Wednesday, April 11, 2012

World News Review - 12:43 PM 4/11/2012 - Mike Nova's starred items

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World News Review - Mike Nova's starred items - 12:43 PM 4/11/2012

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Highlights from Dave's monologue for April 10, 2012.
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The US government has filed a lawsuit against five publishers and the country's most valuable firm Apple accusing them of price fixing in the e-book market.

via BBC News - World on 4/11/12
Drugs giant Johnson & Johnson is ordered by a US judge to pay $1.1bn for downplaying the risks involved in taking its anti-psychotic drug Risperdal.

via BBC News - World on 4/11/12
BBC Radio 5 live Drive heard how twitter saved a man kidnapped in the boot of his own car.

via Uploads by whitehouse by whitehouse on 4/11/12
President Obama explains why we need the Buffett Rule, which make our tax system more fair by ensuring that people who make more than $1 million a year pay at least the same share of their income in taxes as middle-class families.
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via NYT > World by on 4/11/12
April 10, 2012 - A European court rules that Britain can extradite five terror suspects to the United States.


via The Guardian World News by Patrick Barkham on 4/11/12
Ken Livingstone blubbing while watching his own party election broadcast is the latest in a long, but often ignoble, tradition
Do tears betray an unforgiveable weakness or cast our leaders in a refreshingly human light? Ken Livingstone turning on the waterworks while watching his own party election broadcast will probably not endear him to London voters – yourself is not the most popular cause to cry for – but at least red-eyed Red Ken was bang on trend.
Male politicians have rushed to bare their snivellingly sensitive souls in recent times. When Nick Clegg revealed he "regularly" sobbed while listening to music, political bruiser Ed Balls trumped him by boasting of weeping when watching the "incredibly emotional" Antiques Roadshow.
But it would be wrong to think of tears as a pitifully self-indulgent symbol of modern times. Abraham Lincoln skilfully employed tears in his oratory and, as befitted someone frequently tired and emotional, Winston Churchill loved a good blub in Parliament. The Iron Lady was made of sterner stuff until her departure from Downing Street was poignantly illustrated by the image of Margaret Thatcher indulging in a little lip-quivering in the prime ministerial limo.
Women leaders are usually damned if they do cry and damned if they don't. Aides at first feared that Hillary Clinton's tearful exchange with a voter after losing the Iowa primary to Barack Obama in 2008 would damage her but it actually played well, particularly with women voters. Tears (and implausible denials) can be emasculating, however: Edmund Muskie's presidential campaign was torpedoed in 1972 when he responded to newspaper criticisms of his wife by apparently breaking down in tears. He insisted they were melted snowflakes on his cheeks.
Every US president since Reagan has deployed a strategic tear or two (a welling-up may go down well with voters but bawling or howling is too temperamental) but it was Hillary's husband who really reinvented crying. Blubbing Bill wasn't averse to a bit of fakery as well, turning laughter into tears when he realised he was being filmed at a funeral.
Despite taking lessons from Clinton, Tony Blair was less comfortable with public tears. It was said he cried when told of the death of Dr David Kelly and Blair subsequently claimed he shed "many" tears over Iraq war dead. His alpha-male communications chief Alastair Campbell also choked back a whimper when he defended his former boss over Iraq on the Andrew Marr Show.
Gordon Brown welled up when talking on TV about the death of his baby daughter, Jennifer, but coming before the 2010 general election, this genuine display of emotion from a prime minister encumbered by his stiff image was greeted with widespread cynicism.
The most profitable political tears are probably those shed when a politician is confronted with a tragedy that is not the demise of their own careers. Livingstone has at least mastered this art in the past: he cried in public when he apologised for the slave trade during his time as mayor of London.

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via msnbc.com: World news on 4/11/12
An Indian mother weeps after her child died following abuse by her husband who had wanted a son.An Indian mother weeps after her child died following abuse by her husband who had wanted a son.

FILE - This April 4, 2012 file photo provided by the California Department of Corrections shows 77-year-old serial killer Charles Manson Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Manson will have an April 11, 2012 parole hearing in California. (AP Photos/California Department of Corrections, File)Debra Tate hopes that Wednesday is the last time she has to walk into a prison and argue to parole officials that Charles Manson should not be freed.

