Southern Roots: Selections of Self-Taught Art from the Johnson Collection
TJC Gallery, Spartanburg, South Carolina
November 17, 2016 – March 3, 2017
Southern Roots: Selections of Self-Taught Art from the Johnson Collection explores self-taught artists' connections to place and their expressive visions of modern life. These Southern storytellers drew upon their shared experiences and beliefs to create visually ambitious work that speaks to life in the American South and subsequently transcends regional boundaries to describe the human condition. As diverse as their makers, the art in Southern Roots ranges from a traditional still life to an abstract mixed media wall sculpture. Artists such as Thornton Dial, William Edmondson, Minnie Evans, Clementine Hunter, Elijah Pierce, and Bill Traylor utilize found materials, embrace religious expression, and take a stance against social and racial oppression to show that art can defy categorization and formal art training, yet still occupy a significant role in the narrative of Southern art.