New Directions

Volume 2 | Issue 3 Article 3

7-1-1975

Beyond Human Understanding: A NewDimension in ArtAbdulkadir N. Said

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Recommended CitationSaid, Abdulkadir N. (1975) "Beyond Human Understanding: A New Dimension in Art," New Directions: Vol. 2: Iss. 3, Article 3.Available at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol2/iss3/3

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"Like swift, graceful gazelles, they dance anddance around the bird as if performing a ceremonialrite before a symbolic god in a medieval temple."

Beyond HumanUnderstandingA New Dimension in Art

By Abdulkadir N. Said

Like a legendary creature from outerspace, the shadowy frame of the hugebird 'was visible through the streaks oflight which penetrated the darkness ofthe place. The bird's massive wingsstretched horizontally. Its head wasslightly downward as if it had just flownin from some mysterious place above. Butwhen the light streaks increased in in-tensity and gradually illuminated thestage of Ira Aldridge Theater, you thenknew what you were seeing was not acreature from outer space. Rather, it wasan unusual work of art by Stanley White.It was created from steel, wood andrubber and symbolized the mysticism ofa mythical bird with human characteris-tics. The backdrop which gave the illusionof quiet space was merely a huge screenmade to look that way by special lighting.

Soothing music fills the hall. You feelat peace with yourself, with those aroundyou. You relax to the beat but at the sametime fix your stare at the bird on stage.You are overwhelmed by its long legs,its massive seven-foot frame, and aserpent-like neck that shines like a silversword. You are struck by the bird's humanface - that of a woman- and its hugewings carved from wood. Simultaneously

two female voices-a vocalist and anarrator-come over the speakers tointroduce the bird and to render poeticexplanation of its virtues and supernaturalpowers.

The poetry begins slowly in unisonwith the mellow music and the soft toneof the vocalist. You hear every word andfeel as though you too are in a flight withthe bi rd- just as suggested in the follow-ing lines written specially for theproduction by Clay Goss:

Within the drums/flight is possible.Listen to the wings/of the bird that is/flying off to war. Among the living/therewill be life/or death due to/circum-stances beyond a II/comprehension/Travels like the four/winds blowingaround tnelqlobe. All things are/pos-sible in the end. Listen to the bent!inner workings of the/Mother Force/Transmigrations, Primal/Images likethe God/Mercury. A messenger/where/all our fathers go/as one Legend to/their memories. Like birds as theirwings/lift them slowly off/into the sky.Within the drums/even flight becomes/merely possible/within the drums/TheBeginning as well as the End. Flight! 1

Said: Beyond Human Understanding: A New Dimension in Art

Published by Digital Howard @ Howard University,

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All of a sudden, two spot lights brightenthe aisles in the theater. You sense some-thing is about to happen. But what? Youhear foot steps coming from the oppositeend of the stage. As you turn to look, agroup of masked dancers clad in whiteand black costumes swish by as if theytoo were endowed with wings like thebird. Like swift, graceful gazelles, theydance and dance around the bird as ifperforming a ceremonial rite before asymbolic god in a medieval temple.Indeed, their performance captivates the

- audience. Even the few fidgety young-sters in the theater find a meaningfuldiversion in the activity on stage. Thereis no motion, no sound. And when thedancers finish their ritualistic perform-ance and dash back off stage through theaisles, the audience bursts into applause.

The lights dim once again to allowfor the exit of the bird and to make wayfor the grand entrance of yet anotherpiece of art.

It is all part of a well-orchestratedproduction heralding the birth of anew concept in the presentation of visualart. If you have any doubts in your mind

about the production, all are dispelledby the time the first act is ended.

At one point you are shifted from stageto screen through the effective projectionof sl ides superimposed over 16mm. fi 1mshowing various pieces of White's birdslined up on a field of green grass. Piecesof sculpture are in fact made to hop aboutlike grass-hoppers as if they were giftedwith the power of motion.

At another point you are taken backto the roots-Africa-via a powerful on-stage performance by a trio with "talking"drums.

White's production, "Beyond HumanUnderstanding," is hardly that. It is withinthe realm of understanding, thanks to hisartistry. For an hour and 45 minutes, hiswork, striving for new dimensions in art,casts a spell over an audience who camefor a performance and remained for a rite.For White, the sculpture seems only thebeginning of his expression.

WHO IS STANLEY WHITE?

