It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The holidays, and folk art auctions. Why go to some big box store and buy some random thing your family member may or may not like when you could buy them art? Something they absolutely may or may not like but at least, it won’t be thrown in the trash the day after you leave.
Here’s a eleven of them that I’m keeping my eye on this Saturday:
Marvin Bailey. Eyeball Jugs.
Marvin Bailey Two jugs up for sale, signed on the bottom. The tall one on the right stands 23x11x11. // Estimated $1,200-$2,000 for the tall one on the right
Minnie Evans. Rare Early Work.
Minnie Evans 15×10.5 paint on canvas, framed. paper lined on back with important provenance writing on paper. Exact date unknown. // Estimated $6,000-$8,000 (currently bidding at $8,250)
Sarah Mary Taylor. Hand Drawing.
Sarah Mary Taylor 9×12 marker on paper. From the collection of Howard Smith // Estimated $400-$1,200
Jimmy Lee Sudduth.
Jimmy Lee Sudduth 27×27 Paint and other media on wood board. 100% authentic and real. // Estimated $800-$1,200
Richard Burnside.
Richard Burnside. 24×12 paint on wood board, mixed media // Estimated $1,000-$2,000
It brings me great joy to welcome my former drawing professor and friend Ben Gardner to the FolkArtwork Collective. Currently hanging in my living room is a piece of work by Ben that we exchanged when I graduated over 10 years ago now and it’s really cool to see how his work has evolved.
Focusing heavily on folklore and myth, Ben’s work resembles illuminated manuscripts of the past and the visionary folk artworks of today. Coming from a long line of educators and farmers, he is former drawing professor at Drake University, he currently coordinates university student experiences at the Eskenazi Museum of Art in Bloomington.
I am excited to be able to offer his work here to you today, all available for purchase while they last.
Ben Gardner // Book of Sundays #4
BEN GARDNER Book of Sundays #4 (2023) // Ink, marker, colored pencil, pencil on paper
> BEN GARDNER is an artist, writer, and musician. He started drawing on bowling score pads that his parents brought home from their league, obsessing over Commander Mark’s drawing show “The Secret City” when he was young. His recent work combines medieval illuminated manuscripts and his interest in folklore, superstition, myth, and storytelling.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
Cadavre Illuminé(2022) // Collage of roentgen photo, dried flowers from personal heritage, water transferred 19th-century etchings, light, in an antique frame with convex glass; 30-35-6cm
I’ve been anxiously waiting for a new Esteban Whiteside drop for a while now. If you follow him on Instagram, which you absolutely should, you’ve seen him continue to explore small and big mediums with his continued on-point social commentary. Nine new works on paper have just been uploaded to the FolkArtwork Collective shop. Get them while supplies last because they are sure to go fast.
Esteban Whiteside // Apartheid
ESTEBAN WHITESIDE Apartheid (2023) // Crayon on paper
> ESTEBAN WHITESIDE is a self-taught painter whose work is based on the intersectionality of street art and politics. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, he began painting as an act of love, which then led to him dedicating more time and research into painting, with an interest in abstraction. Having always been inspired by outspoken artists, after seeing the death of Michael Brown, he felt he could no longer create work that didn’t address social issues, and began developing an artist narrative stemming from circumstances affecting the Black community.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
You, me, everyone, we should support living artists.
Did you know that while you can see the greatest outsider and folk art from artists no longer with us right here every day you, can also shop nearly 200 works of original art from self-taught artists from across the globe who have listed their artwork as part of the FolkArtwork Collective shop?!
“People need art in their houses. They don’t need Bed Bath and Beyond dentist-office art. They need weird stuff.”
For the past year I’ve been honored to help support, showcase, and sell artwork on this website and Instagram for some tremendous artists. Artwork gets added weekly, new artists are coming soon and we will continue to support and highlight emerging artists from around the globe.
Happy shopping and enjoy good, weird, affordable art.
>>>
ESTEBAN WHITESIDE
Esteban Whiteside // Wheel of misfortune
ESTEBAN WHITESIDEWheel of misfortune (2023) // Crayon on paper
ESTEBAN WHITESIDE is a self-taught painter whose work is based on the intersectionality of street art and politics. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, he began painting as an act of love, which then led to him dedicating more time and research into painting, with an interest in abstraction. Having always been inspired by outspoken artists, after seeing the death of Michael Brown, he felt he could no longer create work that didn’t address social issues, and began developing an artist narrative stemming from circumstances affecting the Black community.
