Oooooooh my! I am soooo thrilled and sooooo excited about this experience. I am also very tired tonight. This was my second day for the workshop. I have to say that it is going very well. The artists all seem very appreciative of the drawing exercises we are doing. Yesterday I asked them to draw this still-life that I set up with Mauritanian objects from the museum. We talked about the elements of a good composition and I reminded them of things to remember like scale, perspective..observing and drawing what they see only...overlapping..etc. There is a range in the groups and there is a difference between the two groups..the morning and the afternoon sessions. The morning is mostly Afro-Mauritanian and the afternoon is mostly Moors. The artists chose what session worked better for them. I don't know if this was intentional. I did notice though this coincidence. I am a bit disappointed that they turned out to be not so diverse...and it is kind of ironic that our theme for both murals is "Cultural Diversity"..although I haven't pointed this out to them yet. I don't feel bad writing about it because it is evident by looking at the two groups....here are the group photos in front of their future murals. Hmmm.
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| Morning Group | | | | | |
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| Afternoon Group |
Getting ahead of myself..so, for the second lesson..I revisited the still-life..and asked them to choose only three objects to include from the same set up as yesterday. I explained that many chose to include the whole still-life yesterday but that I was asking them to take a closer look..to explore what happens when they concentrate on three objects and FILL the page (which I keep slipping and calling plage--beach, lol). Anyway, during the morning session's critique, they all said, "Yesterday we did things one way, thought a certain way..and now we see differently now that we have drawn these...we are already different artists. We have already improved. You have opened our eyes." And I have included below the first lesson...and the second lesson for you to see. It wasn't to change their style..it was to have them consider some different elements when they are drawing compositions..that perhaps they will think about these things in their paintings. That something could go off the page..or that negative and positive shapes became equally important. The appreciation for the exercise was more subtle or slight in the second group but I know it was still there. Here are some photos of the difference between days..
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| First Day |
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| First Day |
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| Second Day |
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| Second Day |
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| Second Day |
The two groups also embraced the mural differently. The first group can find a collective voice more easily..they listen to my questions and to each others' answers..and then decide as a group. The second group seems to prefer having me tell them what I want or what to do, instead of them having to speak up and decide or to discuss options. Alpha exclaimed, after I had been begging them for input..."Ohhh la democracie...on n'est pas habitue!" (Democracy, we are not used to it!) Or after I asked them a question about HOW they were going to choose the imagery from each person's sketches for the mural, they said, "Michelle you give it a try and then we will tell you what we think". I gracefully declined that disaster waiting to happen..Better yet, after I said perhaps since they were having a hard time figuring out the answer to that question, why not choose two or three people to start that process for the group..and they said, "Michelle, you choose the three people." I declined, this time not so gracefully--I may have sighed loudly. Finally...and I mean finally, Dali (yup, same as the artist) said, " I pick, Bechir, Khaled and Maurice." My picks in my head--wow! And I asked if everyone was okay with it..and lo and behold, NO...someone had an opinion! What?! We were missing a female voice. Okay voila Aicha! Now everyone finally accepted. The thing is..they all actually have very strong opinions but Alpha was probably being a bit serious about his comment, they aren't used to discussing things in that manner.
Btw..the wall will take three days to prep..there will be concrete added to create a smooth surface. That might work with our drawing schedule. We haven't even begun the paintings for the exhibition. We will prime canvases tomorrow. There is a lot to do!!!!!!!!
I look forward to seeing more of the city. I have asked some of the artists if they will take me around so I can see it. I hope that happens. Everyone is so warm and wonderful. They are very supportive of the program and I truly appreciate it. I would also love to leave the city and go exploring..not sure this will happen. I have to find others to travel with first.
I have eaten more Senegalese influenced dishes than Mauritanian. Someone said, we are desert people, we don't have time to cook sauce--we have to pack up that tent and go! But you know what..it was actually somewhat believable...
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