Fallen Through The Cracks – Black Artists in History: William “Bill” Traylor

Fallen Through The Cracks – William “Bill” Traylor

William “Bill” Traylor

#FallenThroughTheCracks – William “Bill” Traylor was born on April 1, circa 1853. He was an African-American self-taught artist from Lowndes County, Alabama. At age 85, he found a pencil and a piece of cardboard and began to document his memories and observations. Between 1939 to 1942, he produced nearly 1,500 pieces of art while working on the sidewalks of Montgomery, AL.

Traylor drew and painted, mostly on discarded paper from the neighborhood. Traylor’s drawings express his experiences and observations from rural and urban life. His visual glossary includes images of people, symbols, animals, local landmarks, and more. Traylor’s complex and coded scenes evidence the balancing act that defined Black life during that period. He recorded these memories without drawing attention to himself for doing so. His work remains the only substantial surviving body of drawings and paintings by a man born into American slavery. No other artist captured the complex, drawn-out moment between slavery and civil rights.

William “Bill” Traylor, © Estate of William “Bill” Traylor.

William "Bill" Traylor, Man and Large Dog (Verso: Man and Woman),” circa 1939–42. © Estate of William "Bill" Traylor. — William “Bill” Traylor, Man and Large Dog (Verso: Man and Woman),” circa 1939–42. © Estate of William “Bill” Traylor.

Today, Traylor has been regarded as one of the most prominent self-taught artists. Scholars who first labeled his work as “primitive” and “outsider” now regard him as a significant and prominent artist of the 20th century. Bill Traylor died on October 23, 1949, in Montgomery, AL.

(Text paraphrased from Wikipedia and other sources. All Images are the property of the copyright owners. This clip is for educational purposes.)

Fallen Through The Cracks – Black Artists in History: Minnie Evans

Fallen Through The Cracks – Minnie Evans

Minnie Evans

#FallenThroughTheCracks – Minnie Evans born on December 12, 1892, was an African American folk, outsider, and visionary artist who worked from the 1940s to the 1980s. She used all types of materials including oils and graphite but began creating with wax and #crayons. She was known for using any material she could find including window shades, book bindings, and scrap paper.

Evans began to draw and paint at the age of 43, creating her first pieces of artwork on a scrap paper bag. Her designs are complex, with elements recalling African, Asian, and Caribbean motifs. Her inspirations were the visions and dreams that she had throughout her life. Her practices focused on a combination of scenes from the Bible and nature – alongside her work at Airlie Gardens.

Minnie Evans, Untitled (Starry Sky and Religious Figures), 1960. © Estate of Minnie Evans

Minnie Evans, Untitled, 1967, (1946, 1958, 1960, 1962). © Estate of Minnie Evans

Now recognized as one of the most important visionary folk artists of the 20th century, her work is highly collected by many museums and collectors all across the world. Evans died in Wilmington, North Carolina on December 16, 1987, at age 95, leaving more than 400 artworks to the St. Johns Museum of Art (now the Cameron Art Museum) in Wilmington, North Carolina.

(Text paraphrased from Wikipedia and other sources. All Images are the property of the copyright owners. This clip is for educational purposes.)