GABRIELLE K BROWN is a multifaceted artist who eagerly and energetically seeks new ways to tell stories through her paintings, sculptures and public murals. Her work retains an object like quality utilising many folk art materials including wood and various paints, retaining a natural and intuitive, seemingly naive yet extremely complex aesthetic. The works dissect the relationship we have with ourselves, our companions, our society and our past with an awe and celebration of nature and the divine, shedding light on how we grow and how we suffer as human beings. Confrontational imagery is often contrasted with uplifting symbols, actions and words – emphasising the extremes of the human condition and experience.
MAX KUHN is a multimedia artist born in 1989 from Richmond, Virginia. Formerly a self-taught tattoo artist, Kuhn travelled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe for over a decade.
Using limited painting techniques originally developed for making tattoo flash designs, he began illustrating an on-going travelogue on scrap cardboard and old book covers during long periods of solitary travel. His paintings depict the folkloric characters of cowboy or hobo, often incorporating diaristic and confessional writing.
SARAH LEE is a self-taught Irish artist and illustrator working in London. Working full-time as a nurse and at a charity that runs workshops for people with mental health conditions. When she isn’t working or spending time with her daughter, Sarah paints every chance she gets as it is her passion. Since she was a kid, she has made up characters and scenarios in her head and has always loved making art. Unfortunately, as a kid, she was told by an art teacher that she was no good, and it took years for her to finally pick back up a paintbrush and put those characters and scenarios down on canvas.
JORDAN SULLIVAN is a self-taught painter who was born in Houston, Texas but raised in rural Ohio and Detroit. Before becoming a full-time artist, he worked a number of odd jobs including dishwasher, housekeeper, graphic designer and on construction crews in Texas, New York City, and Los Angeles. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
RENEESHA MCCOY is a self-taught artist who began her artistic practice in 2019, living and working in North Carolina. She works primarily in acrylics and oil pastels, though in some of her works you’ll notice the additional exploration of various mediums like colored pencil, ink, and paint markers.
A principle theme in Reneesha’s work is her celebration of the consequence of life and nature in relation to the female body, often in abstracted ways. She uses her personal experience to highlight the internal and external effects of childbirth, particularly the physical changes that occur from breastfeeding.
JACKIE BRADSHAW is a neurodivergent, endometriosis warrior folk/outsider artist from Kitchener Ontario Canada. She worked as a PSW for many years until the birth of her son when she had a small home daycare and would use the kids’ leftover paints to make mirror image paintings which she would add ink or crayon to pull out images that could see in the splatters of paint. She quickly got obsessed and made hundreds of them and continued making art since as a means to quiet my mind and body.
CHRISTOPHER BAME was born on June 1, 1955 in Burlington, Vermont. Born premature, Bame was diagnosed as completely deaf as a baby. In his early childhood he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD, and as having developmental delays. Bame spent the majority of his childhood in an institutional setting. He expressed artistic interest from a young age and used art as a way to communicate with his peers, convey his needs, and tell stories about his day. His narrative paintings and drawings often capture autobiographical storytelling through whimsy and vulnerability. Bame loves home improvement shows and likes to design homes, blueprints, and maps. He lives with his older sister in Marion, Indiana, where he maintains a steady art practice
NOEL HATFIELD is a self-taught artist from Winterest, Iowa. Working in oil paint on stretched canvas or dibond aluminum, Noel paints in several styles including Abstract, Expressionist, and Impasto with knife and brush. When he is not painting, Noel is fixing up his house or taking care of his grandchildren.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
Every day you can find a brand new piece of folk, self-taught, outsider or visionary art from one of the leading museums, galleries, and collections from across the world. For even more art, follow @folkartwork on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to the “This Week in Outsider Art” newsletter on Substack for two opportunities a week to see even more art, views of my personal collection, finds of the week and a list of must-see shows from across the country.
SARAH LEE is a self-taught Irish artist and illustrator working in London — full-time as a nurse and at a charity that runs workshops for people with mental health conditions.
Sarah Lee // Beauty pageant finalists
SARAH LEE Beauty pageant finalists (2023) // Acrylic paint on wood mix board
This past week has seen the addition of one my favorite pieces I’ve ever seen by Irish artist Sarah Lee. Highlighted this past week as the artist to watch in the paid version of this newsletter, out every Wednesday morning, mother, nurse, and artist who was once told she should stop making art — good thing she didn’t! — Sarah Lee’s surreal imagination continues to create wonderfully creative and beautiful works of art.
