I
am a native of New Orleans
and grew up in my city’s rich and diverse cultural gumbo. I grew up listening
to the R&B, Gospel, and Jazz music of the Crescent City.
I have fond memories of dancing with my
Aunts in our shotgun-double as a child.
It was also as a child that I developed a delight in painting,
sculpting, and dabbling in mixed media
crafts. In 1972 I received a degree in
Fine Arts from the University
of New Orleans.
I
started a career teaching art to adults and children which eventually led to a career in Social Work. Although art was my passion, I worked 31
years in the social work arena. This all
ended on August 29, 2005 with Hurricane Katrina ripping through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Like many, I left my
native city, my home, and my job. Upon
returning to New Orleans
without employment, I was now reawakened as a full time artist. My present series of paintings and
assemblages reflect the grief, horror, and devastation of my community. My art deals with the loss and suffering of
my community, exploring themes of death and devastation, hope and resurrection,
and the healing power of compassion. Now I knew loss and felt a deep bond with
families whose loved ones were taken by Katrina. Both of my parents had been ill and seven
weeks after the storm they passed away together, only hours apart.
In all of New Orleans'
neighborhoods, Hurricane Katrina churned out hills of debris. Sifting through
the rubble, I was inspired by the spirit of hope to explore my own
“Transformation After Katrina.” I
constructed assemblages from pieces of wood, tin, glass, sheetrock, tiles,
plastic and personal items such as photos of children. Recycling storm debris seemed a fitting metaphor
for destruction/transformation. Included
in this series are post-Katrina images: X's spray-painted on homes signifying
if a house was empty or if a dead body lay inside. These are some of the images
along with my personal iconography I painted on wood panels and slate, debris I
continue to collect and which can still be found in New Orleans streets.
I hope that my art
speaks out to my community and inspires healing. In my own way, I tried to speak to those in
our government who have the power and the means to protect our people from
future disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
Linda Rosamano