La Vaughn Belle: A Haunting Between Us

A Haunting Between Us
Clark Atlanta University Museum

September 10-December 13, 2024 

Sovereign (how to pull a spear from our throat), La Vaughn Belle, 2023

The earth whispers what we have forgotten. The sound may be faint, but if we are fully tuned in we will notice the soil, the water, and the wind coalesce to utter a timeless truth attempting to reach out to us. Often these collective memories are quite painful and they haunt us during our waking hours. La Vaughn Belle hears these whispers on St. Croix, the island she calls home. As she exits the buildings, walks the streets, and feels the hot sun on her face, she is struck by the reality of the forced labor camps that once covered the terrain for centuries under Danish colonialism in theVirgin Islands (1672-1917) and the exploitation of a people that  continues to this very day.

These histories do not die, they live on within us and around us simultaneously. Belle’s unique gift is that she not only senses the pain of this haunting, she also registers the thunderous response of the people to these injustices–rebellion. The pieces in this exhibition come primarily from two series, Swarm and Cuts and Burns; both surrounding a striking sculpture aptly titled Sovereign (how to pull a spear from our throat). Pulling from archives and oral histories, Belle reconstructs how the people of St. Croix defended their sovereignty by rising from the watery depths shooting arrows at invaders, wielding machetes against enslavers, and burning down plantations.

Belle’s artwork fashions a narrative that you won’t find in the history books or the archives because these methods fail to capture the spirit of resistance that accompanies the viciousness of colonial encounters. Power does not allow for that. Instead, it works persistently, diligently, and clandestinely to frame history for its own purposes. Belle reminds us, however, that a more complex story haunts us and we cannot ignore it. She implores us to learn from these hauntings, to remember, and to use the tools at our disposal, the tools of rebellion, to tell our own stories of history and transformation.

SOLO EXHIBITION: Even so, there is a terror in the air

 

APRIL 27 - JUNE 8, 2024

EVEN SO, THERE IS A TERROR IN THE AIR
LA VAUGHN BELLE

RECEPTION & DIALOGUE: Saturday, April 27, 5 - 7:30 PM.
DIALOGUE | 5 - 5:30 PM.

OLD CITY GALLERY WALK - FIRST FRIDAY | MAY 3 & JUNE 7 | | 5 - 8 PM.

Even so, there is a terror in the air marks the first solo exhibition of La Vaughn Belle at Pentimenti Gallery. 

La Vaughn Belle embarks on a journey to reimagine the Caribbean landscape in the aftermath of catastrophic histories. At the heart of this exhibition, La Vaughn presents her ongoing series of collage works on paper titled Storm (How to Imagine The Tropicalia as Monumental). Drawing inspiration from the relentless forces of hurricanes, seas, and lands, Belle transcends the notion of destruction to embrace the regenerative potential of these natural phenomena. Through salvaged materials from her storm-ravaged studio, Belle weaves together torn fragments to evoke the resilience and tenacity of Caribbean inhabitants. This series serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of the region, inviting viewers to contemplate new geographies.

Additionally, Belle presents her compelling series Swarm, which delves into the archives of the Danish West Indies. La Vaughn alters the photographs by making hundreds of cuts and burns. The amorphous interventions bend the time and space of staged and constructed images during the colonial era. Her marks disrupt the conventional narratives of social status and wealth represented through the imagery.

La Vaughn Belle's Even so, there is a terror in the air exhibition challenges viewers to confront the complexities of history, nature, and memory. Through a rigorous interrogation of the past and a visionary exploration of alternative futures, Belle extends a compelling invitation to engage with the current dynamic and process of decolonization. 

La Vaughn Belle received her BA and MA from Columbia University, New York, NY. She received her MFA from the Instituto Superior de Arte, Havana, Cuba. She has exhibited her work in museums and institutions such as the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; Museo del Barrio New York, NY; Casa de las Americas Havana, Cuba; the Museum of the African Diaspora San Francisco, CA; Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark; and more. Her art is in the collections of the National Photography Museum Copenhagen, Denmark; Vestsjælland Museum, Denmark; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt, Germany; the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA. She has received numerous grants and awards including the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, 2019, and the Danish Arts Council Project Distinction Award, 2023.

For all inquiries, please contact us at mail@pentimenti.com or +1 215.625.9990.