In the Garden with Morel Doucet

On Saturday, February 27, Commissioner members gathered at The Deering Estate for an afternoon with Morel Doucet, our second commissioned artist of the season. Nestled in the garden with a breathtaking view of Biscayne Bay, Morel spoke about nature’s influence on his work, climate gentrification and growing up in Miami. He also revealed his new series, "Night Garden: In Moonlight The Stars Chatter", created uniquely for Commissioner Collectors and inspired by a poem he wrote during quarantine.

For Morel, the garden is a metaphor for the passing of time as well as a site of leisure, congregation and deep reflection. With each artwork, he included a letter and the poem:

Dear Collector,

I am deeply honored that you have taken the interest to incorporate my work into your home and space. Your piece is a one of a kind edition unique edition from the series titled “Night Garden: In Moonlight the Stars Chatter” for season three of Commissioner. The title is an extended soliloquy for the passing of time, using the garden as a site of leisure, congregation, and deep reflection. The articulate series offers moments of sorrow, birth, and redemption amongst our daily lives. Works in the series are embellished with flora and fauna reminiscent of the French Rococo era to create subtle surprise and the illusion of motion and drama in each piece. The color blue provides the collector with consideration of thought - a reminder that life is beautiful and magical in all its splendor of good, the bad, and the unknown. My hope is to broaden the view of humanity towards people of color by inviting the viewers to explore to explore the possibilities of their personal dreams, and aspirations. Hoping to inspire a greater level of self-worth as well as compelling individuals towards a recognized humanity for all.

Warm regards,

Morel

—

Night Garden: In Moonlight The Stars Chatter
by Morel Doucet 

When the skin no longer fits 
the spine that it was given — 
I pray that these feet will carry me with grace. 

I pray that these lips will utter 
words of serenity and forgiveness; 
that all my talents and gifts 
will have been used and exhausted.

And should my sun bleach bones become too
afraid to sleep without me, I pray that 
the Manzanilla moon will kiss 
my forehead for one final hour. 

I pray that my ashes will join the soil 
as my ancestors, and when the rain falls, 
it will mix with the secret rhythm of time. 

So, for now, 
I bestow you this Night Garden to cherish
when your shadow becomes unfamiliar with heartache. 
I pray that the night stars will
illuminate your spirit as the black rose sing.

Through our collective power, we’ve been able to collaborate with astonishing artists and reimagine the model of arts patronage. Sincere thanks to Deering Estate Executive Director Jennifer Tisthammer, Cultural Arts Curator Melissa Diaz and the artists-in-residence and staff members who made this experience all the more special; New World School of the Arts’ Dean O. Gustavo Plascencia and the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation; Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Fever Tree; and to our incredible team, volunteers and partners, including The New Tropic, Primary, Joanna Davila, Jenna Ingraham, Mariana Pariani, and Richard and Natalia Guzman.

Simply put, it was a special day.

Enjoy the playlist curated by Amanda Fischer. Photographs by Andrea Lorena with a few shots by Karli Evans.