 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
October 29, 2018: Check out the new site!--this one will no longer be updated. https://gordongalleryart.com/ December 31, 2017: I'm continuing to bring in new acquistions; look for freshly available works by Clyde Jones, Purvis Young, Mary T. Smith, and others very soon! Happy New Year! September 28, 2017: In the last couple of days, we've added two wonderful carvings by William Dawson, a classic painting by Pennsylvania's Jack Savitsky, two works by S.L. Jones, and a whimsical painting of "Spanish Dancers" by Jimmie Lee Sudduth. September 23, 2017: Just added--a powerful late work by Mary T. Smith, as well as two Lonnie Holley sandstone carvings. Sold this week: a large work on canvas by Joe Light as well as an early double-sided painting by Chuckie Williams that we didn't even have time to get listed here on the site! September 17, 2017: Happy September Greetings to you! Just added: three works of miniature furniture by Kentucky's under-rated master Willie Massey. Recently sold items include pieces by Mose Tolliver, J.B. Murray, M.C. "5¢" Jones, and Rev. George Kornegay. July 21, 2017: Such a busy time around here! New artist page for Wesley Willis went up yesterday, featuring two drawings from 1993; other recent additions include works by Sybil Gibson, George Kornegay, Anderson Johnson, and Willie White. Just click on the "artist index" link above. July 13, 2017: Yesterday we launched the updated "artist index" page, adding several artists and their works--and still have a long way to go! New items include works by Sybil Gibson, Royal Robertson, Charley Kinney, and Felix Virgous.
June 23, 2017: Added two very atypical works by Louisiana artist M.C. "5¢" Jones. June 22, 2017: Added two works by J.B. Murry and more pieces by Anderson Johnson. June 21, 2017: Hello, frends and lurkers. Just added several more works by Reverend Anderson Johnson and some recent Mose Tolliver acquistions. More coming soon; check them out! May 6, 2017: Greetings, art lovers. Recently added to the site: works by Sulton Rogers, Lonnie Holley, Joe Light, and Willie White. Click the "artist index" link above and peruse at your leisure! April 8, 2017: Big news! We've just taken in over 70 pieces from a client's wonderful collection, including a large early Thornton Dial, numerous fantastic portraits by Anderson Johnson, plus other works by J.B. Murry, Sybil Gibson, Joe Light, Lonnie Holley, and many more. These will be added to the site soon, but send me an email if you'd like to see photos before then: gordongallery@comcast.net
October 27, 2015: Recent updates to the site include two fantastic quilts from Sarah Mary Taylor and a wonderful large painting by Mary T. Smith. Stayed tuned for more new offerings. April 6, 2015: Happy Spring from east Nashville! I'm making a few long overdue improvements to the site, including larger images, and email links that automatically tell me which piece you are inquiring about--simple HTML, but it's still a fairly foreign language to me. Many new pieces have been added to the site over the last few weeks, including works by R.A. Miller, Mary T. Smith, and Jimmy Lee Sudduth. A few pieces I haven't yet added include a wonderful (and hen's-tooth-rare) drawing by Chelo Amezcua, and a group of Lonnie Holley's sandstone carvings. Happy to send photos, or provide more info: email us November 1, 2014: Wintry greetings from Tennessee; we've recently added some nice pieces to the inventory, including a 1983 painting by William Dawson, two rare works by Loy Bowlin, aka the Rhinestone Cowboy, and a sublimely beautiful "airplane" by Kentucky's Willie Massey. Please email us for additional photos or information about anything which interests you. September 9, 2013: Added today--classic vintage R.A. Miller August 27, 2013: Added today--beautiful painting by Charlie Lucas August 23, 2013: Added today--fantastic carving by Edwin Jeffery, and another nice M.C."5-cent" Jones August 21, 2013: More new additions--two paintings by Joe Light, and a very nice early Mose Tolliver August 19, 2013: Whoa--been a long time since I dusted off this page. We've been adding plenty of new acquistions to the site lately, including works by M.C."5-cent" Jones, Jimmie Sudduth, and Richard Burnside. More to come--stay tuned! October 31, 2011: Just added four new pieces by emerging artist Bruce New! July 26, 2011: We are now accepting credit cards--whether in person, or via phone or email, your plastic is welcome here! July 18, 2011: Just added two pieces by Texas artist Ezekiel Gibbs, whose work is very difficult to find. Both are presented in nice blond wood frames. Also, you'll find a "new" David Butler piece on his page. June 29, 2011 Dear friends, judging from the date of my last entry here, it's been a very long time--longer than I realized--since I've significantly updated the site. My "other life" as a musician has taken up much of my time and effort over the last year; I have been finishing a new album and preparing for its release, which will be sometime this Fall. Recently I have added newly available works by R.A. Miller, Jimmie Sudduth, Mose Tolliver, Purvis Young, and Hubert Walters to the site. I'll be adding more fresh acquisitions over the next few weeks, so please check back often. Thanks, as ever, for