The Tamesis
“I think the most radical thing about Wifredo’s work is its indefinable nature. It’s Cuban, it’s anti-imperialist, but it’s also transnational. It operates on this level and you can’t boil it down to just one concept, and I really identify with that,” Scott said, adding that she felt a “spiritual connection” to Lam’s work. His work is full of contrasts: figurative yet abstract. Serious and erotic. Poetic yet political. Certain works, especially his iconic La Jung La (1942-43), part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, is colorful, while other works, e.g. Lady-white horse (1948), features muted earthy tones. Scott used both tones in his new collection at Diotima, which paid homage to Lam’s hands through unusual fabric treatments (sculptural hand-made intarsia, Cubist-like combinations of fabric strips, and tubular knits with edges reminiscent of sugar cane and banana plants) rather than literal artwork reprints. Scott also reflected the “graphic nature” of Lin’s personal wardrobe by imitating corduroy’s pinstripes and embroidery.
There were, of course, the crochets Scott made in Jamaica, but she also first began working with Refugee Studio, a New York-based nonprofit that empowers refugee women by providing fair-wage textile arts opportunities. “I spent a lot of time last season thinking about Carnival as a moment of resistance in the face of really oppressive systems, and I think those sentiments continue this season,” said Scott, who is “endlessly inspired by this incredibly rich tradition of the Caribbean and the diaspora.” The designer hopes to make an “anti-imperialist statement” with this new collection and her brand as a whole. Like Lam, Scott denounced Caribbean culture while also praising some of its political realities.
The fruits of Scott’s labor are revealed in a pristine space in Manhattan’s Financial District that is the exact same burgundy paint color as Scott’s favorite room in Lin’s Museum of Modern Art retrospective. The soundtrack blends Cuban music with Nina Simone and Stravinsky. Lin often listened to classical music while painting; this was one of countless facts that Scott learned from Lin’s son Eskil, the administrator of Lin’s estate, and Scott thanked Eskil for the “gift” of this opportunity.
“It was fascinating to witness how my father’s artistic language transcended the canvas,” he said. “He always sought to build bridges between cultures and communicate the pride and strength of the black spirit.” It was Scott’s originality and “unwavering commitment to expressing and promoting the Caribbean spirit” that won over Linzi’s son. “I believe my father’s and Rachel’s visions naturally complement each other,” he said. “They are all rooted in identity, movement and the transformation of tradition into the contemporary.”
