Beyond Borders Under The Sea Wall Art...an art form with multiple meanings. Beyond Borders wall art, created in Haiti is the traditional art of converting oil drums into wall sculptures...a true mark of both man's imagination & his resourcefulness in the face of dire economic circumstances. By hand cart or on top of taxis, metal drums, once used for transporting oil, purchased near the port in the Capitol City of of Port au Prince are taken to the metal artists' workshops. The town of Tres Croix-des-Bouquets...the center of the rare metalwork movement that was started in the early 1950's by a humble blacksmith, Georges Liautaud. Tres-Crois-des-Bouquets, Haiti "is everything but quiet." All 70-plus artisans live & work in this artists village. Starting out as young laborers, cleaning, sanding, & pounding the metal flat, they advance to the apprentice stage where they learn the intricacies of detail & design work!
Beyond Borders "Under the Sea" is hand cut from 55-gallon castoff steel drums. The artist removes both ends of the drum, reserving them for smaller pieces. Both ends are stuffed inside of the drum along with scrap paper, dried banana or sugar cane leaves & set on fire to burn off any paint or residue. When it has cooled, the artist slices the drum down one side & pounds it down to create a flattened "metal canvas" approximately four-by-six feet.
With a stick of chalk, the artist then draws his intended design on the metal sheet. Applying hammer, chisel, & various primitive tools to task...cutting, shaping & contouring the piece of wall art to its completion. Beyond Borders wall art sculptures are a unique & treasured piece of primitive art!!! The finished design is coated with a protective finish & can be hung indoors or outdoors.
In the classic sense, the artisans who work with Beyond Borders are folk artists...using raw materials around them in new & inventive ways to create unparalleled drum art designs from recycled oil drums!!! At the same time the artisans are able to create a better life for themselves & their families.
Haitian steel drum art...the designs in this Beyond Borders "Mermaids & Sea" wall art collection are executed with care, pride & precision! The steel drums vary in color from brown to grey to black...colors will vary with each individual piece. The finished design is signed by the artist. Due to the nature of the intricate designs within each piece of wall art, no two are exactly alike, creating an incomparable primitive art sculpture to be treasured, appreciated & enjoyed for years to come.
By purchasing a handcrafted piece of wall art from the Beyond Borders wall art sculpture collection, you can be assured that the Haitian artisans have been well-compensated! We appreciate your support of environmentally & socially sound trade practices.
