Out of nature comes art. Out of disaster comes creativity and expression. Out of family comes a sense of design. Plymouth, Montserrat, native Jason “Gazoo” Allen is showing New York City how a catastrophic event leads to a sublime artistic experience. Now known as the black sand artist, Gazoo is interpreting his island’s rebirth through drawings and installations in the New York City region. During a visit in 2009 to his homeland, which was devastated by the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano in 1995, Gazoo collected black sand and ash from the volcanic aftermath. He uses these materials to express his country’
