Harriet Powers: Quilt Maker
“The dark day of May 19, 1780. The seven stars were seen 12 N. in the day. The cattle wall went to bed, chickens to roost and the trumpet was blown. The sun went off to a small spot and then to darkness.”
Martín Ramírez: Self-taught Master
Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Martín Ramírez (1895 – 1963) is widely known as one of the preeminent self-taught masters of the 20th Century.
Video: The Chaotic Brilliance of Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Like Beat writers who composed their work by shredding and reassembling scraps of writing, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat used similar techniques to remix his materials. Pulling in splintered anatomy, reimagined historical scenes and skulls, he repurposed present day experiences and art history into an inventive visual language.
Bill Traylor: Sidewalk Genius
Born into slavery, Traylor spent the majority of his life after emancipation as a sharecropper. It was only after 1939, following his move to Montgomery, Alabama that Traylor began to draw. At the age of 85, he took up a pencil and a scrap of cardboard to document his recollections and observations. From 1939 to 1942, while working on the sidewalks of Montgomery, Traylor produced nearly 1,500 pieces of art.
Video: The Man is the Music
. ‘Everything that I’ve experienced, I’ve made a piece of art to go along with it.’ Prolific artist, musician and lover of Mother Earth, Lonnie Holley treasures the discarded. Nurturing … Continue reading
Video: ‘The Realms of the Unreal’ by Jessica Yu
In this cinematically-rich documentary, Jessica Yu portrays the life and work of Henry Darger (1892-1973), a reclusive Chicago janitor whose art and writing were discovered after his death. Darger has become … Continue reading
