Product Description
Garden Sun Stakes, Set of 3, Outdoor Home Decor, Front Yard Appeal, Handmade in Haiti
Size: 6 x 20 Inches
About Haitian Metal Art: This piece is hand cut from recycled 50 gallon steel drums. Both ends of the drum are removed and placed inside of the remaining cylinder along with scrap paper, dried banana or sugar cane leaves. It is set on fire, to burn off any paint or residue. When cooled, the drum is cut down the side and flattened out to create a "metal canvas" of approximately 3' x 6', upon which the design is drawn. Using hammer, chisel and various primitive tools, the shape is cut and the various decorative patterns are pounded into the metal, creating a unique and treasured piece of primitive art. The finished design is coated with a protective finish. Can be hung indoors or outdoors.
Care of Sculpture: Made of recycled steel, this sculpture will rust over time if it is exposed to the elements. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, some people like the look of a weathered patina. If that isn't you, don't despair. Taking five minutes once a year to apply a spray-on enamel clear coat will keep your sculpture looking exactly the same as the day you bought it.
**Although we try our best to photograph in a way that best represents the color, due to the nature of photography, lighting, computer resolution, other factors, colors may vary slightly in person.
Artist Bio
Simon Gerald
Whether born into one of the artisan families of Croix-des-Bouquets, or drawn from the Haitian countryside by the prospect of education and work, It's Cactus' 80-plus sculptors know that their futures are secured by art, tradition, and fair trade.
Beginning in the 1950s with Georges Liataud, the former railway blacksmith turned folk art pioneer, creativity and innovation have gone hand in hand with teaching and sharing. Liataud, observing the surplus of steel drums in his village, saw opportunity and resources. He cut the metal barrels, using only a hammer and a chisel, and began fashioning simple crosses to mark gravestones in the local cemetery. His work attracted the attention of DeWitt Peters, founder of the Center d’Art in Port-au-Prince, who brought him into the Center and encouraged him to explore his craft. Taking that advice, Liataud expanded his repertoire and began depicting cultural as well as religious images. Additionally, he experimented with dimensionality and form.
Equally important, he began to share his knowledge, taking on Gabriel Bien-Aime and the Louisjuste brothers as apprentices. Those men, now regarded as great masters in their own right, taught the next generation, who in turn taught the next.
So it is today, with many of our artists having trained with these early master sculptors, now opening their own workshops, and sharing their techniques with the young and eager. One such artist, is Simon Gerald, who creates beautiful gekco sculptures as well as trees of life and angels. We are proud to support him by placing orders, paying fairly, and bringing his work to the global market. Your purchase of his work helps keep the good going!