When she isn’t working or spending time with her daughter, Sarah paints every chance she gets as it is her passion. Since she was a kid, she has made up characters and scenarios in her head and has always loved making art. Unfortunately, as a kid, she was told by an art teacher that she was no good, and it took years for her to finally pick back up a paintbrush and put those characters and scenarios down on canvas. One day Sarah hopes to one day put out a picture book with all her beautiful characters.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
Every day you can find a brand new piece of folk, self-taught, outsider or visionary art from one of the leading museums, galleries, and collections from across the world. For even more art, follow @folkartwork on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to the “This Week in Outsider Art” newsletter on Substack for two opportunities a week to see even more art, views of my personal collection, finds of the week and a list of must-see shows from across the country.
Jackie Bradshaw, generally known for her watercolor work, has just added five new fantastic acrylic works. This folksy Canadian artist has just completed a handful of 16×20 inch works on canvas with some wonderful titles such as “The phoenix and the angel”, “Cougar sighting on the lazy river,” and “Martha Sparks”. There are over a dozen works from Jackie made this year available for purchase that will light up any wall in your home or office.
> JACKIE BRADSHAW is a neurodivergent, endometriosis warrior folk/outsider artist from Kitchener Ontario Canada. I worked as a PSW for many years until the birth of my son when I had a small home daycare and would use the kids’ leftover paints to make mirror image paintings which I would add ink or crayon to pull out images that I could see in the splatters of paint. I got obsessed and made hundreds of them and continued making art since as a means to quiet my mind and body. Thank you so much for reading this and looking at my art. Be well.
Every day you can find a brand new piece of folk, self-taught, outsider or visionary art from one of the leading museums, galleries, and collections from across the world. For even more art, follow @folkartwork on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to the “This Week in Outsider Art” newsletter on Substack for two opportunities a week to see even more art, views of my personal collection, finds of the week and a list of must-see shows from across the country.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
The first days in the psychiatric ward, chain smoking and brooding. Wandering around disorientated, as if controlled by a remote control. Dissociative. Also shame about your own neglect and your own condition.
Lots of familiar faces on the ward – so-called boomerang patients. Some of them I’ve known for years and we’ve become kind of friends.
To kill time, I paint as if obsessed. When the mood strikes me, I also write. Pour me one coffee at a time. Feel addictive. Fancy some schnapps. The voices in my head are taunting demons. As long as I’m not on medication, I discuss with them like I would with a confused audience that wants to boycott a reading.
Every now and then I stare into space and feel a yawning emptiness. My psyche is fragile, like a wine glass or a flower. But I have to believe that I can find my way out of this hole and process my condition artistically.
I was scrolling through some of my favorites on eBay the other day, and I always keep coming back to this beautifully carved folk art piece. I love everything about it. Its stance, the natural patina, the texture and detail throughout, and how thin yet still freestanding it is.
Growing up, I felt like, as an art student, you’re drawn to drawing and painting, the traditional go-to art form, especially for your local high school art classroom and budget. But lately, I’ve become obsessed with and continued to be blown away by these carved wooden pieces.
This beauty would look great on a mantle piece (looks over at my crowded mantle that my wife wants simplified) and could be yours.
For more FolkArtwork, signup for the “This Week in Outsider Art” newsletter — out every Sunday morning for free subscribers and Wednesday morning for paid subscribers. The Wednesday edition includes this find of the week, bonus outsider art, a list of must-see shows across the country, artists to follow and scenes from my personal collection.
Header Photo: Mark Anthony Mulligan circa 1992/1993 photo by Michael Tackett via LEO Weekly
“The Outsider Art Museum & Gallery is all about celebrating the beauty and value of artists who are often underrepresented in the fine art world and museum/gallery context.”
OMG Director and co-founder Alex Huninghake
Welcome to the ‘Ville baby! Something said to me at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Louisville, Kentucky, and something I’ll never forget. While I’m just a guy, who doesn’t even live in Louisville but now always feels welcome thanks to that warm and welcoming lady with purple hair, I’d like to say, “Welcome to the ‘Ville new outsider art museum!”.
Word on the street is that The Outsider Art Museum & Gallery is opening on November 8th in the Portland district of Louisville, and will feature artists from all over, with an emphasis on artists from the area, including Mark Anthony Mulligan, Marvin Finn, Lonnie and Twyla Money, Minnie Adkins, LaVon Van Williams Jr., and more.
Mark Anthony Mulligan’s “City of Copy Cat Ridge” via LEO Weekly
Per the LEO Weekly that says per the museum’s release:
“Expressing creativity in its most direct and uninhibited form, Outsider Artists are often formally untrained and some may be living with disabilities and/or suffering social exclusion.”
The opening exhibit will feature art and music by local artist Mark Anthony Mulligan, featuring his real and imagined cityscapes, a way of therapy but also to make sense of the chaotic world we live in.
