Haiti Earthquake Artist Paints Scenes of Devastation
- 14 years ago
Luis Sorel has lost his home to the earthquake and lives in Port-au-Prince’s tent city. Just a month ago, Sorbel was a successful fine artist and was selling his pictures of colorful Haitian life scenes in many local shops. But now, Sorel is turning his artistic vision to the devastation scenes that surround him.
As he walks mesmerized and horrified through the mountains of dusty rubble, he takes photos from his mobile phone of the debris down every street. Then each day Sorel returns to his studio-tent and begins painting the strongest scenes.
[Luis Sorel, Fine Artist]:
"It is a necessity because the young people who are going to come are going to see the images and are going to ask what they mean. And the people are going to tell them what happened on January 12, 2010."
Local vendors selling his work say his pictures are attracting attention.
[Alcius Trente, Local Vendor]:
"So I think about the earthquake picture — I think it's very important to have a picture of the earthquake because when the earthquake took place in Haiti, the situation was very bad. So that's the reason now an artist should paint a picture of the earthquake. I think it is very important because that will help a lot of people who don't live in Haiti to see or to have an idea about the earthquake."
The artist himself feels torn about receiving money for his paintings.
[Luis Sorel, Fine Artist]:
"This is my profession. I do it, but I don't feel good. There is a necessity for painting. Because I am the present and the future, I am obligated to do it."
Sorel says he has never seen anything like the destruction wrought by the January 12 quake. There is no knowing what future holds for him and his family but he expects to remain in his tent, paintbrush in hand, recording the ruins of Port-au-Prince.
As he walks mesmerized and horrified through the mountains of dusty rubble, he takes photos from his mobile phone of the debris down every street. Then each day Sorel returns to his studio-tent and begins painting the strongest scenes.
[Luis Sorel, Fine Artist]:
"It is a necessity because the young people who are going to come are going to see the images and are going to ask what they mean. And the people are going to tell them what happened on January 12, 2010."
Local vendors selling his work say his pictures are attracting attention.
[Alcius Trente, Local Vendor]:
"So I think about the earthquake picture — I think it's very important to have a picture of the earthquake because when the earthquake took place in Haiti, the situation was very bad. So that's the reason now an artist should paint a picture of the earthquake. I think it is very important because that will help a lot of people who don't live in Haiti to see or to have an idea about the earthquake."
The artist himself feels torn about receiving money for his paintings.
[Luis Sorel, Fine Artist]:
"This is my profession. I do it, but I don't feel good. There is a necessity for painting. Because I am the present and the future, I am obligated to do it."
Sorel says he has never seen anything like the destruction wrought by the January 12 quake. There is no knowing what future holds for him and his family but he expects to remain in his tent, paintbrush in hand, recording the ruins of Port-au-Prince.