Note Type
Antony Hayton, Exhibit DirectorNote
James Gibson (1938-2017)
Indian River Coastline
Oil on Masonite circa mid to late 1980s
Image size 24" X 48"
James Gibson was perhaps the most prolific in the group, having probably been the 4th member to join; he painted Florida landscapes constantly, even through the lean years of the 80s and 90s. His business savvy and acumen played foremost in his artistic creativity. He could paint fast, as fast as anyone, and he paid keen attention to colors and styles that would sell. In the halcyon days of the '60s and '70s, paintings sold as fast as they were painted. Often, the paint was still wet; the molding they used to frame the art and the standard sizing of the artwork allowed them to be stacked and sit one on top of the other. It was all part of the business model that Alfred Hair had devised. Art was a commodity, just like oranges or refrigerators to be sold; they were not creating Rembrandts. The faster they were produced, brought to market, and priced affordably, the quicker they could be sold. It was strictly business, but it was also fun. How heady must it have been for these young Black artists to create such beauty that sold like hotcakes, having fun as artists in a creative process while avoiding oppressive careers as common labor in agriculture and, better yet, having their pockets filled with loot! So very empowering and exciting. They were breaking new ground, doing the unheard of.
This scene is typical for traveling south from Ft. Pierce along Indian River Drive. Originally, Harold Newton painted this view; most likely in the 60s, there were few homes or buildings. Mary Ann Carroll also painted it sometime later. Here, James recreated this H. Newton classic, using thick applications of paint throughout with his palette knife. This was not a "speed painting" and may have taken a few days, Gibson was taking himself more seriously as an artist, not as a production line worker painting ten or more paintings a day. He once claimed to have painted one hundred in a day in a bet. He and Alfred Hair worked out lifting weights, doing push-ups, and staying fit to be so productive; he was in constant competition with his good buddy Alfred Hair to paint fast and paint often. Their legacy is a bountiful collection of a Florida that once was.