Houston Conwill, Resident Artist Lecture 1990

Interdisciplinary and collaborative artist Houston Conwill gives a lecture at Skowhegan where he seeks to create a common ground for Black American Culture. Conwill’s work is inspired by African language systems, black music and dance, African writing systems, and waters and rivers: specifically the deep Mississippi rivers. Conwill draws on many writers, theorists and activists to explore these ideas. Conwill goes further with the importance water plays in his work. For Conwill, he sees Water as a symbol for African American freedom, a cross-cultural centre for renewal and purification, and an expression of the fertile forces of nature. Conwill works with archetypes and uses cross cultural references to communicate these ideas, ranging from gardens and libraries, to tombstones and stand-posts. Humour is also an important element in Conwill’s work. It functions as a way to distance oneself from pain and suffering, and not to be pulled down by one’s own ego which is very important to Conwill as an artist.