b-b-bonus this week in outsider art // april tenth
watermelon by clementine hunter and the magical folk art of 'possum trot'
FIND OF THE WEEK
Later this month, Slotin Auction House will be having their ‘Spring Self-Taught Art Masterpiece’ sale., and one of my favorite past times is looking through all art that could possibly be mine and yours. On a daily basis I look through gallery and museum collections, and have seen some of the same pieces over and over again. I love it. But with these auctions brings new art, that I’ve never seen before as they often come from decades old collections of art that more often than not is purchased directly from these artists.
Case in point, this watermelon from Clementine Hunter. It’s gorgeous. With everything happening in the world, particularly in Gaza, watermelon art stands out to me more than ever and I find it more beautiful than ever.
In occupied Palestine, watermelon is a symbol of resistance. With its colors mirroring the Palestinian flag, the fruit can be seen from the stone walls of Gaza to the galleries of Ramallah, hinting at the political history of a cherished summer fruit. Over several decades, the Palestinian watermelon has become a public expression of cultural pride in artworks representing the struggle against Israeli apartheid. — Hyperallergic
This piece by Clementine Hunter has been authenticated by renowned Clementine Hunter expert, Tom Whitehead as there have been forgeries of her works floating around for years. The current bid is only at $375(!), but estimated to fetch between $1,000-$2,000.
A beautiful piece by a beautiful artist. Maybe it will be mine?! If not mine hopefully yours ; )
This will be available at Slotin Auction on April 28th. If you are interested in more self-taught watermelon art, my friend John Drury is currently selling a Mose Tolliver watermelon he bought directly from the artist in the 1990s.
✌️ every wednesday, this bonus newsletter with bonus outsider art content, including exhibit listings, personal collection highlights, and news of the week, will be sent to paid subscribers. The weekly ‘This Week in Outsider Art’ newsletter that goes out every Sunday morning continues to and will always be free of charge — enjoy ✌️
B-B-BONUS
Having run @folkartwork for over five years now. There’s a few artworks and artists I know that when I post, they are universally loved. The skulls of James “Son Ford” Thomas. Marvin Bailey eyeball jugs. Anna Mond’s fantastical beings. And ‘Possum Trot’.
People involved with the film reached out to tell me stories about the place, visiting Calvin & Ruby Black and saving the countless signs and dolls that the Black’s created over their two decades long creation and celebration of one of the most unique and unbelievable art environments ever created.
The artwork, and the this documentary, pardon me for sharing it any chance I get, I’ve very obsessed with. If you haven’t, please tell your boss to wait 30 minutes and watch this immediately.
Or take a few minutes and look at a dozen pieces of art saved from this place and sitting in museum collections across the country.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to This Week in Outsider Art to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.