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Faces of Folk
Folk Art in Transition
Della Wells
Born in 1951 and a native of Wisconsin, Della Wells is a
self-taught artist who began drawing and painting at the age
of 42. She has completed over 2000 works of art in various
media and is recognized as a leading African American folk
artist with her work included in more than 100 collections
throughout the United States. A renaissance woman of sorts,
Wells created a feminist cartoon strip in the Milwaukee
Chapter of Nine to Five’s bimonthly newsletter. In 1997,
Wells was the first African American to have a solo show at
the David Brunett Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Cher Shaffer
Cher Shaffer, a
self-taught artist, produces work that is influenced both by
her heritage, life experience and interactions with family
members and friends. Having spent 30 years as a working
artist, Shaffer has had nine, one-woman shows and has been
showcased in several galleries and museums throughout the
United States. In 1989, her work was one of several
Appalachian artists work featured in the book entitled, “O’Appalachia,”
with its own traveling exhibition.
Eric Legge
Eric Legge is unique among “outsider” artists. He is
completely untrained as an artist. From an early age, he was
blessed with talent and has known for a long time that he was
destined to create art. Eric spends his days and nights
creating beautiful work that defies accurate description,
often hiding elements inside his pieces. Even the symbolism
of his signature reflects an artful touch. Legge is a far cry
from the eccentric elders or unschooled “isolates” many people
typecast as self-taught artists.
Matt Sesow
Regarded as an “outsider” artist, Matt Sesow’s imagery is
derived from events in his life and the lives of others in
various stages of trauma, hope, hopelessness and healing.
Sesow was born in Omaha, Nebraska. At 8 years of age, he was
struck by a landing airplane near his home and his arm was
severed by the propeller. Though Matt’s arm was re-attached
by surgeons, his dominant hand was amputated. Six years
later, he traveled to Newcastle, England and participated in
the Disabled Olympics on the United States team. Matt
attended college in Oklahoma and received a scholarship from
the Mensa Society. He achieved a B.S. degree in
computer/software engineering. He began to make drawings in
1988 and began painting in oils in 1993. Matt has traveled
the world and has painted in of the countries he has visited.
Michael Banks
Michael Bank’s artwork reflects an abstract and
expressionistic style using a mixture of found objects and
artist materials that is further complemented by a vivid color
palette of penetrating red, yellow and green. Raised by his
single mother in a housing project in northern Alabama, Bank’s
artistic prowess for drawing and painting was evident at an
early age, as he began to create artwork using whatever
materials and mediums he could obtain with encouragement from
his mother. The elongation and distended form of his figures,
characterized by their small, facial attributes and swollen
mournful gazes, reflects a certain despondency that the artist
may have endured due to the passing of his mother in 1992. It
was not until 1997 that Banks recalled his mother’s accolades,
and began the healing process via the creation of his own
unique brand of artwork. Today, Banks continues painting full
time. He is a family man and a proud parent of a baby son.
“I still experiment, combining both found objects as well as
artist materials into my work. Everyday I try to create.
Painting is my life.”
Carrie Knowles
Written and Visual Images.
“I have spent my life creating images with words. About 10
years ago, however, I began to get impatient with writing and
decided I also wanted to be able to see those images in color
and line. I had previously dabbled in pottery and once tried
painting, but didn’t find either to be the kind of expression
I wanted. Then I started making prints. Printmaking was most
like writing to me. It used paper and ink and the tedious
cutting, pushing, pulling, carving, etching and scratching of
printmaking was a lot like writing: all the various steps of
printmaking gave me the time I needed and wanted to play with
my images so I could edit and carefully think through how I
envisioned what I wanted to say. Printmaking also gave me
lots of exciting new tools with which to experiment. One of
the things that attracted me to printmaking was the
experimental nature of the artwork. There seemed to be an
unlimited range of tools you could use to create prints and
few rules. By definition, if something could be pressed,
pushed, stamped or transferred onto paper to make an image, it
could rightfully be called printmaking. In addition to
printmaking, I also make collages. Creating collages is a
natural extension of my printmaking work. Good printmaking
paper is too expensive to waste. So, when I ruin a print, I
cut it up to create new images in collages.”
Gabriel Shaffer
“Hello, my name is Gabriel Shaffer. I am a self taught artist
and son of nationally recognized folk/visionary artist Cher
Shaffer, most notable for her appearance in the book, “O’Appalachia.”
I was raised within the medium and had direct contact with the
works of many folk and self-taught masters. My Mom held me as
she painted some of her early works. I have always been here,
watching the various artists pass by as I have gotten older.
Three years ago, I moved to Chicago in a decision to further
my knowledge and abilities in painting. This past March, I
moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in the Appalachian
mountains, not too far from my mother’s farm and studio in
Creston, North Carolina.” |
