1. A Taste of Renee Stout

2. Tokesplaceis pleased to present a flavor of the assemblage sculpture art of Washington DC based regional artist Renee Stout.

3. Ms Stout is an artist of some acclaim. She sculpts, paints, draws, prints, and makes photographs to express her creativity. Her extensive achievements (exhibitions, awards, grants and fellowships) are laid out in detail in her resume. Her achievements are well chronicled by any of the popular web search engines.

4. Her assemblages express aspects of African, Haitian, Vodou, and Christian spirituality and symbolism. At the same time the assemblages comprise motifs that are familiar in contemporary urban society. The motifs are universal. They are social concerns, spiritual quests, personal growth, love, relationships, and choices. The assemblages are mysterious at first blush. Careful viewing in the context of common Black American mores and legends make them more accessible.

5. Her assemblages are created from found and donated objects. She uses old doors, fences, mannequins, furniture, computers, photos, fabric, beads, feathers, dirt, coffee grounds, paint, as well as her own hair, finger nails and words in her pieces.

6. Meet Fatima Mayfield (Renee’s alter ego) She is a mysterious aloof root worker. She does readings and creates amulets and remedies for clients.

7. Two views of Fatima’s boudoir follow. Her boudoir is itself an assemblage comprising a variety of sub assemblages that are used to service her clients. These views provide a sense of Fatima and the tools of her profession as a conjurer.

8. A four-poster bed piled with silk pillows and lace dominates the room.

9. This view shows some of the sub assemblages used by Fatima in servicing her clients. The sub assemblages include doilies, a reproduction of an 18th century French display case with armaloo details filled with perfume bottles, oils and roots, African masks and statues, power objects and books on the occult.

10. Roots and Oils for Conjuration In her boudoir she interviews clients: What ails you? Evil hants bothering you? Need roots or counter roots? Need better luck? Need money? Want some numbers? Want to make him or her love you? Put this in their water? Maybe you can use some of these remedies :

11. Device to Stop A Man From Lying Tokesplace.com: Will this work with a woman?

12. Sachets, Powders, House Sprays and Herbs save marriages, hit numbers, promote success, love and luck.

13. The House of Chance and Mischief Tokesplace.com: Consider these universal tricksters at the Cross Roads. Brer Rabbit, Eden’s Serpent and Porgy and Bess’s Sporting Life.

14. The assemblages presented in this show provide viewers with a powerful sense of Ms. Stout’s high creativity and the devices, procedures and treatments used in African, Haitian, Vodou, and Christian spirituality and symbolism to manage everyday life. Other assemblages by Ms. Stout in the spirit of this show can be viewed at http://www.uam.ucsb.edu/Pages/stout.html