Black Folk Art

Black folk art has gone through many changes over the years. From the primitive, untrained work of artists like Sam Doyle and Minnie Evans, through the brilliant work of Romare Bearden , Jacob Lawrence, and others, to the present day Gullah artists of the South Carolina Low Country. Though many would define Black folk art and folk art in general as being produced by untrained artists, we prefer to think of it as any art that portrays the everyday life of 'plain folk', like farmers, fisherman,laborers, etc. Modern artists are finding styles that respect the subject matter without glamourizing it.

Of course there are forms other than paintings also included in the artistic expression in this catagory. One notable example is the 'sweet grass' baskets of South Carolina. These baskets represent an African tradition passed down from family member to family member for many generations tracing directly back to our African roots. Batiking and quilting are also important forms of folk art.

"Low Country Life", the painting above illustrates our point. The Artist Saint pays tribute to the sweet grass basket sewer as she weaves together the many strands or elements of life in the South Carolina Low Country. The natural beauty of the area is spotlighted, especially the water and wildlife, along with the food and importance of tourism to the area. The design of the painting could also be said to be 'quiltlike'. This painting is part of Saint's Folk Art Masterworks Collection

and is one of the artist's most popular works to date.

More simple paintings focusing on the day to day activities of individuals are included in the artist's Geechee Folk series.

A healthy sense of humor is often needed to deal with the everyday trials and tribulations of life. Several paintings that we will discuss under Black folk art can best be discribed as 'Funny Art'. They are painted strictly tongue in cheek and are meant to lighten our loads. We hope these images will expand your view of Black Folk Art.

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