CaribNews Review - 12:33 PM 4/11/2012 - Mike Nova's starred items

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CaribNews Review - Mike Nova's starred items - 12:33 PM 4/11/2012

via Twitter / caribnews on 4/11/12
caribnews: USGS says earth horizontally instead of vertically wiggle. Reason no major tsunami this Time. No major amt of water Displaced - @ Moshe

via Twitter / caribnews on 4/11/12
caribnews: U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancels Indian Ocean tsunami watch for areas - Reuters

via Twitter / caribnews on 4/11/12
caribnews: BREAKING - Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says sea level readings to Indicate WAS generated tsunami, damage unknown - BNO News

via Twitter / caribnews on 4/11/12
caribnews: Puerto Rico's economy may have bottomed out and is now "on a slow path" to recovery. http://t.co/XPombR9K

via Twitter / caribnews on 4/11/12
caribnews: CNE, "The deleveraging of the economy of Puerto Rico during the last five years has been simply monumental" http://t.co/Qmhlw0M0

via Twitter / caribnews on 4/11/12
caribnews: Judge imposes $ 1,500,000 bond man in Bayamón for beating a dog to death http://t.co/aK59KSym

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caribnews: NOW: U.S. Markets prepare for a day of high activity in the shares of Banco Popular, Santander and BBVA http://t.co/KfSYGY9a

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caribnews: VIDEO: Panic in the streets of Indonesia after strong earthquake of 8.7 http://t.co/xAhD47Xn

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caribnews: Charges of corruption against suspended Mayor of Cidra, Angel Malave - ENDI http://t.co/wKFdtzjN

Original Text:

Mike Nova's starred items

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caribnews: The Index of Economic Activity in Puerto Rico advances in positive territory for the third consecutive month http://t.co/2dOxOV4w

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caribnews: Dr. Ricky Rossello Nevares launches multisectoral movement path to the decolonization of Puerto Rico http://t.co/Oo6wufun

via Caribnews's Facebook Wall by Caribnews on 4/11/12
VIDEO: Panic in the streets of Indonesia after strong earthquake of 8.7 http://ow.ly/acMxs

via Caribnews's Facebook Wall by Caribnews on 4/11/12
The Index of Economic Activity in Puerto Rico advances in positive territory for the third consecutive month http://ow.ly/acN0Z


Air of improvement for the Island - The New Day
ow.ly
The Economic Activity Index in positive territory BGF proceeds by third consecutive month

via Caribnews's Facebook Wall by Caribnews on 4/11/12
Dr. Ricky Rossello Nevares launches multisectoral movement path to the decolonization of Puerto Rico http://ow.ly/ad5uH

via »Puerto Rico by caribnews on 4/11/12
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - In order to educate and continue the critical dialogue with the people about the benefits of decolonization, Dr. Ricky Rossello Nevares, with a group of citizens of various ideologies today launched a movement toward decolonization Puerto Rico through a plebiscite campaign that will include the participation of all sectors, parties and ideologies, facing the consultation process that will take place on November 6.
"Now it's Boricua!, Arose from the need to carry a palpable right message and well informed about the positive effects for all Puerto Ricans this consultation process aimed at the decolonization of Puerto Rico," explained Dr. Rossello Nevares in press conference with figures representing the movements statesman, independence and sovereigntist, among others.
The proponent of this educational movement multisectoral said the group of professionals and private citizens have joined in the effort agree that the call to the people during the consultation process is to vote NO to the colony to make a difference in the socio Island policy made clear that "just allow space for dialogue and inclusion, together with purpose and noting that even when we advocate different philosophies, we have more things that unite us, as is the genuine interest of all to take Puerto Rico to forward. "
He explained that this effort has its genesis in the petitions, meetings and conversations over the past two years has held during his visits to over 70 different villages of the island, and several states of the American nation, where citizens have shared with of all political persuasions and all have expressed and concur on the need to communicate a message is precise and accurate to the disastrous consequences of continuing the current sociopolitical archaic system that no longer serves the needs of Puerto
Rico or the people.
Therefore, "Now it's Boricua!, Is a call to decide the future of Puerto Rico in
our hands, not leave it to other decisions that we make is for Puerto Ricans, and the time to decide is now in the plebiscite of November 6, "said the leader of the educational movement and campaign for the decolonization of the island
He added that this stage is disclosed today "is simply the natural achievement effort started two years ago, and the next step is to continue with what I call the 'multiplier marquee dialogue', which will be accompanied by parallel workshops and critical thinking, great events and activities at local, national and international levels, among other initiatives. "

