El Nergo Detrá del la Orjea
Patricia Encarnaciòn
Part of the identity of an individual is defined by factors external to himself or herself, factors that have been demarcated by the society and/ or the environment which he or she was exposed during his lifetime. As a Dominican, I’m starting a project where I can reflect my identity through my culture, by teaching the rest of the world who Dominicans are and reminding my countrymen why we love so much and belong to that little but beautiful island. The Black Behind The Ear (El Negro Detrà de la Orjea) aims to enhance the Dominican culture, marginalizing racial and classist beliefs that exist in our culture. Through a series of popular objects cast in porcelain, and photographic compositions based on popular phrases, I will create narration that describe us as Dominicans, stressing that neither color nor social class define who we are, because at the end we are all the same. The reason for making porcelain pieces with these objects that Dominicans considered “ordinary” is to put these object in a different context and add the meaning and the importance that they actually have in the Dominican culture. The objects selected are: plantain, yucca, bottle Barceló, brugal bottle, avocado, tambora, güira, gugarcane, rosary, coffee nean, and container candle. (This list of items is subject to change). Part of the satire is make this porcelains look like the nobility’s porcelain that Spaniards used to have in the fifteenth century. The final product will be a book with a series of photographs made by Dominican elements and the porcelain pieces. This book will be a graphic source of inspiration and a narrative tool that will show the beautiful culture we have in Dominicanda Republic. This project is a reminder to the world of how the basic and ordinary elements can be part of the great pillar of a culture.