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FOLK ART OUTSIDER
OPENING RECEPTION:
Saturday, October 2nd, 2023
October 7, 2023
November 11, 2023
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EXTENDED: December 2nd, 2023
SELECTED WORKS:
ART | FOLK-OUTSIDER | ART
Exhibition Image: 1
ART | FOLK-OUTSIDER | ART
Exhibition Image: 2
ART | FOLK-OUTSIDER | ART
Exhibition Image: 3
ART | FOLK-OUTSIDER | ART
Exhibition Image: 4
ART | FOLK-OUTSIDER | ART
Exhibition Image: 5
GODDESS OF LIBERTY WEATHERVANE
Salem, New Jersey
ca 1860-1880
Sheet iron, wrought iron, iron rivets, weathered surface with traces of original paint history consisting of yellow over original red paint
H 53 x W 35, inches
This is a singular and inspired interpretation of the Goddess of Liberty, unique in our experience. She stands in a highly animated pose, en Pointe above an orb, holding a flagpole with a waving flag and topped by a rare Phrygian cap finial. This is a one-of-a- kind blacksmith-made weathervane of chisel-cut heavy sheet iron with wrought iron strap work secured by iron rivets.
This weathervane remained in its original location atop the cupola of a mid-nineteenth century barn at “Boxwoods,” the Carpenter family farm on Kings Highway in Salem, New Jersey. Shortly after the vane was acquired, the barn was torn down. Robert Craig, an architectural historian and Program Coordinator for the New Jersey Registers of Historic Places Program, Historic Preservation Office, New Jersey Department of Protection in Trenton, New Jersey had visited “Boxwoods” several years ago prior to the barn being razed and made the following observations about the barn and its cupola.
PUBLISHED:
Robert Shaw, American Weathervanes, The Art of The Winds (New York, 2022), p. 200
ca 1860-1880
Sheet iron, wrought iron, iron rivets, weathered surface with traces of original paint history consisting of yellow over original red paint
H 53 x W 35, inches
This is a singular and inspired interpretation of the Goddess of Liberty, unique in our experience. She stands in a highly animated pose, en Pointe above an orb, holding a flagpole with a waving flag and topped by a rare Phrygian cap finial. This is a one-of-a- kind blacksmith-made weathervane of chisel-cut heavy sheet iron with wrought iron strap work secured by iron rivets.
This weathervane remained in its original location atop the cupola of a mid-nineteenth century barn at “Boxwoods,” the Carpenter family farm on Kings Highway in Salem, New Jersey. Shortly after the vane was acquired, the barn was torn down. Robert Craig, an architectural historian and Program Coordinator for the New Jersey Registers of Historic Places Program, Historic Preservation Office, New Jersey Department of Protection in Trenton, New Jersey had visited “Boxwoods” several years ago prior to the barn being razed and made the following observations about the barn and its cupola.
PUBLISHED:
Robert Shaw, American Weathervanes, The Art of The Winds (New York, 2022), p. 200
H. Guilford (1861-1953)
Cat Seated on a
One-Armed Rocker
Alleghany County, NY
1884
Oil on artist board,
H 21 x W 17 1⁄2 inches
Untouched condition, original gilt frame.
Signed lower right: “H. Guilford / 1884”.
Combining charm and precise execution, this ranks among the great examples of an American folk portrait of a cat. The white cat with black spots is seated on a red-draped paint-decorated “Boston-type” rocker. Testament to the artist’s attention to accuracy is the hole in the back post where the missing left arm would have been attached. The bright yellow eyes, gesturing raised paw, and spot on the nose impart personality and an air of mischief to this beloved family pet.
A possible identification for the artist may be Harriet Guilford, the daughter of Charles Guilford (1833- 1913) and Mary Jane Guilford (1837-1904), who was born in the town of Cuba, Allegany County, New York, on March 16 1861. She was married to Coy Winthrop Hendryx in 1886, and by 1900 the couple was living in Dowaigic, Cass County, Michigan, where she died in 1953.