WATCH: “Peacelands/Mark Anthony Mulligan”
Here’s to hoping to return to the ‘Ville real soon to explore a great museum doing great things for artists who deserve recognition.
The tile works, as if they were small murals paintings, call for resistance against the banality of evil. It has an intention of historical memory, which, unfortunately, has the strength to remain current.
Luís Macedo is a Portuguese artist, resident at Fabrica da Criatividade in Castelo Branco and teacher of Visual Arts.
> SARAH LEE is a self-taught Irish artist and illustrator working in London — full-time as a nurse and at a charity that runs workshops for people with mental health conditions.
Sarah Lee // Los gatitos
SARAH LEE Los gatitos (2022) // Acrylic on Canvas Paper
When she isn’t working or spending time with her daughter, Sarah paints every chance she gets as it is her passion. Since she was a kid, she has made up characters and scenarios in her head and has always loved making art. Unfortunately, as a kid, she was told by an art teacher that she was no good, and it took years for her to finally pick back up a paintbrush and put those characters and scenarios down on canvas. One day Sarah hopes to one day put out a picture book with all her beautiful characters.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
Jordan Sullivan continues to play with time and space creating beautifully creative scenes that feel like they could take place in a 70’s movie shot in the desert or came from a dream.
Jordan Sullivan // Welcome to Los Angeles
JORDAN SULLIVAN Welcome to Los Angeles (2022) // Acrylic on Canvas
With the wonderful contrast of each vivid and clean background that pops the characters, some of which feel like they finally reunited to create the perfect scene, these works will surely brighten up any room and give you something to think about.
> JORDAN SULLIVAN is a self-taught painter who was born in Houston, Texas but raised in rural Ohio and Detroit. Sullivan’s art depicts a grim world that is broken but salvageable. His characters, whether lost in grief, lost in alcohol, alone in a new country or at a crossroads, become testaments to a kind of resilience that has always marked our shared humanity.Before becoming a full-time artist, he worked a number of odd jobs including dishwasher, housekeeper, graphic designer and on construction crews in Texas, New York City, and Los Angeles. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
In a world where it is hard sometimes to find good news, this is great news.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has acquired more than 150 works of art by more than 20 artists who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, including works by Judith Scott, Dan Miller, and William Scott from the Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland.
While the majority of the work will come from Creative Growth, progressive art centers Creativity Explored and NIAD Center, all founded by Florence and Elias Katz and are dedicated to working with artists with developmental disabilities, will also have works acquired and on display by SFMOMA. The art includes works on paper, painting, sculpture, film, and textile.
“We hope that this is a landmark acquisition that encourages and sets a benchmark for other institutions,” said Katy Siegel, SFMOMA’s research director, special program initiatives. “This is an important first step in a terrain where many people have been doing the work for decades, most of all, Creative Growth, NIAD and Creativity Explored. We’re mindful that we’re catching up and have an enormous amount of work to do.”
While it’s great that The New York Times, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and others are getting hip to these artists, if you’re reading this, you’re likely to be very familiar with artists from Creative Growth, Creativity Explored, and other progressive art studios like SAGE Studio or Project Onward to name a few.
These artists are not outsiders, nor should they be classified as such, but contemporary artists who are now getting the attention they deserve. Let us hope more museums and galleries follow suit.
> JORDAN SULLIVAN is a self-taught painter who was born in Houston, Texas but raised in rural Ohio and Detroit. Sullivan’s art depicts a grim world that is broken but salvageable. His characters, whether lost in grief, lost in alcohol, alone in a new country or at a crossroads, become testaments to a kind of resilience that has always marked our shared humanity.Before becoming a full-time artist, he worked a number of odd jobs including dishwasher, housekeeper, graphic designer and on construction crews in Texas, New York City, and Los Angeles. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Jordan Sullivan // The Restlessness of Reggie
JORDAN SULLIVAN The Restlessness of Reggie (2022) // Acrylic on Canvas Seed Bag
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
On this Friday the 13th, check out and stock up on limited edition hand signed prints from Sarah Lee featuring her iconic monster toddlers. You can now own one Sarah Lee’s incredible works, based off her original unique and wonderful artworks just in time for spooky season.
Sarah Lee Prints // Three monster toddlers
SARAH LEE Three monster toddlers (2022-2023) // Giclee fine art prints on 320gsm cotton rag paper
My monster toddlers are big fans of the “Three Monster Toddlers” work, they love standing in the middle of the living room, starting up at them and picking out which one they are at that current moment. I think they’re a combination of all three, at all times.
Plus, some people may think little girls should be seen and not heard but those people are out of their mind. Sarah has a fantastic way of creating the cutest and spookiest scenes that remind you of that one book that you always wanted to read before bed but your parents thought it may keep you up at night. Who cares right? The imagery is too good to pass up.