your interest in the gallery. April 22 , 2010 Two days ago we lost one of the great artists of our time, Purvis Young. This morning I went on Ebay to see what kind of circus is going on with his work--in the post-mortem frenzy after Finster died, it was unbelievable what pieces (none very significant) were going for, even down in the Ebay trench. In the Purvis Young listings, there are now a few of what I consider to be forged works--one of which has quite a few bids and is sitting at a (paltry) few hundred dollars. Am I surprised? No. But it is real money being thrown at what is valueless garbage. I realize that it is self-serving for me to rant about these things and strongly suggest (again) that you consult a knowledgable dealer before buying anything in this field, but as a human being with an ethical conscience, I'm going to do so, regardless. To state the obvious: in a "steal of a deal" scenario, it is often the buyer, not the seller, who is being robbed--if it's too good to be true, then, yes, it's too good to be true. For example, when an authentic sketchbook of Young's retails for $1500 and up, then yes, one should ask questions when the bidding starts at 10% of that low end. Luckily, if you have studied the work and know it well enough, the fakes give themselves away easily, and you won't be tempted by what you're seeing anyway--no grace in the line, no passion, no art, just a mess of paint thrown on a board or on a notebook page, all for your humble consideration and viewing pleasure. It is at these times that I do begin longing for a place called Hell, so that these criminals making a quick buck off of yet another dead artist's legacy (and a less-informed buyer's pocketbook) would be delivered unto this address (along with their creations). But I'd settle for less: jail would be a good start. With the FBI's recent indictment of forgers of Clementine Hunter's work, maybe other rats operating similar scams will suffer the same fate. Though probably not til they've made a few grand and flooded the market with a little more trash. January 12, 2010 Happy new year all--you may now find the gallery on facebook, and become a fan if the spirit moves you . . . Many new pieces in, including a fabulous Sybil Gibson floral, and a large piece by Joe Light; Light's work has garnered much recent notice in New York, being featured in the current show "Jr. and Sons" at Zach Feuer Gallery. One of his fish images appeared in this week's NY Magazine--a painting that was previously offered by Gordon Gallery. August 27, 2009 Greetings from east Nashville, where the summer has been merciful and the gardens abundant. I want to take a moment to thank all of you who came out to Folk Fest a couple of weeks ago--we had a fantastic show, and it was good to see so many old friends and clients. Unfortunately I will not be exhibiting at Outsiders Outside this year, but hope to return in 2010. My schedule has been extremely busy--I was on tour out West for much of the summer, performing songs from my new record, which is due for release around the first of the year. Now, after some time away from the gallery, I am back at it--and will be listing several new acquistions over the next week. Among the highlights is a masterpiece bas-relief carving from Edwin Jeffery--take a look here. Just a reminder: we buy, sell, and trade works; it all helps to keep things fresh around here. Please keep us in mind if you have something you'd like to sell, via outright purchase or consignment. February 16, 2009 Happy Presidents Day--just added a couple of wonderful new carvings by Edwin Jeffery. October 21, 2008 I've added several new pieces to the site; take a look around! I also just got this beautiful Josephus Farmer piece in--11" x 44", from ca. 1983. Purchased directly from Farmer by current owner's mother. Detail photos are available upon request; please send an email if you're interested. October 1, 2008 With regret we pass on the news of the recent death of NC artist Hubert Walters. I feel lucky to have known him for the last several years, and will miss him dearly. September 3, 2008 Just back from a wonderful show at Outsiders Outside in Harbert, MI. So good to see so many of you, and to make some new friends as well. I'll be updating the website over the next week or so, so check back often for new pieces. July
10, 2008 Please
visit our booth at the 15th annual Folk Fest in Atlanta, GA, August
15-17! We'll be showing significant pieces from the recently acquired
collection of Willie Massey works, and as usual some fantastic pieces
not yet posted on the site. July
3, 2008 Photos
of the Willie Massey collection (see prior post below) have now
been posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26329687@N05/sets/72157605959103981/ Take
a look when you can. Have a great holiday weekend! kg June
22, 2008 Happy
summer to you. The gallery just acquired a large collection of fine
Willie Massey pieces, all purchased from
Mr. Massey by the prior owner between 1986-1988. Birdhouses, miniature
chairs, airplanes, various birds of distinct character carved from
wood or sculpted from foil, and more. I hope to have photos and
other information posted soon. If you are interested, however, please
send us an email
and I'll be happy to pass along what photos I do have right away.
