Art Worlds & the Politics of “Art”

Understanding Visual Culture

Week 1, Class 2

John Singleton COPLEYMrs. Ezekiel Goldthwaite1771oil on canvas50 1/8 x 40 1/8 inches

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/mrs-ezekiel-goldthwait-elizabeth-lewis-32756

Ammi PHILLIPS Lady in a gold-colored dressProbably New York, Connecticut, or Massachusetts, 1835–1840 Oil on canvas 33 1/2 x 28 1/4 in.

http://folkartmuseum.org/?t=images&id=1582

Ammi PHILLIPS (1788–1865) Girl in red dress with cat and dog Vicinity of Amenia, New York 1830–1835 Oil on canvas 30 x 25 inches

John Singleton COPLEY

(American 1738-1815)

Head of a Negro, 1777-8

Oil on canvas

21 x 16 1/4 in.

James Hampton1909-1964

born in rural South Carolina

moved to Washington, DC to live with his brother; worked as short –order cook and janitor

served in WWII in a segregated unit, 385th Aviation Unit, maintaining air strips on Saipan and Guam

returned to Washington, DC worked as a janitor for the GSA

“Director, Special Projects for the State of Eternity”

gold and silver aluminum foil, Kraft paper over mixed materials

180 pieces in overall configuration: 10 1/2 x 27 x 14 1/2 ft.

Includes plaques, tags and notebooks in a not-yet deciphered language.

James HAMPTONThe Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly circa 1950-1964

posted on the wall of Hampton's garage

"Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Proverbs 29:18

possibly made the first piece as early as 1945 in Guam

in 1950, rented a garage and built a special staging area inside

collected castoffs/junk from his job and all over the city to make this environment

Howard FINSTER

(1915-2001)

born Alabama, one of 13 children

“born again” at age 13 and followed call to become a Baptist minister

Howard Finster · Howard Finster, Man of Visions. 1988, Wood Sculpture with paint, 13.00 x 8.38 x 3.5 inches.

Howard FINSTERGeorge Washington in Another World1987oil on panel58 ½ x 47 inches

Howard Finster, Florence Nightingale

Paradise Garden, Pennville, GA

bought 4 acres of inexpensive land, which he began to clear and drain after purchasing.

Began planting, as well as building walkways and structures, mostly made of concrete with embedded objects. Many sculptures and structures, including a chapel he called the “World's Folk Art Church.”

installation view, Howard Finster, Paradise Garden at the High Museum