The Compass

Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Entertainment

The Roy C. Moore Art Gallery in the Continuing Education building is currently hosting the Ted Whisenhunt solo exhibit Saints and Haints from Jan. 7 until 28.

The Ted Whisenhunt exhibit "Saints and Haints" displayed folk inspired pieces at the Roy C. Moore art gallery at Gainesville State College.

Whisenhunt does not qualify as a "folk artist". As an artist that lacks any formal training, he does not let that stop him from creating art based off of southern folklore.

John Amoss, GSC art gallery director, stated that "Whisenhunt felt a real need to integrate and explore folk traditions. There is a large number of African-American, European Gothic, and Creole influence. The pieces represent the idea of good and evil, Saints and Haints."

The pieces range from grave-markers, ghostly figures and two vibrantly colored chapels.

Many of the grave-markers feature human faces protruding from the euro-gothic crucifix, evoking a sense that spirits are amongst the living and not confined to the grave.

The life-sized human figures play on Creole culture to represent mortals and spirits. Many of the pieces have a representation of the human bone structure painted on them which creates the notion that these figures represent the Haints. Meanwhile, the other figures lack this symbolism of death and evil which suggests that the figures are mortals, the Saints if you will.

The Chapels establish a theme of protection by incorporating silverware, government text, and nails into the pieces. The silverware represents an old southern tradition of repelling evil spirits and attracting good spirits through the creation of noise, while the government documents symbolize protection under law and authority according to Amoss.

The nails convey the idea of a defense mechanism to use against the evil spirits.

"Saints and Haints" utilizes obscure symbolism, vibrant colors, and rich folklore to address the coexistence of good and evil, as well as the nature of life and death.

"Humans would not know evil without good, nor good without evil" according to Amoss.

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