Update from Ricco/Maresca Gallery, New YorkRosie Camanga April 23 – May 23, 2020 In light of current events, Ricco/Maresca Gallery has decided to postpone the opening of "Rosie Camanga: Flash!" to April 23, 2020. It will be the inaugural exhibition of the new expanded gallery space and the launch of Gallery Two, showcasing an ever-changing salon that will reflect the past, present and future directions of Ricco/Maresca. Ricco/Maresca Gallery Galerie Polysemie, MarseilleSarafanov until April 25, 2020 Galerie Polysemie presents a selection of Russian outsider art. Featured artists include Pijova, Romanenkov, Zeleny Kuznetsova, Makarov, Leonov, Lobanov, Kornilova, Medvedeva and Sarafanov. Atelier Polysémie Galerie Hamer, AmsterdamPaul Klemann until May 16, 2020 "Insider Meets Outsider" features artwork by Paul Klemann, Karhang Mui and Seth Prime. Galerie Hamer Jie Li, Nanjing Outsider Art Studio Available now, Raw Vision 104 is a special memorial issue for Roger Cardinal (1940–2019). Other features include the recent discovery of Gerry Dalton's environment in London, technicolour works by Geraldo Gonzalez, the two sides of Carlo Zinelli’s graphic artwork, an artist's view of James Castle's home, William Thomas Thompson's latest work, and lots more! Gerry Dalton's environment in London Don't miss this special issue! Raw Vision 105 Article Preview: Elijah PierceOBEYING AND LIVINGBarber, preacher, husband, artist – Elijah Pierce led a full life built on faith, love and a prodigious talent for woodcarvingObey God and Live, 1956, paint, glitter and marker pen on wood, 29 x 13 in. / 74 x 33 cm, Columbus Museum of Art Author: Margaret Day Allen When Elijah Pierce was “discovered” by the art world in the 1970s, he was already well known as a woodcarver, preacher and barber in his African-American community in Columbus, Ohio. He had a barbershop only three blocks away from the Columbus Museum of Art (the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, at the time). He cut hair in the main part of the shop, and in the back was a room in which he worked on his woodcarvings while waiting for customers. This room became an art gallery where his creations were displayed and sometimes sold. Those who showed an interest in his work were invited into the gallery where Pierce would describe the meaning of each religious carving. As associate pastor at the Gay (Street) Tabernacle Baptist Church (now the Tabernacle Baptist Church), he often gave sermons that he illustrated with his woodcarvings and, at the end, he would present someone in the congregation with a small carving that he had made especially for them. Untitled (God is Our Refuge), 1960, paint and glitter on wood, 18 x 14.5 in. / 45.5 x 37 cm, The Museum of Everything Pierce was content with his status as an artist within his own segregated community. However, the wider world was changing. In the 1960s and 1970s, the civil rights movement was breaking down cultural barriers, and many Americans were searching for a new kind of art, one that spoke directly to them about the American experience. Many collectors and trained artists saw that authenticity in folk art. In 1970, Boris Gruenwald, a Yugoslavian graduate art student from The Ohio State University (OSU) – which was near to the barbershop – met Pierce and saw his woodcarvings. Convinced that they deserved a wider audience, Gruenwald began bringing other OSU students and faculty members to see the work. Elijah Escapes the Mob, 1950s, paint on wood, 28.5 x 27.5 x 1 in. / 72 x 70 x 2.5 cm, Columbus Museum of Art In 1971, Gruenwald arranged for Pierce’s art to be displayed at the university’s art gallery, then, in 1972, for it to be shown in New York City. He also entered the work into “Navi ’73”, an exhibition of the International Meeting of Naïve Art in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. That same year, Carolyn Jones Allport, a graduate student doing educational outreach at the Columbus Museum of Art, organised an exhibition of Pierce’s work. She had been introduced to the artist by Gruenwald. “On that first visit, I, too, fell under Mr Pierce’s spell,” she later wrote. To promote the exhibition, she enlisted the help of a local television station which broadcast a special programme about Pierce and his art. The exhibition was one of the most popular in the museum’s history. From that point, Pierce’s fame grew quickly, with numerous museums collecting and exhibiting his creations. Meanwhile, many of the collectors, students and artists who visited him during this time described him as a mentor and spiritual guide. He often told visitors, “Your life is a book... every day, you write a page”. To read the rest of this article, click here to pre-order Raw Vision 105. |