Welmon Sharlhorne, Untitled, Gordon W. Bailey Collection
A man walks across a mountainous plain. On his shoulder, stuffed into the cloth bag tied to the end of a wooden stick are his only possessions. Joe Light presented the painting in vibrant colors brushed across the broadside of a door. The doorknob is missing. Where is the man going? Perhaps to another time where there is no inequality.
Hawkins Bolden’s abstract, scarecrow-like figure looms, its metallic features creating empty sockets of what could be eyes or, perhaps, were used in another life when the repurposed metal was something less beautiful. Torn rags hang from the assemblage’s frame, something soft against the harsh reality of the mount.
The mummy-like figure the late Archie Byron shaped using glue and sawdust from the floors of woodworkers that he later molded and painted to form a three-dimensional self-portrait is as fragile as the life it represents. The man lies in his bed, arms drawn out above the blankets as he stares wearily out at the world.
These evocative pieces and many more stunning works of Southern, self-taught artistry are now featured in the University Museum’s exhibition “Our Faith Affirmed –Works from the Gordon W. Bailey Collection,” which will be exhibited through Aug. 8, 2015.
Gordon W. Bailey, prominent collector, scholar and advocate for self-taught artists, recently donated a number of pieces created by 27 black artists born between 1900 and 1959.
“Mr. Bailey chose to gift to our museum because he understands and appreciates the history of the region,” said Rebecca Phillips, UM Museum communications coordinator. “He hopes that the artworks created by these dedicated artists will inspire students and community members for many years to come.”
Bailey, who resides in California, was born and raised in the South during the Civil Rights era.
“I believe that the arts are the cultural mortar that connects diverse communities,” Bailey said in the UM Museum Exhibition Advisory. “There are many good people here – of all races and socio-economic levels – pulling, or in some cases pushing, in the same direction. The University Museum is a terrific place to pay tribute to African-American, Southern self-taught artists who persevered and, against the odds, created works of genius.”
During a telephone interview, Bailey expressed support for Chancellor Dan Jones’ introduction of diversity initiatives.
In turn, Chancellor Jones recognized that Bailey’s gift is a great honor for the University of Mississippi.
“This gift is an encouragement,” Jones said. “It’s an encouragement to those of us whose heart and soul have been put into making this a stronger and healthier community around diversity inclusion.”
He plans to continue this “dialogue” as he looks forward to a more inclusive campus.
“This university’s been working on diversity, inclusion, racial reconciliation for some time,” Jones said. “In ways, we’ve made quite a lot of progress, but we’re not where we want to be.”
“I’ve seen the chancellor respond to incidents on campus in a very strong, forthright way,” UM Museum director Robert Saarnio said. “The fact that ‘Our Faith Affirmed’ is here helps the campus continue a dialogue about race and inclusion and diversity. That is certainly something Mr. Bailey hoped his gift would advance: to help the university continue to have a healthy dialogue.”
“The importance of the gift — the power of the artworks sent from Mr. Bailey — is extraordinary,” Saarnio said. “It is exceptionally generous.”
The pieces in the exhibit were carefully chosen by Bailey, who explained, “Though all of the artists in this exhibition are African-American and share context as Southerners working outside of the mainstream, it is important to remember – and viewing their distinctive artworks quickly moves one to that conclusion – that they are unique individuals inspired by personal experiences.”
Many media are used in the exhibit, and most of the pieces are made from “found objects.” Saarnio said these repurposed objects give great meaning to the scenes depicted.
“What does it mean to have a crucifixion scene with a Buick hubcap as a halo, barbed wire as a crown of thorns?” Saarnio said. “To me, it’s one of the most stunning pieces in the show. It’s very thought provoking. We look at these humble materials, and then it’s a crucifixion scene, the fundamental symbol of Christianity. If that doesn’t move you and cause you to reflect, then I’m not sure what would.”
In most cases, art-making for many of these artists was not their original occupation. Lonnie Holley’s interweaving sandstone figures represented the grief he felt at the loss of family members.
Life-sized wooden animals sit placidly in the middle of the exhibit’s floor. These gentle giants created by Robert Howell sport dotted paint and reside across from the elongated wood form of O. L. Samuels’ untitled, twigged colossus. Upon closer inspection, the stretched figure is clothed in glossy attire made entirely of paint the artist mixed for this purpose.
Separately, these pieces are multifaceted representations of a genre and an age that still resonates today. Together, however, they become something completely different.
“Collectively, the works reveal the incandescent power of creativity,” Bailey said.
Both UM Collections Manager Marti Funke and Saarnio said they hoped “Our Faith Affirmed” will draw students and visitors.
“I think there is something here that will inspire all people that come in the museum —from our pre-school classes to senior citizens to students, faculty and staff — we always hope that people find a connection,” Funke said. “Everyone will find something here that speaks to them. Mr. Bailey is really hoping that more of the student population will visit. We have classes come in, but we would love for students to want to come in and experience it on their own.”
The title “Our Faith Affirmed” has several interpretations. Bailey said the title, for some, could represent a “faith in a higher power that guided them and provided spiritual strength” and that to others “it might be faith in the decency of man and faith that the injustice would be corrected.”
Jones said he hoped another meaning might drive the heading.
“I think Mr. Bailey’s gift says to the world that this is a place he’d like to entrust this treasure,” Jones said. “I’m grateful that he sees that this is a place that wants to host ‘Our Faith Affirmed’ and to offer it to the rest of the world.”
