Haitian

Murat Brierre

Haiti 1938-1988
Four Sirens 67.0019

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In Greek mythology, the Sirens were female, partly human creatures that lured mariners to their deaths with sweet singing. However, Brièrre's Sirens are neither dangerous nor seductive. They represent the vodou philosophy of life as continuous change. In this sculpture, everything is on the brink of change, young into old, man into woman, woman into man, human into animal. In vodou, the siren is a vodou water spirit (hence the mermaid tails) and consort of the male sea spirit Agwe. A West African deity, Mami Wata (Mother of Waters) is often depicted as a mermaid. It is possible to trace the mermaid image to this source and to images Africans must have seen of European ships' prows carved in the likeness of female figures.

 

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