One-Armed Rocker
Alleghany County, NY
1884
Oil on artist board,
H 21 x W 17 1⁄2 inches
Untouched condition, original gilt frame.
Signed lower right: “H. Guilford / 1884”.
Combining charm and precise execution, this ranks among the great examples of an American folk portrait of a cat. The white cat with black spots is seated on a red-draped paint-decorated “Boston-type” rocker. Testament to the artist’s attention to accuracy is the hole in the back post where the missing left arm would have been attached. The bright yellow eyes, gesturing raised paw, and spot on the nose impart personality and an air of mischief to this beloved family pet.
A possible identification for the artist may be Harriet Guilford, the daughter of Charles Guilford (1833- 1913) and Mary Jane Guilford (1837-1904), who was born in the town of Cuba, Allegany County, New York, on March 16 1861. She was married to Coy Winthrop Hendryx in 1886, and by 1900 the couple was living in Dowaigic, Cass County, Michigan, where she died in 1953.
Tin Man
American
c. 1930
Tinned sheet iron, original patina
H 74 x W 23 1⁄2 x D 10 inches
In subject, pose, and life-sized scale this figure is similar to the tin man made about 1930 by David Goldsmith (1901-1980) displayed in the front window of his West End Sheet Metal and Roofing Works in Long Island City, New York. In describing Goldsmith’s tin man Ralph Sessions noted that “In stylized fashion, the piece combines rounded and angular forms dictated by its sheet metal construction with finely crafted details of costume, including bow tie, tailored lapels, shirt buttons, and dress shoes complete with laces.”
Since coming to light in the early 1970s, Goldsmith’s tin man has achieved an iconic stature through illustration in exhibition catalogs and books including:
Robert Bishop, American Folk Sculpture (New York, 1974), p. 39;
Jean Lipman, Provocative Parallels (New York, 1975), p. 40;
Tom Armstrong in Two Hundred Years of American Sculpture (New York, 1976), p. 106;
Jean Lipman & Elizabeth V. Warren & Robert Bishop, Young America: A Folk Art History (New York, 1986), p. 148;
Jean Lipman, Robert Bishop & Sharon L. Eisenstat, Five Star Folk Art: One Hundred American Masterpieces (New York, 1990), p. 122,
Stacy C. Hollander, Ed., American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum (New York, 2001), p. 363.
In the universe of folk art tin men, ours and the one made by David Goldsmith stand out as unique for their
representational form of a 1920s dandy and mastery of the techniques of construction.
c. 1930
Tinned sheet iron, original patina
H 74 x W 23 1⁄2 x D 10 inches
In subject, pose, and life-sized scale this figure is similar to the tin man made about 1930 by David Goldsmith (1901-1980) displayed in the front window of his West End Sheet Metal and Roofing Works in Long Island City, New York. In describing Goldsmith’s tin man Ralph Sessions noted that “In stylized fashion, the piece combines rounded and angular forms dictated by its sheet metal construction with finely crafted details of costume, including bow tie, tailored lapels, shirt buttons, and dress shoes complete with laces.”
Since coming to light in the early 1970s, Goldsmith’s tin man has achieved an iconic stature through illustration in exhibition catalogs and books including:
Robert Bishop, American Folk Sculpture (New York, 1974), p. 39;
Jean Lipman, Provocative Parallels (New York, 1975), p. 40;
Tom Armstrong in Two Hundred Years of American Sculpture (New York, 1976), p. 106;
Jean Lipman & Elizabeth V. Warren & Robert Bishop, Young America: A Folk Art History (New York, 1986), p. 148;
Jean Lipman, Robert Bishop & Sharon L. Eisenstat, Five Star Folk Art: One Hundred American Masterpieces (New York, 1990), p. 122,
Stacy C. Hollander, Ed., American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum (New York, 2001), p. 363.
In the universe of folk art tin men, ours and the one made by David Goldsmith stand out as unique for their
representational form of a 1920s dandy and mastery of the techniques of construction.
