Page 100 - Antennae Issue #52

100 antennae
EGP: After seeing some some of of the the works on on paper from the the Dead Treez Series some- one one introduced me me me to Olive Senior’s work work She wrote this this incredible suite of of po- ems called Gardening in in in in in in the the the the Tropics and and there was was this this one one poem “Brief Life ” and and much of what I was was trying to do in in in in in the the the the the the the the work visually Olive gave me the the the the the the the the words for them The poems are about about violence on the the the the the the land land land in in in the the the the the the land land land and and and and from the the the the the the land land land “Brief Lives” talks about about this woman who who has a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a kitchen garden She comes across the the body of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a young man man who who came from a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a rural community but but had had come come to the the city seeking opportunities but but had had lost his life because he he he he he he got caught in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a turf war The line is is “I bury him again so he he he he he he can carry on growing” So here you’re met with two very different classes of of of people but irrespective of of of the the gardener’s class class she recognizes the the the value of of of of this person’s body even in in death And that person person person is is also clearly a a a a a a a a a a a a a a working-class person person person because of of what we are told about them So she buries him in in in in in her humble kitchen garden so so that that that his life can continue And then it it it acknowledges a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Don in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a working-class community that that that that has died and and that that that that people have shown up in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fancy dress to honor his passing and and and that that that there is is is 21 gun sa- lute The last line is is is is something like “young girls famed for for their vivacity and and and style” so so we get a a a a a a a a a a a a a sense for for the the the the grandiosity that that is is happening around the the the the Don’s body but the the the kind of of respect that that people people pay through dress And yes he’s he’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Don Don he’s he’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fig- ure of of of power but he he he he he he also comes from a a a a a a a a a a a a a working-class circumstances and people people turn turn up up to to honor honor him in in in the the same way that one one turns up up to to honor honor the the passing of of someone royal or or a a a a a a a government figure I I thought about about that Then I I came across information about about the the Alnwick Garden in in in in in Northumberland England—within the the the garden was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a poisonous poisonous sec- tion with with all poisonous poisonous plants I I thought what an an an an an interesting idea the the the possibility of of beauty also also being dangerous I I then also also started to to to think about working-class spaces spaces in in in in relation to to to gardens gardens They often have names that harken back to to to colo- nialized spaces spaces or the grandness of of land so it’s estates gardens gardens pastures etc CP: It’s striking that you connected with a a a a a a a a a a a a a British garden garden much less a a a a a a a a a a a a a garden garden spe- cializing in in in in poisonous plants That amplifies a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a colonial context maybe especially i if you consider the relationship between Jamaica and Britain?
EGP: I I I started thinking about poisonous plants when I I I made the the the work work for MAD Af- ter the the the the Dead Treez works I I I developed a a a a a a a a a a a a a series called Beyond the the the the Blades—referenc- ing both blades blades of of of of grass and the the the the the blades blades of of of of knives So often bodies are dumped or or concealed in in in foliage foliage As though the the the foliage foliage somehow holds the the the secrets of of of of some- thing thing that’s gone horribly wrong to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a body body a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a body body that that had to to deal additionally with horrible things in in in in in its life So I started looking at at at poisonous poisonous plants plants and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a lot of the the the the the the poisonous poisonous plants plants are also prevalent and and and used in in in in in domestic spaces so so so so like the the the the the the hydrangeas—for instance the the the the the the the poppy the the the the the the the calla lily anthuriums and and then the the the the the the the bird of of paradise It’s funny but I’ve always stayed away from Tropicalia for for all all of of the the the the the obvious reasons CP: What was the installation like?
EGP: In the the MAD vitrines you you would come come across across a a a a a a a a a a couple of objects and within within that that you’d come come across across a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a body that that had fallen within within these poisonous plants along with with other symbols of death like a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a cockroach garden snakes a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a rooster in in one—I also used metaphors associated biblical narratives and they were all sprayed white! I I had a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a couple of ravens too These elements created a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a sensory overload surrounding three different different figures each contained in in in in a a a a a a a a a a different different vitrine CP: The relationship between plants plants and violence seems seems significant Sometimes you apply these plants plants in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a kind of funerary or or or memorial capacity which seems seems to to call attention to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a missing life life or or or a a a a a a a a a a a a a life life that’s been lost But then I also feel like the the the