Stanley White, 23, is an art teacher atDunbar High School in Washington, D. C.and an alumnus of Howard University.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROY LEWIS

His interest in art began early as he wasgrowing up in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

It is conceivable that he might havechosen another line of work, but fatesteered him to his present profession.His artistic talents were recognized at acrucial point in Iife by his seventh-gra.deteachers. Much later, it was nourishedand sustained by encouragement fromhigh school instructors. Their collectiveinterest in him and his work inspiredWhite to push on.

After graduation from Walker GrantHigh School, he won a scholarship toVirginia Commonwealth University inRichmond. But he transferred to HowardUniversity after one year, to satisfy a deepdesire to be among his people. He grad-uated in 1973,and just this past May wasawarded the Master of Fine Arts degree.

At Howard, White developed a lastingattachment to the field of visual art. Thisdeep interest served him as a catalystin his search for a deeper meaning in hiswork. The urge to learn more and to dis-cover the unknown led him in the directionof the supernatural in art forms, as found

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New Directions, Vol. 2 [], Iss. 3, Art. 3

http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol2/iss3/3

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"Back to the roots-Africa-" with on-stageperiormance of "talking drums."

in WestAfrican and Caribbean art. Indeed,this provided the setting for his master'sthesis. And to transform theory into livingpieces of art, White followed a rigidwork schedule that was dictated by strictdiscipline and a high sense of commit-ment. He surrounded himself with books,steel, wood, rubber and other wares ofhis craft. Inevitably, he developed sortof a spiritual closeness to his work.Often when inspired by a particular piece,he would grab pen and paper and cele-brate his creation through verse or poetry.Consider this one for D'Glo, a waterserpent from Trinidadian folklore:

Within the realities of Life in an un-natural environment . . .. Existingamong demons of darkness Weabsorb those qualities we once de-spised ..... Lust ..... once our enemy,now our partner. To take her on is towelcome other members of her familyinto your home.

In the mist of our Radiance and black-ness she exists among us.

The burning fire for material desireswill bring her to you.

In disguise she will come to you .....her death look ... hidden behind thefalse face of beauty blinding youto the cold terror which is waiting.

Hear the sweet voice pulling at you.Luring you into a slippery trance.

Trance of Darkness.Swirling greenish golden hair. Frozen

beauty of the golden comb in the set-ting sun.

Graceful movements of the womanlySnake of death.

Beware of the happiness you seek inthe valley of Evil.

Rave for material desires and she willbe your Lover.

Sacrifice yourself for the falseness ofher warmth and her lips will drain thelife from you.

Cuddle up in the coziness of her tailand it will shatter your frame like brokenicicles from the cave in which shedwells ...

Surfacing in our history like a fishcoming up for air .... her Ugly headappears among the masses of our

people.Surviving through time .... existing

for all eternity ..... The modern tragedyfor sons and daughters of material Lust.... D~0! ... D' ... g0! .... D~0.

Two years of hard but rewarding workproduced the pieces of sculpture seenfor the fi rsttime atthe IraAid ridge Theater.Most of them represented mythologicalWest African birds or aquatic charactersfound in the folklore of the Shango cult inTrinidad.

The production took six months to planand produce. But the idea to introducea new concept in the presentation ofvisual art was born during a chanceconversation the artist had with a fewfriends "On a Friday during a ride to thebus terminal, Arthur McGee, Stephanie

Glover and I talked about a new approachtoward displaying my sculpture. It wasobvious that the traditional method ofhaving an opening for an art exhibit wouldnot enhance or compliment my sculpture.Since my work deals with the super-natural forces which exist both in Blackpeople and the Universe, we agreed theintroduction to this sculpture should alsoreflect these qual ities. What has de-veloped from the conversation back inJanuary is a new concept in the presen-tation of a sculpture exhibition."

Given the uniqueness of his work andthe non-traditional route he chose topresent it,White needed cash and a placelarge enough for the exhibition. HowardUniversity, through the Institute for theArts and".the Humanities, and the Uni-versity-wide Cultural Committee, filledboth needs. His friends, such as themusical group NATION and dancersfrom the Western High School for the arts,provided the rest. And it worked likemagic.

It was different, non-traditional, splen-did. Instead of a gallery, a theater wasused. Instead of a few associates, thewhole community was invited. Insteadof the traditional wine and cheese, theaudience was invited on stage (after theshow) and offered fresh fruit-bananasand apples. It was reminiscent of a feastin the African tradition. The carnivalatmosphere created a closeness amongthe audience, the artist and the sculpture.

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Said: Beyond Human Understanding: A New Dimension in Art

Published by Digital Howard @ Howard University,