Bill Hemmerling

                                                    google image

was an artist I became aware of as of late in New Orleans.  From looking at his work and subject matter I was sure he was an African American Artist, but he is not.  He is a white artist from Chicago who moved to the South.  He was originally a window dresser for Sears in Chigago, when he moved South he began his career as an artist. I think it says one is never to late to become an artist.  This is a style of art I would like very much to find the roots of .  I see it a good bit in this area, art with words and a collaged or assemblage approach.  So my question is why more in this area...where did it originate from?  So there is a bit of research on my part to find out.  Much of outsider art is mixed media and includes words.  New Orleans is such a mixture of ethnic backgrounds that this approach could have originated from many sources and it may not truly be from Louisiana alone, but the complete South.  Don't miss the orange sentence that says " The Preacher on the woman's role."

Sweet Olive                                                google image

Politics       Bill Hemmerling         Google image

 Ogden Museum of Southern Art collection continued....

BENNY ANDREWS (click for link)                                                                                                              1930-2006


Benny Andrews was born in Georgia. He son of a share cropper and the first of his family to go to high school.  He went to school during a time schools were still segregated.  It was against the will of the land owner, but with the determination of Benny's Mother won over.  Benny went on to the Chicago Art Institute.  He went on to be an art activist for black artists and an instrumental voice in the arts or all African Americans.

Mother Death               Benny Andrews

Benny Andrew         Grandmother's Dinner
photo by elizabeth Gordon

Teacher                             Benny Andrews
photo by elizabeth Gordon

Benny Andrews
photo by elizabeth gordon 

Continuation of Ogden Museum of Folk Art

 Folk Art(click) 
Collection of Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Clementine Hunter

Panorama of Baptism on  Cane River   Clementine Hunter

CLEMENTINE HUNTER(click)

Cotton to Gin   Clementine Hunter

Herbert Singleton

Herbert Singleton

Sites for your resources:
(Clickable) 
                                       
  Museum of American Folk Art
                                                              
Society of American Folk Art
                                                            
Museum of International Folk Artist

More Dr. Bob (click for link)

New Orleans Folk Artist 

        

Mixed media with wood, tin and found objects
from google image

mixed media  wood, bottle caps and acrylic 
from google image

Sign outside Dr. Bob's Studio
from google image

Coming tomorrow the wild and renowned art of  Dr. Bob of New Orleans.

There is a type of art I have seen in and around New Orleans that interests me....it is scrap pieces of wood, found objects, and always words...the colors are bright and images folkloric.  I recently found out some of the art I had been seeing was Dr. Bob's.  So we found his studio in an area of warehouses and such....off a side rode peaked out brightly colored signs painted on wood and aluminum...a gated arch way of metal and wood with funky objects and wild colors.  There to greet us was Mike and Bob and a wonderful big brown dog.

And then we entered the compound to another world.....

Dr. Bob's Studio                                                photo by elizabeth gordon

continued tomorrow.