Omission is an installation response to the origins of the Historic Huguenot Society located in New Paltz, NY. The Calvinist population which founded New Paltz was a strict religious community. These French Calvinists were persecuted throughout Europe for their protestant faith and that persecution drove them to settle in the Americas. After their arrival and community establishment, they proceeded to participate in the persecution of African slaves during the colonial era. The slaves were not permitted to practice their own religious beliefs. As a response to this poignant juxtaposition of faith and action, I chose to represent the population of 1713 with objects that reflected this religious foundation. The Calvinist tradition uses the acronym T.U.L.I.P. to teach its five core tenants of faith. I hand sculpted 213 tulips for the town's recorded population of that year and placed them in the Historical Crispell Memorial Church. I sculpted 18 red African tulips for the known slaves documented that year, although there may have been more without records. These red tulips were placed throughout the historic home-sites, in the slaves' quarters, and at the work stations where these individuals would have been working every Sunday while the rest of the community practiced their religious freedoms.
October 2014
Installation at Historic Huguenot District
in the Crispell Memorial Church and throughout various historic home sites.
Porcelain, Glazed and Raw
Various Dimensions