via News Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico News by Mike on 4/11/12 Nova
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Latino News Review - Mike Nova's starred items - 4/11/2012 10:35 a.m.

via Latin - Google News on 4/11/12

TIME


Predicting the Latino Vote in 2012
TIME
The Latino vote will matter in the 2012 election. So Republicans and Democrats say, and the cover of TIME events magazine. But just how much it will matter is not clear at This Point. Factors Remain Too many fluid. We do not know how close races in key ...

and more »

Latino News Review - 10:35 AM 4/11/2012 - Mike Nova's starred items

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Latino News Review - Mike Nova's starred items - 10:35 AM 4/11/2012

via latino - Google News on 4/11/12

TIME


Predicting the Latino Vote in 2012
TIME
The Latino vote will matter in the 2012 election. So say Republicans and Democrats, and even the cover of TIME magazine. But just how much it will matter is not clear at this point. Too many factors remain fluid. We don't know how close races in key ...

and more »

via latino - Google News on 4/11/12


Commentary: Mitt Romney is hurting himself with Latino voters
Kansas City Star
Just as Whitman alienated Latino voters by morphing from a moderate to hard-liner on immigration, Romney's tough primary rhetoric aimed at illegal immigration is weakening him with Latino voters, damaging his chances in the general election.

and more »

via latino - Google News on 4/11/12

Windy City Times


Chicago Latino Film Festival: LGBT overview
Windy City Times
by Richard Knight, Jr., for Windy City Times The Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF) is back for its 28th year Friday, April 13 through Thursday, April 26. The International Latino Cultural Center is the presenting organization of the fest.

via latino - Google News on 4/10/12

New York Daily News


Charlie: Latino sweat
New York Post
Charles Rangel said yesterday he will win a 22nd term, despite facing a stiff challenge from a Latino challenger in a new congressional district where a majority of residents is Hispanic. The 81-year-old Democrat, recovering from a back injury and ...
Rangel Sounds Confident of Re-election While Speaking Well of ChallengerNew York Times (blog)
Espaillat Hopes to Seize on Demographic Shifts in Rangel ChallengeWNYC (blog)
Rangel Says Health Issues Will Not Stop Him From Running Effective CampaignDNAinfo
Capital New York -NY1 -Politicker
all 20 news articles »

via latino - Google News on 4/10/12

Columbus Dispatch


Inside Latinos' America
News & Observer
But what most non-Hispanics get terribly wrong when it comes to appealing to Latinos is embarrassingly obvious – Hispanics aren't monolithic. Just ask Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, who has been suspended five games for commenting about his ...
Cepeda: Misreading the Hispanic voterDenver Post
Editorial: Unleashing Latina power at the pollsHouston Chronicle

all 5 news articles »

