Artist Statement 2003

Joseph Cantave, artist statement Winter2003. Even thou this statement have a present feel to it, it was written almost 20 years ago towards a particular audience and for a specific purpose.............  

                     Valerie Orlando, Professor at Wesleyan University also a collector of Joseph Cantave asked me to write an artist statement to go along with my short biography. She told me the statement has to be personal and related to my work for she is going to put Joeph Cantave in competition with more than a thousand other artists, poets, writers, musicians and private organizations ect for a coveted 25,000.00 grant. We had one in a thousand chances of winning. At least we had one chance, she said.....   

 In these modern times of ours more specific on the internet, have you ever seen a piece of headliner news on a major news network and you went pass by all the news and go straight to the public comments? In many instances, the heart of the matter is in the comments, in the raw unfiltered comments, like one  read  comments sometimes before making an online purchase.    

Years ago, Josephcantave.net was a favorite of many international fans because of that very fact. Sometimes they did not even bother to look at the paintings, they each had a certain paragraph they wanted to read for some reason or another, for entertainment, confort or some kind of clarification or enlightenment...................   

    One day in the 1990's I had a 3 man show at I think it was Emerson University in Boston, It was me, a Haitian sculptor named Pointdujour and another painter. At the reception, as we were all talking with the guests ect.. my boss, my employer from Office Depot Tim Hallinan asked me a question, just a simple question. Tim Hallinan holds a master's degree in business and heads the sales operation of more than 150millions dollars annually in the northeast of the US for the business division. I was just a delivery driver for Office Depot. After Tim asked me the question, two other guests who were close by came closer as I delivered the response to Tim. Tim keeps asking more questions, next thing you know other guests came to listen, a little while later the two participating artists came also. They all surrounded me, all paying full attention. The show literally was over. All the incoming traffic coming to look at the show did not even bother. They came straight to listen. My sister who was also there was smiling all the while.  At 6 pm when the show was closing, as we were living, she told me she had to be there to witness this. It was a séance, she said. as she hugged me............. For all that I said at the show, I learned from her........ The artist's statement was written by me but corrected by her. The tears were shed by both of us in 1999 upon visiting our grandmother's old estate at La Plaine du cul de Sac. I added her in the original statement, for she was the first to take me to "OLD POND" at just 4 years old when I was able to walk. but she had me erased her out. She said she preferred to be in the background. In the last paragraph which she had a strong input, told me in every ending, one must always leave an opening even if it is a small hidden opening..........................

To understand further please read the writings next to Valerie Orlando they are all connected. 

 Now Let's get to the heart of the matter. The fact is all that charming and enchanting students, teachers ect...all the Receptions and breakfasts in large halls with my name imprinted in gold on flags and large banners, all that good stuff were but minor details, all supporting details, for the highlight of that faithful trip, the purpose of that trip with all expenses, grants etc.. was to meet, eye to eye, my own enchantress in the very person of Valerie Orlando ........ During the previous year as we were communicating regularly, we came so close we started calling each other, honey, sweetheart or in French ""Cheri" ect... I don't know if she done it unemotionally or intentionally, all that goodwill and words of affection have circled inside me, round and around until they found their synonym in this one universal word "LOVE or AMOUR". Innocent as it may be, childish or playful, sinless love is love is love and can become real. And when that occurs it takes a lifeform in itself. That is exactly what happened in this episode. She has unsuspectedly reached and awakened the little magician inside me. The little kid was so aroused that he had to look, to see inside the eyes of who had  dared reached so deep as to awaken him. ...............