Creative Alien dives deep into the world of unconventional artists offering an unfiltered glimpse into their raw and sometimes tragic lives. Discover the intriguing biographies of self-taught, neurodivergent, and outsider artists, as well as those living on society’s fringes.
In this episode, Shelby and Alexa discuss the simple yet enigmatic art of Bill Traylor. Born in 1854 into slavery, he only started drawing at the age of 85 producing over 1200 artworks between the years 1939 – 1942.
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Main Sources:
1. Bill Traylor: His Art – His Life, Frank Marezca & Roger Ricco, 1991
2. Wikipedia – Bill Traylor
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Theme song by The Villerays (AKA Jason!)
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Description
Bill Traylor is possibly the most well known — and yet still largely unknown — African American artist in the last 400 years of American history.
Born in 1854 into slavery, he only started drawing at the age of 85. He produced over 1200 artworks between the years 1939 – 1942. Most of these works were preserved by a Charles Shannon, who is the only reason we truly know anything about Bill Traylor today.
His work eventually received critical acclaim in the 1970s, almost 30 years after his death. Now a central figure of “self-taught” modern art, he has been described as “the finest draughtsman of his generation” with “powers of invention [that] rival those of Picasso and Matisse”.
Photos
“In the blacksmiths shop on Monroe Street, Montgomery, Alabama”, 1939 
“Monroe street”, 1939 
“Untitled (Exciting Event)”, 1947, pencil on cardboard 
“Untitled (Figures, Construction)”, 1940, graphite and watercolour on cardboard 
“Man, Woman (detail)”, about 1940–1942, watercolour and graphite on cardboard 
“Untitled (Exciting Event: Man on Chair, Man with Rifle, Dog Chasing Girl, Yellow Bird, and Other Figures)”, 1939 – 1942, poster paint, pencil, coloured pencil, and charcoal on cardboard 
“Blacksmith Shop”, pencil on cardboard, 13 3/8” x 26 1/4“ 
“Dog and Pig, Vertical”, poster paint and pencil on cardboard, 22” x 14” 
“Man with Yoke”, poster paint with pencil on cardboard, 14 1/4” x 13 1/2” 
“Man with Umbrella”, compressed charcoal on cardboard, 10 1/4” x 6 3/4” 
“Figure/Construction, Big Blue man”, poster paint and pencil on cardboard, 22” by 16”