I'm
sorry if this particular beating of the drum has gone on too long,
but it is out of concern that I remind you again of the rampant
forgeries of Mose Tolliver's work being sold on Ebay. A guarantee
of authenticity or statement of provenance is worthless if there
is any cause for suspicion raised by viewing the work itself closely.
(or by viewing a price that is truly too good to be true). And though
it's not without exception, those sellers so loudly offering such
documentation are often selling the more dubious pieces. Compare
any piece in question to works published in respected museum catalogs
or reference books: in Tolliver's case, I'd recommend the catalog
from the Black Folk Art show at the Corcoran in 1983, as well as
the Arnetts' Souls Grown Deep, vol. 1. Though family collaborations
are sometimes hard to identify, in my opinion the forgeries give
themselves away quickly when compared to the real thing. June
1, 2008 Hello!
Recent updates to the site include works by: Luster
Willis, Mose Tolliver Also,
look for new work from Mississippi artist Earl
Simmons We
are sorry to hear of the recent passing of artist L.V. Hull, who
lived in Kosciusko, MS, and was featured in Souls Grown Deep, Vol.
2. May
7, 2008 Hello!
Recent additions to the site include: New
artist page: Rosie Light New
work from Annie Tolliver New
artist page: Armistead Peeler March
25, 2008 Happy
Spring to you. Please read the article linked below, for some not
so good news concerning one of our favorites, Purvis Young: <http://www.biscaynetimes.com/news/news_2008/news_0308_cover1.html>
December
16, 2007 I want
to thank all of our clients for making 2007 our best year yet. It's
been great visiting with so many of you during this busy holiday
season. Thanks so much for your interest. Please know that we are
available to ship your purchases until the evening of Thursday,
December 20; after that, it will be around New Years til we're "open"
again--though we will try to answer the phone anytime, and welcome
your inquiries. Look
long, look deeply: Though I know most of you must find them as silly
and repugnantly obvious as I do, please, oh please, to anyone out
there who may be tempted, beware of the many fake Mose Tollivers
showing up on Ebay. There is one "artist" in particular
who is going at it with a vengeance, it seems.(And sometimes the
results are, to the fast eye, close to the real thing.) I know that
as buyers we all love a great deal, but some of these "bargains"
are beyond reality. If it sounds too good to be true, well, it should
go without saying: be careful. I realize that as a gallery owner
I have a vested interest in earning your patronage, but in this
case I am simply nauseated by folks laying down money (though usually
peanuts compared to the "fine" art market) for something
they put their good faith in believing is genuine, but in reality
is a piece of worthless trash. For obvious legal reasons it is difficult
and expensive to take on these liars legally, so here I step onto
my soapbox and wail, perhaps to no good end. Though it is true that
Mose's own chicanery in signing pieces that were done by family
members (more discussion of this to come) creates an unfortunately
murky environment when trying to establish authenticity, no artist's
legacy deserves this kind of treatment, which is a crime against
the singular spirit of the "real" Mose T.: the art, and
the man. November
7, 2007 We've
recently added newly acquired works by Mose
Tolliver, May Liza Jackson (on the Quilts
page), and Purvis Young. Check 'em out! September
5, 2007 We
are sad to announce the passing of Alabama artist Jimmie Lee Sudduth.
