When: closing April 7, 2019
Bill Traylor saw a lot in his long life. Born into slavery in 1853, he moved in the late 1920s to segregated Montgomery, Alabama. At the end of the 1930s, when he was in his eighties and living on the street, he began to draw and paint. Over the course of about ten years, he created over 1,000 works of art.
I was struck by the certainty expressed in the wall notes for this show. It could well be that, as the curators posit, these are depictions of his life, both the times he remembered in the country and the times he was experiencing in the city. But how do we know that? He's not here to tell us, and I saw no references to writings or interviews in which Traylor explained his work.
Traylor's perspective is often that of someone looking up at events. People are depicted on the roofs of houses, or balanced on something above the viewer's natural sightline. Might this be because his memories of country life include his childhood and this is a child's perspective? Or might he be sitting on the street in Montgomery, watching people go by above him? Possibly.
Drinking plays a large part in much of Traylor's work. It seems to indicate a loss of control, a cause of people acting out their emotions in wild ways. What I'm uncertain about is whether this is meant to be good or bad. Is this a teetotaler showing the evils of demon drink? Is this a cry for people to act against terrible circumstances? I don't know.
Verdict: This is a fine show of an artist that offers much food for thought. I'm certain he's communicating something in his works, but I'm not sure what it is. I recommend you see this and judge for yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment