
Interview of Ralph Allen by Michel Philippe Lerebours M.P.L. = Michel Phillippe Lerebours • R.A. = Ralph Allen Interview of the Artist from Jan/Feb 2002 Exhibit
M.P.L.:	Under what circumstance did you come to painting?
R.A..:	I used to draw during my final year of school. When I was studying in the United States, I used to draw during my English classes. My teacher talked about me with one of his colleagues, who was responsible for the Art Section and who lead me to two famous art schools of New York. I was granted a scholarship for painting, drawing, graphic arts and sculpture classes at the National Academy School of Fine Arts from 1971 to 1976. I will add that, since my younger years, I learned to appreciate Haitian Art with my father, who worked in a building in the "Bicentenaire", where the halls hosted art exhibitions. The colors and creativity of our painters attracted me, but I remember that I was shocked by the lack of proportion. My mother stopped painting to become a good spouse. One of my aunts was an artist. The American artist, Kira Markham, and I lived in the same district. The magic of creation has always fascinated me.
M.P.L.:	*Did you receive a good education?*
R.A..:	At that time, the academic orientation was rather technical contrary to that of the university, where art theory is very important. The teachers were renowned artists and among the best of that time. Some of them were authors of art books. I did not follow a regular cycle. Concerning painting, Daniel Green and then Hugh Gumpel, who understood that I was in search of something else than simply the academic route, were my teachers. Gumpel encouraged me to make researches according to my "Antillean" drive. I worked three and then six hours a day in my studio with strict discipline and emotion. I obtained awards usually granted to other foreigners during the end-of-year admission tests. At that time, a painting representing Martin Luther King's life drew the attention of a jury for the granting of a subsidy to American mural specialists. I was contacted, but I refused to change my nationality. Then I returned to my country.
M.P.L.:	*How was the evolution of your art after you started painting?*
R.A..:	My first concern was to take care of my drawing. I did not have any knowledge in arts, especially Haitian arts, apart from the paintings I saw in my father's office. My first paintings were anatomic, monochrome, with close-up characters and spots of colors in the background or they were barely worked out. Then I started to develop structures, superposition to amplify emotion. Siquieros' Cri in the Museum of Modern Art of New York deeply impressed me. From this day, my life took a turning point, hence the social character of my work. My most recent paintings are a mixture of realism and futurism, representation and geometrical distortion to reflect movement. I am in contact with other artists of the Black Diaspora, who make similar researches in the field of representation-abstraction, as the artist, Hector Charpentier from Martinique, says.
M.P.L.:	*What are your preferred themes? Why do you prefer them?*
R.A..:	People are predominant in my paintings. Although they are not obvious, you can feel their presence. I like children, old people expressive faces, the curves of female nudes, the lines of a breast, the curves of a woman's hip, to paraphrase Aznavour. I paint according to the moment and the theme. I don't have any prejudice. Life concerns me.
M.P.L.:	*What place does the popular beliefs hold in your painting?*
R.A..:	I am not an adept of voodoo, but I respect this religion just like the others. It is an important mainstay of our culture. From the beginning I introduced "veves" in my popular paintings to emphasize authenticity while avoiding folklore and demagogy. At least, that's what I am trying to obtain.
M.P.L.:	*How do you see naïve art?*
R.A..:	The acknowledgement of Haitian art at the international level is thanks to Haitian naïve art. It is our reference. Without Obin, Hypolite, etc, we would have been known only as the poorest country of the Hemisphere, a dictator's paradise with the only merit to be the first black republic of the world to be independent. Jean-Michel Basquiat would not be the genius he presently is. Haitian art is sold at Sotheby's or in Drouault, even if Haitian naïve art is treated like a poor relation in books of Art History.
M.P.L.:	*What do you think of the young artists?*
R.A..:	I have always been skeptical about the expression "young artists". Many artists were famous in their twenties. Age is not a factor, an artistic notation. If you want to evaluate the new generation, those artists who are now arising, the students, there is certainly a lot of talented young people "in embryo" awaiting favorable conditions to come to light. We need a real open and dynamic School of Art. Without a good cultural policy, without adequate help, we will always have individualists, shooting stars who are rapidly forgotten or who stop painting for a more profitable occupation.

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