Mr. Sudduth died of natural causes on Sunday, September 2. August
27, 2007 On
the road again: Thanks to all of you who came out to FolkFest; we
had a very successful show. For those of you near Harbert, Michigan,
please stop by our booth at the Outsiders
Outside show this coming weekend, on the grounds of the Judith
Racht Gallery. Many new things to see on the site--recently acquired
pieces by Joe Light, Mose Tolliver, Jim Sudduth, Ruby C. Williams
and others. I've also just added some great quilts! August
13, 2007 Hello!
Please join us at Folk Fest, this weekend in Norcross, GA, just
north of Atlanta--100 dealers, representing the best in self-taught,
outsider, and folk art, all at the North Atlanta Trade Center!!!
Email us for more
info. We'll be bringing many new acquistions which have not been
shown on the site, including classic works by Charlie Lucas, Charley
Kinney, George Kornegay, and never-before seen new work from carver
Edwin Jeffery. May
30, 2007 Happy
summer! We welcome the work of Florida's fabulous Ruby
C. Willliams to the gallery. Check out a new group of Edwin
Jeffery carvings, too! March
24, 2007 I've
recently added some wonderful new works, including a Sarah Mary
Taylor "Coke" quilt, a vintage "Fayette County Courthouse"
painting by Jimmy Lee Sudduth, and a classic "Adam & Eve"
from Louisiana's M.C. "5¢" Jones. January
27, 2007 Though
I'm a little late on the draw, Happy New Year everyone! I've recently
added some exciting new pieces: Joseph
Yoakum, "Weeping Pebble of Sirrea Range . . .", from
1967SOLD A mid-80s
Mose Tolliver "Nall Lady" 1987
woman's portrait by Jimmy Sudduth Two
carved animals by William DawsonSOLD On
a more personal note, Purvis Young recently
underwent a long-awaited kidney transplant operation; we wish him
a speedy recovery. December
1, 2006 Hello--we're
having trouble with receiving email at the "art@gordongallery.net"
address, so, please send emails to: I am
zealous about replying to inquiries; if you have sent an email and
not received a reply within a day or so, it almost certainly means
that I haven't received your message. Hopefully the address change
noted above will help with this problem. Thanks--kg November
2, 2006 Recent
updates: Josephus
Farmer, Balaam, Son of Beor, Soothsayer A pair
of carvings by emerging artist Melvin Harper October
30, 2006 Dear
Friends, I just
learned that Mose Tolliver passed away today, from complications
resulting from pneumonia. October
28 , 2006/ Recent
updates: A
blue dog with black spots (and a very long tail) by Mary
T. Smith Three
classic pieces by Joe Light October
19 , 2006/ Recent
updates: A
colorful painting of seven figures by
Purvis Young Two
great quilts by Alabama's Mary Maxtion: Four
drawings by celebrated Chicago musician and visual artist Wesley
Willis October
11 , 2006/ Recent
updates: A
wonderful
"Love" quilt by Mattie Jackson;
Jackson was one of the quilters featured in the recent exhibit "Just
How I Picture It in My Mind", at the Montgomery Museum of Fine
Arts. The catalog is available from Amazon and elsewhere. October
5 , 2006/ Recent
updates: An
early Howard Finster piece, Lot's Wife,
published in J.F. Turner's "Howard Finster: Man of Visions" A
classic later "Skyline" by Jim
Sudduth two
new relief carvings from Edwin Jeffery two
new quilts listed: a gum
leaf quilt by Plummer T. Pettway(Gee's Bend AL), and another
leaf pattern quilt by Mattie Jackson,
from Jackson, MS, who was a friend of Sarah Mary Taylor. a
classic Willie Massey miniature rocking
chair (we have 4 others, too; please email
for photos until we can get them up on the site) More
to come . . . October
2 , 2006/ Just
returned from a week of traveling; brought back several new pieces,
including 3 walking sticks by Louisiana carver David Allen, two
carvings by Louisiana artist Melvin Harper, and two more relief
carvings by new artist Edwin Jeffrey. I also visited one of my favorite
people, L.V. Hull, who resides in Kosciusko, MS. I brought back
several of her wonderful painted signs. Will be listing many of
these over the next few days. September
24 , 2006/ Recent
site updates: Four
relief carvings by new artist Edwin Jeffery September
22 , 2006/ Recent
site updates: Three
Mose Tolliver paintings from the 1980s. A
wonderful painting by Willie Massey. Many
new acquistions here; I'll be adding photos and info as soon as
possible. The new inventory includes 4 large drawings by Wesley
Willis dating from 1993-95, a wonderful group of quilts by Mattie
Jackson, May Liza Jackson, and Sarah Mary Taylor, 4 drawings by
Virginia folk artist Joe Bell, and an early freestanding crucifix
by Leroy Almon. We also have a small group
of relief carvings by emerging artist Edwin Jeffery. Send an email
if you'd like an early look at any of these. July
26 , 2006/ Updates:
just added Royal Robertson and Sulton
Rogers. July
21 , 2006/ Many
new works listed over the last couple of days--and we're not done
yet. Several vintage Jimmie Sudduths,
two more early David Butlers,
two reliefs by Leroy Almon, from 1987,
two classic M.C. Jones works . . . others
by Mary T. Smith, Mose
Tolliver, Annie Tolliver, Willie
White, and Herbert Singleton. Please
take a long look around--and make sure to refresh those pages to
make sure you're seeing the latest additions. We're happy to provide
additional info regarding, or photos of, any item which interests
you--just give us a call or shoot us an email.