Standing Spread-Wing
American Eagle
Possibly Massachusetts
c. 1880-1900
Walnut, laminated & carved
white pine turned base
H 19 1⁄2 x W 34 1⁄2 x D 16 inches
Original varnish & painted surface
This figure is extraordinary for the beauty of its naturalistic form, exquisite
rendering of details, and exceptionally fine quality of its carving, showing the hand of a highly accomplished sculptor in wood.
c. 1880-1900
Walnut, laminated & carved
white pine turned base
H 19 1⁄2 x W 34 1⁄2 x D 16 inches
Original varnish & painted surface
This figure is extraordinary for the beauty of its naturalistic form, exquisite
rendering of details, and exceptionally fine quality of its carving, showing the hand of a highly accomplished sculptor in wood.
Great Blue Heron
New York or New Jersey
ca 1870-1890
Softwood body, hardwood neck & head, original paint
H 30 x W 29 3⁄4 inches
Constructed in three sections, with the body carved from the solid, tapering square-
contoured neck with beveled edges forms a mortise into a tenon joint with the head.
Few large-scale decoys achieve the simplicity of line and dramatic attenuated form
of this remarkably sculptural example.
In Jean Lipman’s groundbreaking 1948 book, American Folk Art in Wood, Metal and Stone, she observed that highly stylized representations of waterfowl were the most effective decoys for nineteenth-century
hunters. Similarly, highly abstracted decoys, such as this Great Blue Heron, were prized by the earliest folk-art collectors.
PUBLISHED: Giampietro 2006 Catalog, unpaginated
ca 1870-1890
Softwood body, hardwood neck & head, original paint
H 30 x W 29 3⁄4 inches
Constructed in three sections, with the body carved from the solid, tapering square-
contoured neck with beveled edges forms a mortise into a tenon joint with the head.
Few large-scale decoys achieve the simplicity of line and dramatic attenuated form
of this remarkably sculptural example.
In Jean Lipman’s groundbreaking 1948 book, American Folk Art in Wood, Metal and Stone, she observed that highly stylized representations of waterfowl were the most effective decoys for nineteenth-century
hunters. Similarly, highly abstracted decoys, such as this Great Blue Heron, were prized by the earliest folk-art collectors.
PUBLISHED: Giampietro 2006 Catalog, unpaginated
Martín Ramírez (1885-1963)
Cowboy
1955
Pencil, Crayon
28h x 24w, inches
Martín Ramírez created about three hundred drawings between 1948 and 1963 while confined to a mental hospital in North California. These drawings with their unmistakable individuality, energy, and vision have been called irresistible as the work of Paul Klee, Saul Steinberg & Charles Schultz.
In this drawing, Ramírez calls upon his earlier life in Jalisco, Mexico where he owned a horse and was a skillful rider. He turns himself into a caballero (Spanish for “cowboy”) with a gun, ammo, and a broad-brimmed sombrero. The spaces around the cowboy are filled with rhythmic lines that suggest changing space and a cactus filled landscape. Indeed, these geometric spaces collectively suggest an architectural space.
1955
Pencil, Crayon
28h x 24w, inches
Martín Ramírez created about three hundred drawings between 1948 and 1963 while confined to a mental hospital in North California. These drawings with their unmistakable individuality, energy, and vision have been called irresistible as the work of Paul Klee, Saul Steinberg & Charles Schultz.
In this drawing, Ramírez calls upon his earlier life in Jalisco, Mexico where he owned a horse and was a skillful rider. He turns himself into a caballero (Spanish for “cowboy”) with a gun, ammo, and a broad-brimmed sombrero. The spaces around the cowboy are filled with rhythmic lines that suggest changing space and a cactus filled landscape. Indeed, these geometric spaces collectively suggest an architectural space.
Fireman's Hat and Trumpet Weathervane
American
c. 1890
Cast iron, tinned iron & original historic paint
H 45 x W 21 x D 4 3⁄4 inches
EXHIBITED:
“Two Centuries of American Folk Art: 19th & 20th Century Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Marcus,”
Ritter Art Gallery, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 1984,
traveled to Florida Center for the Arts, Vero Beach, Florida, 1986; Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, Iowa, 1987.
