"Invasive Species Amulet", now on display at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, by first-time artist Saskia Schutte D'Aguilar (54 years old). This art installation required approximately 250 hours to complete.
This wall mobile tells the story of a violent but victorious journey - the journey of Poinciana pods and their precious seeds – travelling from East Africa to the shallow turquoise waters of The Bahamas. Originally from the dense emerald-green jungles of Madagascar, they began their precarious route drifting south in the stormy Indian Ocean, looping around the Cape of Good Hope, through the turbulent Atlantic Ocean, finally landing in The Bahamas, where despite their grace and beauty, they are often referred to as an “invasive species”.
The journey of a seed pod between disparate geographic regions of the globe demonstrates nature’s brutal determination to be free of barriers. Seed pods, tossing in the waves, travel the world unencumbered by man-made laws -- unlike humans -- who are counted, inspected, controlled and legislated by passports, visas, coast guards and immigration authorities.
Once the seed pod of this invasive species sprouted on our archipelago, the tree was christened the “Royal Poinciana” or “Flamboyant”, in homage to the showy flowers that burst forth from the otherwise skeletal structures each summer. The wondrous seed pods, constructed like custom made coffrets for precious jewels, feature unique markings, grooves and bends.
The supporting beams of driftwood, found on a Bahamian beach, have been weathered by the tides and sands into an elegant elongated shape. The beams may have come from across the oceans or from a nearby island, with the complete freedom to traverse the globe, without presenting man-made passports at man-made boundaries.
The construction of the amulets is not haphazard; rather, the components are arranged so that the sturdiest elements bear the greatest weight and tension, giving the lightest pieces (the pods) the freedom to move without constraint. Regrettably, this liberty is not available to foreign persons we have labeled as “invaders”, many unable to integrate in our landscape after years of toiling for the Bahamian people.
The amulets of the mobile are not only about fierce struggles; they also celebrate the beauty of the invaders, whether botanical or human. Several of the largest wooden beads bear the paint-dipped fingerprints of young men and women who have been the victims of severe immigration challenges in The Bahamas.
The irregular splendor of the pods and seeds, whether highlighted by painted surfaces or encrusted with sea glass to further define their exquisite natural design, reminds me how every individual brings his or her unique gifts to our landscape.
