1984-93-
Arawak Archaeology & Art
'Jocahu',
crayon on paper. Study of stalagmite petroglyph from Fountain
Cavern, Anguilla, West Indies. |
Photo
of Penny with Jocahu, in the Fountain Cavern. |
Drawing
in color pencil of 'Zemi' greenstone carving. |
- Drawing
in pencil of 'Zemi' stone.
- 'Zemis'
are 3-pointed 'fetishes' that the Arawak Indians used
as spirit holders.
- In the period from 1984-93 I studied and drew many
archaeological artifacts from the Caribbean islands.
Living in Anguilla where much of the island had not
been developed, the spirit of the Arawak Indians was
very present. We built our home close to the Fountain
Cavern, the only intact ceremonial cave sanctuary
in the Lesser Antilles. We immersed ourselves in the
archaeology of the islands and as I began drawing
the various artifacts, I started seeing portraits
of the people behind them. As time went on, I realized
my vocation on the islands was to give form to the
near extinct Arawak Indians, their spirit and their
art. In doing the studies of the art and artifacts,
I began to see images of the people behind the objects
and art. I started making sketches of the visions
I saw, which were sometimes inspired by photographs
of Indians related to the Arawaks of the islands.
These sketches became the Arawak series of paintings,
featured in my video, 'Visions of the Arawaks'. Again,
as with the drawings for 'Sexual Secrets', doing these
'in-depth' studies of the art provided a doorway into
the spirit that lay behind the art.
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