via Latino Voices on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post on 4/10/12
President Barack Obama's reelection campaign is dismissing "internet fodder" surrounding a photo of his 2012 campaign staff which features many young, white faces.
The photo, which was posted on Tumblr and also accompanied a BuzzFeed article about the 2012 campaign, featured only 80 staffers -- most of whom were young and white.
Fox News ran the photo with a headline that read "Stunning Lack Of Diversity At Obama Campaign HQ" and the Daily Beast ran a blog titled "An Obama Campaign Photo That Looks Like a Young Republican Rally."
The Washington Free Beacon, which has not reported on the number of minorities at any recent GOP event to our knowledge, went as far as to count the number of "black individuals" featured on the OFA Tumblr page.
Seriously.
Glenn Beck's The Blaze said the photo was embarrassing for a president who "makes a habit out of accusing his opponents of being racist." (When did that happen?) NewsOne wrote that the room looked "as white as a klan rally," proving once again that the conversation surrounding race and President Obama is often laced with lies and hyperbole.
An Obama campaign spokesperson dismissed the online outrage in a statement to The Huffington Post:
"This is mere internet fodder and the picture is not an accurate representation of the diversity of staff, backgrounds and experiences that make up the Obama for America campaign team. This is a campaign built on the inclusion of all Americans and while the Democratic party casts a wide net, the GOP's extreme partisan agenda is turning away voters in droves.â€
In a sarcastic post titled "Scoop: White Kids Work For Obama," Mother Jones' reporter Tim Murphy posted a photo of what a "real Young Republicans rally looks like" and criticized the Daily Beast for turning the photo into some sort of evidence to support the president's "growing race problem." If anything, he says, it's more about economics:
The reality is that any bias in weeding out volunteers is likely more of a means-test: Volunteers for political campaigns are necessarily college-age kids with enough financial backing to allow them to work full- or part-time (and overtime, in some cases) without pay and with little if any opportunity for advancement. That gives well-off white kids a boost, I suppose.
Should President Obama be worried about what some conservative bloggers think of his Tumblr page? Probably not. NewsOne reported that black GOP primary voters have been "nearly nonexistent" this cycle. And his approval ratings remain high among black voters.

via latino - Google News on 4/10/12

HispanicBusiness.com


Hispanicize 2012 Gets Underway
Fox News
Hispanicize 2012, an event "focused on Latino trends and trendsetters in social media, entertainment, marketing and media," got under way Tuesday in Miami. In its third year, founder Manny Ruíz is focused on creating "a symphony" in which the ...
Hispanicize 2012 Kicks Off - PRNewsermediabistro.com
US Hispanic spending on the upFruitnet.com
Hispanicize 2012 Welcomes Laura Termini as a SpeakerHispanicBusiness.com (press release)

all 6 news articles »

via Latino.FoxNews.com by Tanya Pérez-Brennan on 4/10/12
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff with the governor of Massachusetts, which has the largest Brazilian population in the country.

via Latino.FoxNews.com on 4/10/12
A pesar de las bondades que las nuevas generaciones de músicos han encontrado en internet, tanto a nivel de exposición como de distribución de sus canciones, Noel Gallagher afirma que la red no le ha ayudado en su desarrollo artístico, sino al contrario.

Economist Intelligence Unit: Puerto Rico

Economist Intelligence Unit: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Monthly highlights

The governor, Luis Fortuño, of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), will attempt to shift his administration's focus from fiscal austerity to tax cuts and stimulus spending in an effort to kick-start the economy and round up political support ahead of the 2012 general election. However, he will be challenged by increasing public dissatisfaction stemming from persistent high unemployment, a deteriorating security situation, and corruption allegations against PNP members. This will boost the opposition, which has endorsed Alejandro García Padilla, a young senator from the centre-left Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), as a contender for governor in the 2012 election. Efforts to put the public finances on a sound footing will be buoyed in the short term by a special tax on foreign corporations, but the government risks an exodus of these companies and a medium-term decline of the manufacturing exports sector. Owing to a weak recovery in the US, the Economist Intelligence Unit estimates a fifth consecutive year of recession in the 2010/11 fiscal year (July-June), with GDP falling by 1.7%. But as a result of the more pessimistic global economic outlook in 2012, we expect weak growth in fiscal year 2011/12 of just 0.5%.
Puerto Rico

Economic growth

Economic growth
(% unless otherwise indicated)
201420152016
US GDP2.22.32.3
OECD GDP2.12.22.2
World GDP2.93.13.0
World trade6.26.56.5
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Inflation indicators

Inflation indicators
(% unless otherwise indicated)
201420152016
US CPI2.12.22.2
OECD CPI2.22.22.3
Manufactures (measured in US$)1.51.81.9
Oil (Brent; US$/b)108.3104.0110.0
Non-oil commodities (measured in US$)-3.63.42.8
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Financial variables