Sarah Lee Prints // Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard
SARAH LEE Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard (2022-2023) // Giclee fine art prints on 320gsm cotton rag paper
> SARAH LEE is a self-taught Irish artist and illustrator working in London — full-time as a nurse and at a charity that runs workshops for people with mental health conditions.
After four years of running this account, sharing daily art by great outsider and self-taught artists who are no longer with us, I am thrilled to share this space with current artists to assist in their artistic journey and bring their artwork to the masses and maybe to a home near you.
I am excited to see FolkArtwork evolve and grow. It will continue to share daily outsider artwork by some of the greatest artists ever, pictures from travels across the country, visiting unknown and hidden art environments, and now offering original artwork for sale.
“I don’t think about these things. I know about them”
Norval morrisseau
On this Indigenous People’s Day, hear from one of the greatest self-taught artists Copper Thunderbird, also known as Norval Morrisseau.
Morrisseau teaches as he stands in front of the masterpiece mural, “A Separate Reality” which was in process in 1981. It took him five years to complete it. He then gifted it to the people of Canada. It now is permanently displayed in the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, Canada.
According to Ojibwa tradition the sacred symbols that Morrisseau uses in his paintings are themselves charged with sacred energy. Supposedly anyone using these symbols for non religious ceremonies would be doomed…
UPDATE: The record for a Clemens sand bottle is actually $860,000
Earlier this week, an Andrew Clemens sand bottle from circa 1887 sold for $170,000. Commissioned by John and Margaret Leary of McGregor, Iowa, the bottle with stopper is 8 3/8 inches and 3 inches in diameter.
Compositionally, the bottle offered here corresponds most closely with the eighth standard ‘model’ from Clemens’s 1892 price list, described as ‘designs, sailing ship, names, and bouquet,’ which retailed for $4.00 at this full pint size.
Clemens created a known bottle nearly identical to the Allen bottle five years later at the request of Martha and William Van Ness of Cass, Michigan. Upon receipt of her bottle, which also features sailing ships and a floral wreath, Martha wrote to Clemens to inquire about his working methods.
In reply, on July 15, 1892, Clemens discusses the tools he used and notes that “it takes me 2 days to prepare a jar like yours.” The rapidity of his execution speaks to Clemens’s ability to render increasingly complex designs in a remarkably brief period, which was likely necessary to meet the growing demand for his “pictured rock sand.”
Andrew Clemens (c. January 29, 1857 – May 14, 1894) was a sand artist from Iowa in the United States. Clemens formed his pictures by compressing natural colored sands inside chemists’ jars to create his works of art. At a young age, Andrew experienced encephalitis, which caused his lifelong deafness.
In the late 1800s, his artwork sold for $5–7 for a jar. A new record for a Clemens sand bottle was set in September of 2022, when a presentation bottle commissioned by Ezra Williams (circa 1883-1884) for ‘Williams and Upham Contractors for River and Harbor Improvements’ sold for $860,000 in Hindman’s online auction.
Ten works by Bill Traylor in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art.
In 1942, MoMa had the opportunity to purchase works by the then-living Bill Traylor with the help of Charles Shannon. But it wasn’t until 1995 that the museum first acquired work by Traylor, with a total of 12 works in the collection being acquired between 1995-2004.
Here, let us dig deeper: In 1939, Charles Shannon, artist and leader of the New South, met and befriended Bill Trayor in Montgomery, Alabama. Shannon provided Traylor with money and materials for his work while collecting and advocating for over a thousand of Traylor’s works of art for the remainder of his life.
In 1942, at a little-known solo show at the Fieldston School in the Bronx, Charles Shannon and the then Director of MoMa Alfred Barr, a known lover of “primitive” artwork as it was known then, at a conversation about the museum acquiring work by Bill Traylor. Reportedly, Barr offered $1 for the small works and $2 for some bigger works, which Shannon felt was insulting and declined the offer.
As World War II raged on, works by Bill Traylor entered into relative obscurity until 1982 when, with the help of Charles Shannon, his work was entered in the “Black Folk Art in America” show at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington — some 33 years after Bill Traylor’s death. Now a “sensation” with people finally aware of the majesty of his work, he is today known as one of the most important American artists of the 20th century.
Titles of works — none of which are currently on view. Most works are made with gouache and pencil, with some using crayon, charcoal, or watercolor, all on board:
x Fat Man in Blue (c. 1939–42)
x Figure Construction (Woman and Man with Axe) (c. 1939–42)
x Man on Triangle Reaching for Bottle (c. 1939–42)