July
10 , 2006/ New
pieces just acquired include several vintage Sudduth paintings,
a Sarah Mary Taylor quilt, two early David Butlers, and a fabulous
"cross" quilt made by Roberta Jemison, Lureca Outland,
and Mary Maxtion. We'll be adding these to the site very soon, but
if you'd like to see images beforehand, please email
us. May
5 , 2006/ We
are reworking the "what's new" page--going for a cleaner,
less cluttered design. Recent updates/additions include a wonderful
Herbert Singleton relief carving,
and a 1980s portrait by Jimmie Lee Sudduth.
More to come, over the weekend. March
23, 2006/ We've
had quite a run of sales here lately; thanks so much to those of
you who've made it such a successful year so far. We're adding many
new items to the site, almost daily, so please come back often (and
refresh your browsers) to make sure you're seeing all the recent
acquisitions. I
recently visited Jimmie Lee Sudduth, who is now living in the Beverley
Health Care facility in Winfield, Alabama. He was in good spirits--the
youngest 96 year-old I've ever met. All he talked about was getting
better, going home, and getting back to painting! I'm sure he would
love to hear from you. Though I don't have a street address for
the nursing home, I'm sure it's available online somewhere. If and
when I find it, I'll post it here.
Update, 3/24/06: Here's that address: Beverly
Healthcare, 144 County Highway 14, Winfield, AL 35594 February
21, 2006/ I'll
be adding several new pieces to the site over the next few days,
trying to catch up. I'm
planning on showing at the Southern Appalachian Outsider Art Fair
in Morganton NC this coming June; possibly FolkFest in Atlanta again
in August. January
14, 2006/ Authenticity.
I've grown used to the fact that there are plenty of fake Clementine
Hunters out there, Sam Doyle, Bill Traylor too. But now I'm seeing
forged Sudduths, Tollivers(not "family pieces", either),
and even Mary T. Smiths. I suppose it was only a matter of time.
Fortunately, with a careful eye, most of these are easily spotted--for
Smith, especially--whose work seems to be alternately derided or
celebrated--(someone asked me at an auction recently: "how
do you know a good Mary Smith from a bad one?")-- the fakes
prove, ironically, what anyone who studies her work at length with
intelligence and good will knows: it is not "simple".
Other than the obvious aesthetic inconsistencies with the genuine
examples, fakes lack that cohesiveness, almost like, if you could
hear it, a meditative hum, that the real work gives us. A kind of
native language of the hand--for Smith herself, a natural, intuitive
thing; for those faking her work, a pale derivative that inevitably
fails when we really see it. And though the aesthetic failures are
often laughable, the moral implications are sickening--that there
are people out there willing to degrade the legacy of an artist
who died without a dime and who was buried in a pauper's grave because
her burial insurance was cancelled for dubious reason. Old story
for the art world, I guess, but a relatively new one to this field,
where so much chin-music is heard about the concern for, and the
personal connections with, the beloved artist.
December
8, 2005/ Welcome
to the newly redesigned site; refinements and modifications will
continue over the next few days/weeks. This page is one of the new
features. Regarding the blog: I'll stop here occasionally to think
out loud about issues that are tied somehow to this field, or to
my participation in it. I hope to keep it interesting, informative,
and straight-ahead. Your comments are welcome. |
