GEORGES LIAUTAUD
(1899 -1991)

In the village cemetery and nearby church in his native Croix des Bouquets, the handiwork of this Haitian art titan can still be seen in the form of iron crosses. Originally a blacksmith, Georges Liautaud created cemetery crosses that caught the attention of DeWitt Peters, director of the Centre d’Art. Believing that his creative talent was a gift from God, Liautaud never took himself seriously. Yet he was a pioneer of an art form that continues today with artists like Serge Jolimeau and Gabriel Bien-Aime. Using recycled oil metal drums, they chisel human, animal and spiritual forms out of flattened metal sheets. Liautaud portrayed market women, voodoo gods, devils and crucifixions in flat and rounded form. Since his death, convincing fakes with his name have appeared in Haiti.

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