Page 4
June 21, 2000
Art
BYjLVSNlJLtU,
of
T he P ortland O bserver
Sam uel and Judy B ry an t are
proprietors o f a unique art gallery
called The Red Eagle located on
SW. 11th and Taylor (across the
street from the main library).
The Red Eagle is a reverent and
spiritual endeavor that connects
African art with cosmopolitan art.
Samuel, an accomplished painter,
photographer and videographer,
said the evolution o f the gallery was
a m ix tu re o f re v e la tio n and
serendipity made possible by God
and Jesus Christ. In brief, thejoumey
------------ ® he U or Mani* (Dbseruer
The Red Eagle: inspiration and reverence through art
-< Focus i>-
the Schona sculpture are imbued
with originality. The artists who
create these sculptures draw from
their own environment and cultural
perception unique to lower Africa
below the Sahara.
Although sculpture is prominently
featured at Red Eagle, the gallery
o ffe rs a v ariety o f art form s
in c lu d in g
sz a d z a
b a tik ,
photography, applique, masks and
paintings. Samuel brings a passion
to educate and share the spiritual
and Bantu vitality o f the art o f the
African continent.
For those o f you who appreciate art
that is highly emotive, one should
visit the Red Eagle for a refreshing
experience in the world o f art.
to the creation o f the Red Eagle
started in ’93 when Samuel’s son
m arried a young w om an from
Zimbabwe. Consequently, Samuel
and his wife (who is also a fine
artist) traveled to Zimbabwe.
In the course o f this, the Bryants
becam e exposed to the Schona
tradition o f excellence. The Schona
tradition is a highly regarded,
internationally recognized form o f
sculpture. The technique is taught
through apprenticeship. The style
is unfettered and natural with strong
overtones o f spirituality. One might
interpret it as having elements o f
Impressionism. Samuel says that
Temptations from page 4
brought us a song we loved, but the words weren’t right. There was
vulgarity that I couldn’t deal with. We couldn’t sing those words. So we
refused until the lyrics were transformed into something positive. Positive
messages, giving lovers positive feedback, making positive statements -
those are the sentiments we want to express. When it comes to women,
praise is still the aphrodisiac that works wonders.”
One might wonder how the mix ofvarious producers on EAR RESISTIBLE
resulted in such a seamless effort. “ Each producer,” Otis explains,
“understood our musical integrity and built the songs from that base. I m
Here, ’ for example, was produced by Joe, one o f the hottest names in pop
music. Listen to the song - the first single o ff EAR RESISTIBLE - and
you’ll hear how he utilized all our voices, especially Terry W eeks’
pleading tenor. Terry has developed into a premier balladeer.”
Narada Michael Walden, the man behind a hundred hits - for Aretha,
Whitney and dozens o f others - was responsible for “Kiss Me Like You
Miss Me” and “Party.” “Narada did ’Stay’ from Phoenix Rising,”
remembers Otis. “He was the one who opened it up for us. Or I should say,
re-opened it. Naturally I wanted Narada to be part ofthis new project. H e’ll
take his place alongside Smokey and Norman Whitfield as an important
producer in the history o f the Temps. H e’s a man o f deep spirituality and
wonderful humor. ‘P arty ’ reflects the kind o f get-loose get-down fun we
have when N arada’s at the controls. We could work with the man forever.
His funk has finesse."
The same could be said for Gerald Levert, producer o f “Selfish Reasons’
and ‘Proven and True.’ “Gerald brings so much to the table,” Otis affirms.
“Being part o f a legacy h im self- he’s the son o f Eddie Levert ofthe O ’Jays
- he understands and honors the tradition. Because he’s a singer as well as
a writer, his songs are geared to bring out the beauty o f the vocal. In
‘ Proven and T rue, ’ he brings out the beauty o f the high tenor o f Ron T yson,
who is celebrating his 19,hy earasaT em p. Ron has proven him self worthy
o fth e legacy o f Eddie Kendricks. Few singers could achieve such a feat.
Tyson also co-wrote ‘Proven and True.” ’
Otis is equally enthusiastic about the newer Temptations. “Terry’s lead
continues to knock us out. H e’s a wellspring o f emotion. And Barrington
- we call him Bo - is one o f the best baritones out there today. When it
comes to the bass, I never thought anyone could replace may closest friend
and soulmate Melvin Franklin. Well, no one can. But Harry McGilberry,
Jr., gives us a bottom that has a distinction and clarity all its own. Harry is
a gem.
“The fact that peace has finally come to the Temptations is a blessing for
which I will be eternally grateful. This group has gone through it all. Man,
w e’ve seen it all. The highs have been incredibly high, the lows incredibly
low. Through it all. I’ve been comforted by one idea - that no one man is
greater than the sum total. The proof is that w e’re still here, forty years
later, still singing pretty, still climbing the charts, still creating cutting-
edge projects like EAR RESISTIBLE. So if I call the Temptations G od's
group, y ou’ll understand why.”
. Samuel Bryant, owner o f The Red Eagle Gallery displays museum
, quality stone sculptures and batiks from the Schona people o f
: Zimbabwe.
Advertise in
The Focus
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