Hawkins Bolden (1914–2005) was an American artist known for his "scarecrow" assemblages made from pots, pans, leather belts, rubber hoses and other found materials.[1][2]
Hawkins Bolden | |
|---|---|
 Bolden with his sculptures, 2018 | |
| Born | September 10, 1914 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | 2005 (aged 90–91) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Known for | Assemblage sculpture |
| Movement | Modern Art |
Early life
editBolden was born in the Bailey's Bottom section of Memphis, Tennessee. His childhood passion was baseball. While a baseball accident, though, left him blind at the age of eight, he became adept at working with his hands and making things from what he found in his Memphis neighborhood.[3][2]
Career
editBolden recalled starting to make faces around 1965 from found objects.[2] His sculptures were made entirely from found material, and in addition to the "scarecrows" for which he is best known, he worked with other forms, assemblages, and tableaus, much of it put in his yard.[4] In 1997, Bolden participated in the show Passionate Visions of the American South opening at the New Orleans Museum of Art.[5][6] Following his death in 2005, the hundreds of works that filled his yard were dispersed.[7] Bolden was one of four subjects of the 2011 documentary Make, which also included Ike Morgan, Royal Robertson and Judith Scott (artist).[8] His works have sold at various auction houses, including Christies.[9] The American Visionary Art Museum contains permanent collections of his works. Bolden's works are also included in the collections of The Smithsonian Museum of Art, American Visionary Art Museum,[10] The High Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, American Folk Art Museum, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and the National Gallery of Art.[11][12][13]
Exhibitions
edit- Tactile Visions, Ricco/Maresca Gallery, New York, NY, November 14 - December 7, 1991.
- Hawkins Bolden - Scarecrows, SHRINE, New York, NY, April 9 - May 15, 2021.[14]
- Seated, Institute 193, Lexington, KY, January 12 - March 26, 2022.[4][15]
- Called To Create: Black Artists of the American South, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, September 18, 2022 – March 26, 2023.
References
edit- ^ Johnson, Ken (February 4, 2000). "Art In Review: National Black Fine Art Show". The New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c Arnett, William (n.d.). "Hawkins Bolden". Souls Grown Deep. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Drury, John. "Make Do". artnet. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ^ a b "Exhibitions: Hawkins Bolden". Institute 193. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "Passionate Visions of the American South: Self-Taught Artists from 1940 the Present, and exhibit curated and a catalog edited by Alice Rae Yelen (Review)". Southern Cultures. July 1997. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "SCARECROW by Hawkins Bolden - intuitive eye". intuitiveeye.org. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Bolden, Hawkins". John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Kushner, Daniel (July 13, 2011). "Make: Outsider Art and the Blessed Compulsion". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ^ "Hawkins Bolden Sold at Auction Prices". invaluable.com. January 10, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Sellen, Betty-Carol (2016). Self-Taught, Outsider and Folk Art: A Guide to American Artists, Locations and Resources (Third ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-7864-7585-8.
- ^ "Untitled". High Museum of Art. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Hawkins Bolden | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Collection Search Results". www.nga.gov. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ "Hawkins Bolden Scarecrows". SHRINE. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Fuller, Daniel (March 8, 2022). "Hawkins Bolden: Seated". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved September 24, 2022.