Note Type
Antony Hayton, Exhibit DirectorNote
Alfred Hair (1941-1970)
Popcorn Peach Clouds
Oil on Upson Board circa 1965
Image size 24" X 36"
Hailed as the heart and soul of the Highwaymen, Alfred Hair was gregarious and intuitive; he was a humanist and an entrepreneur. Single-handedly, he forged the Highwaymen from a group of friends and associates into a collective, all with a goal in mind to paint fast, paint often, sell, and repeat. In what could be considered a perfect storm, the Highwaymen emerged during a time when Florida was rapidly booming—new homes, new businesses, a surge in tourism, and an influx of new residents. This environment created a marketplace for the relatively inexpensive, production-line art that Alfred and his team of artisans produced during those heady days for the group in the late 50s and into the early 70s. It was a boom time for the Highwaymen that came to a crashing end when a bullet stopped Alfred Hair dead. Suddenly, the group lost its driving force, and creator Alfred Hair died at 29 in the summer of 1970.
Alfred Hair's works are the most fantastical and unique of all the artists. His genius went far beyond the creativity of forming a group and developing his speed painting methodology. His artistic talents were unleashed by speed painting, fueling his impressionism. He could venture where the others wouldn't or simply couldn't. This almost surreal otherwordly scene of what is most likely the St. Lucie River is vividly bold and exciting. An edginess captures you and keeps you spellbound in the wonder of whether it is real. If you examine it closely, his speed painting style becomes evident throughout. He catches our attention and draws us into his land of tropical fantasy. It is electric.