Peeling: A Response to Edrin Symonette's “Residues of a Colonial Past”

I was approached by artist and sculptor, Edrin Symonette, to write a poem in response to his latest installation and video “Residues of a Colonial Past”. Residues of a Colonial Past explores traditions, beliefs or structures left behind after colonization in The Bahamas (and wider Caribbean). Deconstructing the homebuilding process of, “quicklime and slacking”, Symonette constructs his own questions surrounding Bahamian identity and the affects of slavery. In speaking with Symonette, it was clear that he desired a language that replicated his personal questions and process of construction. “Peeling” was the response to Symonette’s installation. It explores the foundation that sustains Bahamian culture by reflecting on The Bahamas’ ugly past of slavery and colonialism. The voice begins by rebelling against systematic evils woven into her culture. However, she finds herself at a dead-end, questioning whether an identity exists outside of the painful history. In the poem, sugarcane, cotton, peas soup and Christianity symbolize our attachments to traditions birthed out of colonization. My rhythm and tonal pitch is intentional; reflecting a dual sense of rage-somberness, ritual-change, rebellion-defeat. The outcome is the Symonette's video (found below). It fuses together my vocal performance of “Peeling” and the step-by-step making of Symonette’s sculpture. Interestingly, “quicklime and slacking” was taught to African slaves by their masters, but is still used today because of its structure to withstand hurricane damage.