Lot 206
James Harold Jennings (American, 1931-1999). "Sun, Moon, & Stars" paint on wood, n.d. Signed and titled on verso. From the singular world of James Harold Jennings, a self-taught visionary who spent his final years immersed in his art amidst a wind-chime symphony of painted wonders in rural North Carolina, comes this vibrant wood panel. Imagine the artist, dwelling in a trio of repurposed school buses, his mind a kaleidoscope fueled by "astral projection and metempsychosis," pressing his eyelids to conjure nascent forms from fields of color. Here, five radiant sunbursts bloom across a verdant expanse kissed by a sky of dotted blue, each anchored by a bold, black star a testament to Jennings' self-proclaimed title as the "sun, moon and star artist." This is more than paint on wood; it is a portal into the whimsical yet deeply personal cosmos of a true American original, a man whose art blossomed from the fringes of conventional life into the heart of appreciative eyes. Size: 20.5" W x 5.375" H (52.1 cm x 13.7 cm)
About the artist: James Harold Jennings was born on April 20, 1931 in Pinnacle, North Carolina where his family owned a tobacco farm. He attended school though the fifth grade and worked at the family farm, later taking a job as a projectionist at the King Drive in, owned by his stepfather. When his nerves "went bust" in 1968 he stayed at home on the farm to care for his mother until she died in 1974. After her death, Jennings chose to live without electricity, running water or a telephone in order to create artwork which filled his yard. He carved each whirligig, windmill, sign and wood figure with a simple knife, assembling and printing them with house paint. He liked creating animals and birds, but some of his favorite subjects revolve around the strength of women and his pieces feature "tufgh girls" beating up men or the devil. At times when he would lack inspiration, Jennings would close his eyes and press his fingers onto his lids to search for ideas in the splashes of color that would appear. He created most of his pieces in the last ten years of his life, and called himself the "sun, moon and star artist". The yard surrounding his home was full of brightly colored works of art and signs. Jennings spent his later years living alone in a school bus in North Carolina, and his impending fear of the future drove him to suicide on his 69th birthday." (source: artist's page on American Visionary Art Museum website)
Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
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#192085
- Condition: Signed with titled on verso. Some minor nicks to paint, but otherwise, in overall excellent condition with suspension wire on verso for display.
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