Financial variables
(% unless otherwise indicated)
201420152016
US$ 3-month commercial paper rate (av; %)0.31.22.6
¥ 3-month money market rate (av; %)0.91.31.5
¥:US$ (av)81.082.083.0
Rmb:US$ (av)6.095.985.87
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Light at the end of the tunnel for Puerto Rico - Luz al final del túnel para Puerto Rico

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April 11, 2012
 

Luz al final del túnel para Puerto Rico

Light at the end of the tunnel for Puerto Rico


The Economist prevé un alza en el PIB de la Isla a partir del 2012 The Economist foresees a rise in GDP of the island from 2012


La publicación destacó que un crecimiento lento en EE.UU. The publication noted that slow growth in U.S. limitará la expansión del turismo en Puerto Rico. (Archivo) limit the expansion of tourism in Puerto Rico. (File)

Por Joanisabel González / joanisabel.gonzalez@elnuevodia.com By Joanisabel Gonzalez / joanisabel.gonzalez @ elnuevodia.com

Un reporte de la Unidad de Inteligencia Económica (UIE) de la revista especializada The Economist concluyó que la economía de Puerto Rico pudo haber tocado fondo y que ahora se encuentra “en un lento camino” hacia la recuperación. A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) of The Economist magazine concluded that Puerto Rico's economy may have bottomed out and is now "on a slow path" to recovery.
Según la UIE, el producto interno bruto (PIB) local crecerá 0.5% este año fiscal y 1.4% en el fiscal 2013. According to the IPA, the gross domestic product (GDP) will grow 0.5% local tax this year and 1.4% in fiscal 2013.
El reporte publicado a finales de marzo señala que la administración de Luis Fortuño se propone respaldar el giro en el desempeño económico de la Isla con varias iniciativas. The report published in late March indicates that the Fortuño administration intends to support the shift in the economic performance of the Island with several initiatives. Entre estas: la ley que otorga tratamientos contributivos especiales a la exportación de servicios ya individuos de alto caudal que establezcan en Puerto Rico una residencia legal. Among them: the law that grants special tax treatment for export of services and individuals of high flow in Puerto Rico to establish legal residency.
En el último caso, según la Ley 22 aprobada este año, los individuos no pagarán impuestos sobre los ingresos que reciban por concepto de intereses, dividendos y ganancias de capital a largo plazo. In the latter case, according to Law 22 passed this year, individuals do not pay taxes on income received from interest, dividends and capital gains long term.
La UIE también destacó la movida del Gobierno y el sector empresarial que busca aprobar la sección 933A en el Congreso federal para conceder otro tratamiento preferencial a empresas que establezcan ciertas operaciones en suelo boricua. The IPA also highlighted the move of the Government and business are looking to adopt the section 933A in Congress to grant preferential treatment to other businesses that establish certain operations on Puerto Rican soil.
Pese a la proyección positiva, la UIE advirtió que es demasiado temprano para conocer si los esfuerzos de Puerto Rico para salir de la crisis y diversificar su economía darán fruto. Despite the positive projection, the IPA said it is too early to know if Puerto Rico's efforts to overcome the crisis and diversify its economy will bear fruit.
“El ajuste fiscal mantendrá el consumo gubernamental y la inversión en niveles bajos”, dijo la UIE al recordar la fuerte dependencia de la Isla en importaciones, particularmente la gasolina, y los altos niveles de desempleo que continuarán afectando la demanda interna. "Fiscal adjustment will keep the government consumption and investment in low levels," said ISU to remember the strong dependence of the island in imports, particularly gasoline, and high levels of unemployment continue to affect domestic demand.
“Aunque la UIE ya no prevé un riesgo de recesión en Estados Unidos y proyectó un crecimiento del Producto Interno Bruto estadounidense de 1.9% en el 2012, esto es muy por debajo de la tasa de 3% que se disfrutó en el 2010. "Although the IPA provides no risk of recession in the U.S. and projected growth of U.S. gross domestic product of 1.9% in 2012, this is well below the rate of 3% that was enjoyed in 2010. Un crecimiento lento en Estados Unidos limitará la expansión del turismo en Puerto Rico y los sectores de comercio y servicios”, advirtió la firma al agregar a la lista de escollos la recesión en la zona euro y un alza súbita en los precios del crudo. A slower U.S. growth will limit the expansion of tourism in Puerto Rico and the trade and service sectors, "said the firm to add to the list of pitfalls of recession in the euro zone and a spike in oil prices.
La previsión relativamente favorable de la UIE hacia Puerto Rico supone un cambio importante en la lectura que la publicación tenía de la Isla. En años anteriores, la UIE criticó duramente a Puerto Rico por sus bajos niveles de productividad y su alto endeudamiento, entre otros desatinos. The relatively favorable forecast of the IUS to Puerto Rico is a major change in the reading that the publication was on the island in previous years, the IPA Puerto Rico harshly criticized for its low productivity and high indebtedness, among other blunders .