“Selections of 19th & 20th Century American Weathervanes from the Collection of Chase Manhattan Bank and Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Marcus,” Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, West Palm Beach, Florida, 1989.
PUBLISHED:
"Two Centuries of American Folk Art
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Marcus": Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, March 1-April 7, 1984 by David S. Miller and David W. Courtney
c. 1890
Cast iron, tinned iron & original historic paint
H 45 x W 21 x D 4 3⁄4 inches
EXHIBITED:
“Two Centuries of American Folk Art: 19th & 20th Century Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Marcus,”
Ritter Art Gallery, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 1984,
traveled to Florida Center for the Arts, Vero Beach, Florida, 1986; Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, Iowa, 1987.
“Selections of 19th & 20th Century American Weathervanes from the Collection of Chase Manhattan Bank and Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Marcus,” Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, West Palm Beach, Florida, 1989.
PUBLISHED:
"Two Centuries of American Folk Art
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Marcus": Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, March 1-April 7, 1984 by David S. Miller and David W. Courtney
SNAKE GAME BOARD
M. Jemonie
1912
Original dry paint on cherry board Original brass hanger
H 18 x W 12, inches
1912
Original dry paint on cherry board Original brass hanger
H 18 x W 12, inches
CHARLES I. D. LOOF (C. 1852-1918) [ATTRIBUTED]
Bactrian camel jumper carousel figure
Probably Brooklyn, New York
c. 1890
White pine, glass eyes, possibly original paint on body
H 51 1⁄2 x W 53 x D 9 3⁄4 inches
With a later decal from C. W. Parker of Kansas, who probably resold it during the first decades of the twentieth century.
Charles Looff (c.1852-1918) arrived in America in 1870. He first worked in Brooklyn as a furniture carver, but he soon convinced the owner of the Coney Island beach pavilion to install a handcrafted carousel. He worked on the carousel at night in a basement, where he carved and painted every animal by himself. His carousel combined a mixture of horses and menagerie animals, decorated with etched mirror ornaments that came to be known as The Coney Island style. Finishing the Coney Island carousel in 1876, Looff embarked on a successful career as a carousel craftsman. As the demand for his carousels increased, Looff hired a number of talented carvers, including Marcus Charles Illions, Charles Carmel and John Zalar.
Probably Brooklyn, New York
c. 1890
White pine, glass eyes, possibly original paint on body
H 51 1⁄2 x W 53 x D 9 3⁄4 inches
With a later decal from C. W. Parker of Kansas, who probably resold it during the first decades of the twentieth century.
Charles Looff (c.1852-1918) arrived in America in 1870. He first worked in Brooklyn as a furniture carver, but he soon convinced the owner of the Coney Island beach pavilion to install a handcrafted carousel. He worked on the carousel at night in a basement, where he carved and painted every animal by himself. His carousel combined a mixture of horses and menagerie animals, decorated with etched mirror ornaments that came to be known as The Coney Island style. Finishing the Coney Island carousel in 1876, Looff embarked on a successful career as a carousel craftsman. As the demand for his carousels increased, Looff hired a number of talented carvers, including Marcus Charles Illions, Charles Carmel and John Zalar.
JOHANNES BARD (1797-1861)
Landscape with Brick Building, Hunter, Dogs and Bird
Union Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania ca 1810-1819
Watercolor and ink on paper
H 7 1⁄2 x W 10 inches, in period painted frame
This is one of a well-known set of drawings and fraktur exercises made and kept by Johannes Bard that he bound together as a book dated January 8, 1819. The distinctive orange-red color of the structure appears to match the hue of a brick church in a watercolor from the same set illustrated and discussed in Lisa Minardi, Drawn with Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur from the Collection of Joan and Victor Johnson (Philadelphia, 2015), cat. 175, pages 206, 214 and 239.
PUBLISHED:
David Wheatcroft, The Authentic Eye (Westboro, MA, 2005), no. 64.
