The cut iron, called Steel Oil Drum Sculpture, is a singular art in Haiti, native of Croix-des-bouquets (suburb of Port-au-Prince). It is an art of the recovery: the tins of fuel oil are on the base of the work. Once got back, the artist cuts the lid and melts it, then he splits it in all its length to obtain a big plate of metal which he melts then on the fire to eliminate any residue of oil and painting. The metal become enough supple so that the artist can jump of all his weight above and obtain a flat surface of 1.80 x 86 cms.
Thanks to a fragment of rail of railroad, he proceeds to the hammering of the plate to return it to make it more easily feasible for a better malleability. Again cleaned the rests of painting, oil and rust, the plate is now ready to pass to the next stage: the drawing.
The drawing of the drawing comes real in the chalk according to the imagination of the artist, which draws generally its inspiration from the voodoo and its Loas spirits, in the mythical creatures (as sirens) or in the daily life (birds, trees, musicians). The artist proceeds then to the delicate stage of the cut of the drawing. He obtains then an openwork sculpture which it is necessary to him to remodel and to chisel. We evoke the forms with a nail or with an even finer burin: this is what we call the technique of repoussé work.
To end, the artist smooths his work in the sandpaper, signs or not and pass it in the soot. Finally, he varnishes or paints his work with lively and warm colors, before letting the sun dry it. It is necessary to count several days to realize a piece. We often speak about a work of lacemaker, because it requires patience, sharpness and delicacy.
