In 1987, when we began to collect and sell African American
folk art, principally from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, we were so
focused that we were able to help shape Issac Tigert's evolving vision of
the House of Blues --may I say in passing that I have never met before a man
of such brilliance and integrity and vision as Isaac.
It is indisputable--
and there are still remnants in Cambridge and New Orleans -- that the decor
of the HOB would have largely consisted of Mexican Day of the Dead folk art
had not Isaac spent a Sunday afternoon at Barrister's Gallery examining and
discussing my Southern folk art inventory while his concept of the House of
Blues was still in its formative stage. The inclusion of African tribal art
within the HOB's decorative/instructional scheme, first in New Orleans and then in Los Angeles, Chicago, Myrtle Beach and Orlando is definitely ascribable to the incessant lobbying by Barrister's Gallery.
Roy Ferdinand
We argued it was appropriate to display
African primitive art because many scholars trace the origins of the Blues to
African tribal rhythms and other scholars have argued that there are definite
(if often tenuous) correlation's between African American folk art and African
art.
When the new HOB management (post-Orlando) unhappily decided
that they could live without the guiding genius of Isaac, the authenticity
of their acquisitions became a tertiary issue, Barristers gallery (and, we
note, some other galleries which also valued their reputations) disaffiliated
itself from the HOB operatives.
© Copyright 2000-2003
Barrister's Gallery
and Dr. Andy P. Antippas
For information send email to aantippas@aol.com
