Introduction
In commemoration of the renowned artist Stanley Greaves’ 90 birthday, the Sunday Stabroek will be featuring images of some of his artwork accompanied by poems written by him.
This week’s art piece is STONE FLOWER – Ceramic pot. 1980. 47”
A note by Mr Greaves follows:
The pot is my first major effort in ceramics. It was done while at Howard University on a Fulbright Award studying sculpture in different media. The top form is based on but not a copy of bud forms of plants seen in the interior during camping trips.
My first ever effort to make a pot was when I was ten years old. On visits to my Aunt Iris Favorite in Agricola I used to see tiny clay pots about half an inch wide with small openings stuck on pigeon peas plants. They were perfectly formed by a variety of mud wasps in which to lay eggs. I thought the wasp did not have brains nor fingers which I had and therefore I should be able to make pots. One was made and remembering that bread when soft is baked to become soft I placed my small pot under my Mother’s coal pot. It exploded. I should have allowed it to fry first. I had to wait until 1980, thirty-six years later to make another effort.
A poem follows. It is dedicated to Cletus Henrique s- Artist.
His murder in 1976 remains unsolved.
JACARANDA. [1976]
Is death as delicate
as flowers we talked about
Wednesday last.
—-Water hyacinth
—-Brazil jacaranda.
How well I remember
your last painting
crafted with a knife.
And while bright rage
seeks to deny death,
the collective grief,
the corruption of flowers
do not concern those brethren
of particular soil
shouting in the wind,
whose shining trowels
replace the artist’s knife.
…………
Henriques, who had attended Saints, was indeed a fine painter trained in Brazil. Some of his paintings are in the National Collection. On his return home he was later employed at the Department of Culture. Henriques was about to go to Carifesta in Jamaica in charge of the Guyana Exhibits. I was asked by Lynette Dolphin, the Head of the Department, to take his place.
