Me Friend, Duppy Bush
The duppy bush, or ‘duppy basil’, has characteristic stiff leaves and small flowers that bloom throughout the year on the edges of the leaves, creating a soft halo of pink or yellow. Its natural habitat is dry thicket and woodland. The common name derives from its folkloric associations with the ‘duppy’, or ghost. When the plant catches a breeze in a full moon, it is said to appear as if a hand is waving its glossy fingers, which would have been alarming to encounter when travelling on foot in an age before street lighting. In contrast, the artists have highlighted this duppy bush under calming blue skies that allow the hand of the duppy bush to glisten in the bright Caribbean sun.
About the Artist
Bill Ferehawk and David Hartwell
Known as Collective Artist Collective, Ferehawk and Hartwell live and work in Los Angeles as commercial artists in the film industry. Together they have created numerous works and installations as an ongoing investigation into the ways places and histories are marked and remembered. This series of photographs was taken in 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park when the pair were Artists-in-Residence at the National Gallery.