Name/Title
untitledEntry/Object ID
2017.3.12Description
This piece by Mary Tillman Smith depicts a figure, painted in black, with green eyes and accented by a dotted yellow and red border, reflecting her interest in patterns and decorative designs. There is a 3x5" square hole cut into the top left corner of the wood, exemplifying Smith's use of found and readily available materials as the canvases upon which she created her artwork.Collection
Southern Vernacular Art CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2017.3Source or Donor
Hill, Lou and CalynneAcquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Smith, Mary TillmanRole
ArtistDate made
n.d.Dimensions
Height
31-1/2 inWidth
22 inInterpretative Labels
Label
Mary T. Smith (1904-1995)
Born in 1904 in Martinville, Mississippi, Mary Tillman Smith was born with a serious hearing impairment making her speech difficult to understand, and was labeled an outcast in her community. Many of the "slogans" on Smith's paintings that accompany her images were purposely written unintelligibly, and served as "keep out" signs, giving her privacy and security. Many of Smith's paintings include religious themes and iconography that are conveyed with bold patterns, designs, and nonsense words. Using mostly house paint on scrap material, Smith's abstract expressionistic style was influenced by billboards advertising on the highway near her house.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
January 26, 2017