Haitian Masters - Press Release - Haiti’s Art Masters on Display in New York, With Help from Hollywood - via Caribbean Journal

Press Release



Haitian Masters

1950-1980’s

March 9 - April 14, 2012

 

Edward Thorp Gallery is pleased to announce Haitian Masters; an exhibition showcasing the paintings of four self-taught artists never before shown together in New York. The work of Wesner La Forest, Peterson Laurent, Odilon Pierre, Bourmond Byron manifest their originality through a compellingly expressive visual language. This exhibit celebrates themes both universal and particularly Haitian; the rich cultural landscape of daily life in Haiti emerges, with its rituals and folklore, creating a detailed and poignant portrait of Haiti, its single-mindedness, resourcefulness and faith.


Bourmond Byron was born in June in Jacmel in the early1920's, the son of a general in the Haitian army, and died in 2004. Before he became a painter, he worked as a carpenter and ship builder, but a 1948 visit to the Centre d’Art convinced him to take up painting. He practiced occasionally as a dokte fe, or leaf Doctor (herbalist). He was also an avid follower of voodoo and often chose to paint ceremonial scenes in addition to scenes of Haitian daily life. Byron has been called the most romantic of the Haitian painters. Best known for his luminous blues and greens and the use of silhouetted forms, Byron created an otherworldly and mysterious atmosphere in dream like landscapes. His works are included in the permanent collections of the Musée d'Art Haïtien du Collége Saint Pierre in Port-au-Prince, the Milwaukee Museum of Art, and the Waterloo Museum of Art in Iowa.


Wesner La Forest was born in around 1927 died in 1965. Not much is known of this mystery man of Haitian art, though he is said to have been a carnival mask maker among other things before he came to the Centre d'Art. In the early 1960's, record has it that La Forest, who suffered from regular bouts of epilepsy turned up at the Centre d'Art produced a small body of paintings, and died suddenly during an epileptic seizure a year or so after his arrival. Years later one intrepid collector found a small stack of works in the basement of the Centre d' Art. His subjects were voodoo and his portraits hypnotic in their startling frontality. All are painted with an evocative forcefulness and expressive style, producing charged forms with a direct paint handling. Mostly small, painted on cardboard or masonite and rarely on canvas, his paintings are permeated with a mysterious power. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut and Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey.


Little is known of Petersen Laurent, who was active between 1940-1958, worked as a railroad blacksmith, and died at about the age of 70 in Saint-Marc. His name is often linked with the widely-celebrated acknowledged ‘Masters of the Haitian Renaissance’ a group spawned to a great extent by the creation of the Centre d'Art in the 1940s, His themes included scenes of American battleships and rural life, roosters with hens, fish and flowers with vases, often drawing on themes of voodoo and ritual sacrifice. His candid drawing style combined with a textured paint application produces a sensation of high detail, to his high-keyed color, often single file compositions.