Union Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania ca 1810-1819
Watercolor and ink on paper
H 7 1⁄2 x W 10 inches, in period painted frame
This is one of a well-known set of drawings and fraktur exercises made and kept by Johannes Bard that he bound together as a book dated January 8, 1819. The distinctive orange-red color of the structure appears to match the hue of a brick church in a watercolor from the same set illustrated and discussed in Lisa Minardi, Drawn with Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur from the Collection of Joan and Victor Johnson (Philadelphia, 2015), cat. 175, pages 206, 214 and 239.
PUBLISHED:
David Wheatcroft, The Authentic Eye (Westboro, MA, 2005), no. 64.
Prancing Horse Weathervane
Boston, MA
c. 1850
Molded copper, iron, traces of original verdigris patina
A related horse of common authorship is illustrated and described in Robert Shaw, "American Weathervanes, The Art of The Winds" (New York, 2022), p. 107
A number of vanes by this unknown maker are extant & are consistently on a bar with an unevenly shaped mounded top to suggest a landscape.
Similar works are illustrated in:
Steve Miller, Art of the Weathervane (Exton, PA, 1997), p. 26;
Charles Klamkin, Weathervanes: The History, Manufacture and Design of an American Folk Art (New York, 1973), p. 103
c. 1850
Molded copper, iron, traces of original verdigris patina
A related horse of common authorship is illustrated and described in Robert Shaw, "American Weathervanes, The Art of The Winds" (New York, 2022), p. 107
A number of vanes by this unknown maker are extant & are consistently on a bar with an unevenly shaped mounded top to suggest a landscape.
Similar works are illustrated in:
Steve Miller, Art of the Weathervane (Exton, PA, 1997), p. 26;
Charles Klamkin, Weathervanes: The History, Manufacture and Design of an American Folk Art (New York, 1973), p. 103
HAROLD WILLIAM IBACH (1906-1993)
Kitty
Spring Valley, Fillmore County, MN
1950
Pine, paint, sand, red glass gems,
H 19 Inches
NOTE:
Kitty was made by Harold William Ibach, a craftsman, printer, and keeper of an “odds and ends” shop in the town of Spring Valley, Minnesota. Harold William Ibach was the son of William Ibach (1870-1947) and Mattie Ibach (1868- 1943). He was born August 30, 1906, in Spring Valley, Minnesota, and died May 2, 1993, unmarried. He was recorded as a self-employed woodworker with his own shop in the 1930 and 1940 Federal Census. He also operated a printing business and was a civil defense director for Fillmore County in 1967.
Spring Valley, Fillmore County, MN
1950
Pine, paint, sand, red glass gems,
H 19 Inches
NOTE:
Kitty was made by Harold William Ibach, a craftsman, printer, and keeper of an “odds and ends” shop in the town of Spring Valley, Minnesota. Harold William Ibach was the son of William Ibach (1870-1947) and Mattie Ibach (1868- 1943). He was born August 30, 1906, in Spring Valley, Minnesota, and died May 2, 1993, unmarried. He was recorded as a self-employed woodworker with his own shop in the 1930 and 1940 Federal Census. He also operated a printing business and was a civil defense director for Fillmore County in 1967.
SISTER GERTRUDE MORGAN (1900-1980)
Standing Self Portrait
Paint & Ink on paper
Paper: H 6.75 x W 3, inches
Frame: H 14 x W 10.75, inches
Signed
Paint & Ink on paper
Paper: H 6.75 x W 3, inches
Frame: H 14 x W 10.75, inches
Signed
David Danner (1844–1950)
Trade Sign for Woodcarving & Pen Drawing
Canal Fulton, Ohio
1909
Walnut, tinned iron, glass, brass screws, original paint
H 11 x W 17 x D 6 3⁄4 inches
Paper medallion under glass inscribed in ink: “Wood Carving/ and / Pen Drawing/ By David Danner / Canal Fulton, Ohio / 1909.”
Canal Fulton, Ohio
1909
Walnut, tinned iron, glass, brass screws, original paint
H 11 x W 17 x D 6 3⁄4 inches
Paper medallion under glass inscribed in ink: “Wood Carving/ and / Pen Drawing/ By David Danner / Canal Fulton, Ohio / 1909.”
