| Ella Turenne
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VISIONARY| ELLA TURENNE
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NOELLE LORRAINE WILLIAMS| Your
biography is a testament to your steadfast spirit. Consistently it
demonstrates a deep commitment to the craft of performance and visual art and a
courageous grasp of some key issues that impact the lives people of color and
consequently everyone worldwide. What is your vision for your work in
this life? What do you have faith in accomplishing?
ELLA TURENNE | My vision is
really to use my art as a tool for positive social change. I believe
every artist has their own creative mission. For some that just means
expression, for others it means expression + impact...and I mean impact towards
change. There are so many pressing issues we are dealing with - the
economy, the prison crisis, a poor education system. If we go back to the
days of the earliest civilizations, the artists were always respected.
Art was the way news travelled, the way people were taught to think and comment
critically and I think we have gotten away from that, mainly because art has
become so commodified. For me, I am looking to see how my art - whether
it’s the written or spoken word, visual art, film or theatre - can illuminate
an issue and propel people to action. As an artist, I carry my training
as an activist. It's part of me and therefore spills into my work.
I have faith that I can accomplish being part of the empowerment of my
community through my art. I am one piece of the puzzle; it’s through
collective effort that we will get to where we want to be.
I definitely have a deep commitment to my craft. I take it very
seriously. I think natural talent is not enough. You need to have a
hunger for your craft that forces you to take it beyond talent. I do
not necessarily mean we all have to go out and get MFAs. There are all
sorts of ways artists can be trained and continue to hone their craft without
having to go through the traditional education routes. But I think if you
are going to be serious about your art, you have to work at it every day.
You have to be humble enough to understand that there is always something for
you to learn. You have to be able to embrace critique. The artists
that understand this are the best artists. You have to be passionate and
breathe your art. Edwidge Danticat said "You need a passion - one
that won't be denied, that won't let you sleep, that's almost like
breathing." I came up with the slogan "Art or Die" to
characterize this very idea - that art is needed for survival.
NOELLE LORRAINE WILLIAMS| It is always significant to me that many people are disdainful of any
connection between art and politics and art and spirituality when many of the
most recognized and significant African American and Latino artists do just
that. Whether it is Catlett, Baraka, Hughes, Kahlo, Rivera or Baldwin a
solid commitment to understanding the contemporary yearnings and desire of
various communities is integral to their practice.
In what ways are these connections organic for you? How does a "call
and response" type practice actually innovate on the production of art?
ELLA TURENNE |The connection the community -
and also artists that came before you - is extremely important. I didn't
realize that until after I left undergrad. I was a bit cocky - I thought
my art could exist in a vacuum and I didn't need to know about anything that
came before me. One day someone said to me after seeing one of my
paintings, "That looks like something Faith Ringgold would do."
I was embarrassed because I didn't know who she was. I went and looked
her up and I fell in love with her work. I fell in love with her
story. And that motivated me. I then realized that we have to know
who came before us. We have to know what their struggle was. And
that also informs what we are going through today. How would we
appreciate our voting rights if we didn't know what it took to get them?
The call and response,
"Krik, Krak" is important for me. If I am to be a vessel
through which my community makes a statement, I'd better be listening to what
they have to say so I don't get it twisted. Mentors have told me,
"Write what you know." If I write what I know, then I am going
to write about my experience as a Haitian woman. I am going to write
about my experience as a Black woman. I am going to write about the young
men I work with in jails. I am going to write about the young children
who I work with whose parents are incarcerated. I am going to write about
them, draw about them, and act them out. And I'm going to work with them
to get their message out as well.
NOELLE LORRAINE WILLIAMS|
In what ways (if any) are you influenced by traditional and contemporary
artistic practices in Haiti particularly with regard to women? Are their
particular cosmologies or beliefs that inform your artistic practice?
Does this in any way influence your conception of the boundaries of the body in
"real time" or interpreted through artistic practice?
ELLA TURENNE | I am influenced by Haitian art
because the history of my people is in me. It's hard to avoid. I
remember the first time I went to Haiti, I kissed the ground...I felt like I
came home. I identify strongly with the women because their work is so
underrated and I have felt that at times here in the USA. Sexism doesn't
disappear from country to country...it just manifests itself in different
ways. One of my favorite Haitian characters is Defilee La Folle.
People thought she was crazy, but was she? I think people always see me
as "quirky," "weird," or "different." I
embrace it. Especially if that means people will pay attention.
My body in real time is
extended through my artistic tools - whether it be the pen, paintbrush or
camera. And my favorite artistic form, acting, is all about the
body. Pushing the bodies inside and outside its limits. At the same
time, there are things I have done that seek to push the boundaries of
society's perception of women's bodies. I went through a phase where I
only painted people in my work nude. And I did that because I didn't want
clothes to cloud the message. It's interesting - some of those pieces got
more attention for the nudity than for the message. As artists, we
have to remember that the interpretation will not always be what we
expect. But that's the beauty of creation.
NOELLE LORRAINE WILLIAMS| Finally, what projects are you working on
now or that will be debuting soon?
ELLA TURENNE |Right now I am working on a one woman piece about Defilee La Folle. I'm
also working on a book of poetry and a book compilation of short stories by
Haitian women. I've got several film projects in the works as well.
I'm one of those people that likes to be busy!
LINKS
http://www.blackwomyn.com/