Odilon Pierre was born in 1933 in Port-au-Prince died 1998. His father was a carpenter, his mother a merchant. Pierre began carving wood sculpture as a teenager then turned to painting. Mostly active during the 1980s and early 1990s, Pierre was a resolutely independent self-taught artist who shied from the traditional Haitian themes. His highly personal subjects included portraits, field workers, animals, flowers and peasant women all joyfully executed with an intimate connection to his materials, mainly small canvas's. Often he depicts crowded scenes verging on the symbolism, turning form into design, with a fresh and imaginative subtlety of surface. He dynamically managed to capture the profound richness and mystery of the Haitian connection to the soil. Formerly Pierre's work could only be seen at only one outlet, from his encased vendor's stall in the deep recesses of the fabled iron market in the heart of downtown Port-au-Prince.


The Gallery would like to thank Jonathan Demme for his collaboration and assistance in putting together this exhibition. A long-time Haitian art enthusiast and avid collector, Mr. Demme first visited Haiti in 1986 and has been a fervent advocate for Haiti through the years. He has embraced Haiti both through his films and his collaborations with Haitian writers and musicians. He has stated that the spirit and depth of Haitian art is something that transcends national boundaries, works that all can take pride in and derive inspiration from.

via Caribbean Journal by admin on 4/10/12
Above: from left to right, Wesner La Forest’s works (Photo: Edward Thorp Gallery)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
An ongoing exhibition at New York’s Edward Thorp Gallery looks at the work of four masters of Haitian art: Wesner La Forest, Peterson Laurent, Odilon Pierre and Bourmond Byron.
The exhibition, Haitian Masters: 1950-1980′s, which lasts through the end of this week, looks at the rich cultural landscape of daily life in Haiti; its rituals and folklore, its resourcefulness and faith.
It’s all thanks to Hollywood filmmaker Jonathan Demme, a longtime Haitian art enthusiast and avid collector.
Demme, the director of films including The Silence of the Lambs and Beloved, first visited Haiti in 1986 and has since become a strong advocate for Haiti.
According to Demme, the spirit and art of Haitian art is something that transcends national boundaries.
Byron, who was born in Jacmel in the 1920s, focused on ceremonial scenes of voodoo, in addition to portraits of daily life in Haiti.
La Forest, who was born in 1927, is something of a mystery man in Haitian art, who specialized in small paintings done on masonite — rarely on canvas.
Laurent, who worked in the 1940s and 50s and was a former railroad blacksmith, was one of the so-called “Masters of the Haitian Renaissance,” focusing on themes of rural life and drawing on themes of voodoo and ritual sacrifice.
Pierre, who was born in Port-au-Prince in 1933, focused on crowded scenes, managing to capture what the gallery called “the profound richness and mystery of the Haitian connection to the soil.”




Odilon Pierre, prior to 1986, Profile, Mixed media on canvas, 13.75h x 15.75w in.


Peterson Laurent, c. 1950s, Three Fish with US Battleship, Mixed media on masonite, 20h x 24w in.

Odilon Pierre, prior to 1986, Crowd Scene, Mixed media on linen, 23.5h x 19w in.

Odilon Pierre, prior to 1986, Two Couples in the Countryside, Mixed media on canvas, 15.25h x 11.5w in.

Odilon Pierre, c. 1985-1990, People and Animals, Mixed media on linen, 36h x 24w in.

Odilon Pierre, prior to 1986, Face, Mixed media on canvas, 20h x 16w in.


Odilon Pierre, prior to 1986, Clenched Fists, Mixed media on canvas, 24h x 15.5w in.





Odilon Pierre, prior to 1986, Red Radient Hand #1, Mixed media on canvas, 19h x 13.25w in.


Bourmond Byron

Bourmond Byron, c. 1960, Mystical Family Scene, Mixed media on masonite, 17.25h x 24w in.


Bourmond Byron, c. 1960, Man Resting with Pipe, Mixed media on wood panel, 19.25h x 23.75w in.

Bourmond Byron, c. 1958-1961, Village Sacrifice, Mixed media on masonite, 25.5h x 28w in.

Bourmond Byron, c. 1960-1965, Shop at Dock, Mixed media on masonite, 15.75h x 17w in.




Other Works from      EDWARD THORP GALLERY 

Judith Linhares Riptide
Picnic Rock, 2008, Oil on linen, 60h x 89w in.


© Courtesy of Edward Thorp Gallery