MOLDED & COPPER COW WEATHERVANE
Attributed to LW Cushing & Sons Waltham, MA
c. 1900
Molded full copper body, cast tail & horns
H 23.5 x W 40 x D 7. Inches
Encrusted with natural verdigris patina
ILLUSTRATED:
The Art of the Weathervane by Steve Miller, Schiffer Publishing, pgs: 46, 130, 141
c. 1900
Molded full copper body, cast tail & horns
H 23.5 x W 40 x D 7. Inches
Encrusted with natural verdigris patina
ILLUSTRATED:
The Art of the Weathervane by Steve Miller, Schiffer Publishing, pgs: 46, 130, 141
George Stapf (1862-1958)
Patriotic Eagle Plaque
Harrisburg, PA
c. 1900-1920
White pine, original painted decoration
H 25 x W 34 inches
Harrisburg, PA
c. 1900-1920
White pine, original painted decoration
H 25 x W 34 inches
Bill Traylor (circa 1853-1949)
Black Pig
Montgomery, AL
c. 1939–1942
Poster paint & graphite on repurposed cardboard
H 15 x W 12 inches
EXHIBITED:
“Bill Traylor (1854–1957),” Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, December 15, 1988– January 14, 1989, listed in catalog, no. 5.
Montgomery, AL
c. 1939–1942
Poster paint & graphite on repurposed cardboard
H 15 x W 12 inches
EXHIBITED:
“Bill Traylor (1854–1957),” Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York, December 15, 1988– January 14, 1989, listed in catalog, no. 5.
Early 20th Century Ceramic Frog
Green Silk Glaze
Southern Ohio Region
Signed Mrs. J.T.S
EXHIBITED:
University of Kentucky Art Gallery, American Folk Sculpture from the Hall Collection, 1974 (Catalogue)
Southern Ohio Region
Signed Mrs. J.T.S
EXHIBITED:
University of Kentucky Art Gallery, American Folk Sculpture from the Hall Collection, 1974 (Catalogue)
RALPH FASANELLA (1914-1997)
I Love New York
1980
Oil on canvas
52 x 60 inches
Signed & dated lower right
1980
Oil on canvas
52 x 60 inches
Signed & dated lower right
L. W. Cushing & Sons (Cushing & White After 1872)
Running Fox Weathervane
Waltham, MA
c. 1867-1872
Molded copper, traces of original gold leaf & verdigris patina
H 10 1⁄2 x W 21 x D 2 inches
Several of the most desirable American copper weathervanes depicting animals forms were produced by L. W. Cushing & Sons based on carved wooden mold patterns carved by Henry Leech (1809-1885) circa 1869-1870, as based on entries in Leonard Cushing’s journals.
ILLUSTRATED:
Catalogue of Weathervanes by L.W. Cushing & Sons, 1883, pg. 17 no. 80
Waltham, MA
c. 1867-1872
Molded copper, traces of original gold leaf & verdigris patina
H 10 1⁄2 x W 21 x D 2 inches
Several of the most desirable American copper weathervanes depicting animals forms were produced by L. W. Cushing & Sons based on carved wooden mold patterns carved by Henry Leech (1809-1885) circa 1869-1870, as based on entries in Leonard Cushing’s journals.
ILLUSTRATED:
Catalogue of Weathervanes by L.W. Cushing & Sons, 1883, pg. 17 no. 80
OVERVIEW:
The Hill Gallery presents ART| Folk-Outsider |ART. This exhibition brings together a group of over 30 exceptional objects of folk, outsider, & vernacular art.
ARTIST LIST:
• Anonymous
• Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980)
• Bill Traylor (c. 1853-1949)
• Ralph Fasanella (1914-1997)
• Edgar Tolson (1904- 1984)
• Inez Nathaniel Walker (1911-1990)
• H. Guilford (1861-1953)
• Martín Ramírez (1895–1963)
• Johnnes Bard (1797-1861)
• Harold William Ibach (1906-1993)
• George Stapf (1862-1958)
• Charles I. D. Loof (c. 1852-1918)
• David Danner (1844-1950)
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