Latest news with #ArtShow
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Art Show VIP And NZ Gala Evening Sold Out
Press Release – NZ Art Show The award-winning NZ Art Show returns next week with a vibrant showcase of extraordinary New Zealand art, continuing its streak of premier excellence in the art show artists' creativity, diversity, and innovation across Aotearoa, this year's show promises a dynamic art adventure for art lovers. The event kicks off with a sold-out VIP gala, at which 1,200 guests will enjoy live music, fine wine, boutique beer, and gourmet cocktail food while getting the first look at this year's incredible lineup of original New Zealand art. Spanning two dynamic venues—TSB Arena and Shed 6—the show will feature works by more than 250 artists, with around 120 artists onsite for art lovers to meet and discuss their practice. With over 25% of this year's exhibitors new to the show or early in their careers, audiences can expect a refreshing mix of established names and exciting new voices. As New Zealand's first, largest, and most successful art show, the NZ Art Show continues to be a beacon for artists and art enthusiasts alike. Its commitment to accessibility and affordability, with most works priced below $5,000, ensures that art remains inclusive and accessible. Featured Artists and Collectives Among the diverse talents on display are: METcALfe – A Hawke's Bay sister duo, Amy and Kate, crafting whimsical sculptures from recycled steel drums. Graeme Smallfield (Auckland) – A hyper-realistic painter and the Best Still Life Award winner at the 2023 International Guild of Realism's 17th Annual Juried Exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Wilkie Proudfoot (Wellington) – The 2024 Hyundai Emerging Artist Premier Award winner. Additionally, the show will feature renowned artist collectives such as: DYED Studios, an artist collective from Wellington NZ Glassworks, New Zealand's premier art glass gallery, based in Whanganui Space Studio & Gallery, a vibrant gallery and artist studios in Whanganui Art Start – a national organisation that promotes and exhibits artists aged 15–18 nationwide. New Zealand and Māori – renowned artist and cultural advocate Darcy Nicholas QSO (Wellington) brings together artists working across multiple media Art Awards – more than $30,000 in Prizes Celebrating artistic excellence, the 2025 NZ Art Show includes six awards: R.T Nelson Awards for Sculpture – $25,000 – sponsored by Richard T Nelson People's Choice Award – $3,000 – Sponsored by Brendan Foot Supersite Hyundai Emerging Artist Award – $1,000 – co-sponsored by Brendan Foot Supersite The Pippy Award – $1,000 The Precious Cargo Award – $500 – sponsored by Pack and Send, Thorndon The Luna Estate Wine Award Show Days & Ticketing The NZ Art Show will run over King's Birthday Weekend, May 30 – June 1. TSB Arena, Wellington. Tickets are available online for just $10 until May 30. Door sales will be $15. Children 12 years and under are free Secure your spot and experience the finest in New Zealand art. For more details and ticket purchases, visit: About the NZ Art Show: Statistics since 2004 20 million in art sales $200,000 presented in art awards 30,000 artworks sold 4,000 artists represented 150,000 visitors 2023 winner of Vibrant Gold in the Wellington Gold Awards The NZ Art Show is Aotearoa's premier annual art event, dedicated to showcasing the incredible talent of New Zealand's contemporary artists. Pioneers of the NZ art market scene, established in 2004, the event has grown into a vital platform for both emerging and established artists to present and sell their work. With over 250 artists and more than 4,000 artworks on display each year, the NZ Art Show is a cornerstone of New Zealand's vibrant art community. As Wellington's original art showcase, we take pride in fostering innovation and creativity, providing artists from across the country with the exposure they deserve. The event also serves as a unique opportunity for art lovers, collectors, and businesses to engage with artists, discover new talent, and purchase original New Zealand art. The NZ Art Show is governed by a charitable trust, with all profits being reinvested into the arts community. Our mission is to promote the appreciation and acquisition of New Zealand art while supporting the artists themselves. Our Board: Anne Stephenson (Chair), Frances Russell, Jane Hart, David Foot, Neil Paviour-Smith
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Art Show VIP And NZ Gala Evening Sold Out
The award-winning NZ Art Show returns next week with a vibrant showcase of extraordinary New Zealand art, continuing its streak of premier excellence in the art show industry. Celebrating artists' creativity, diversity, and innovation across Aotearoa, this year's show promises a dynamic art adventure for art lovers. The event kicks off with a sold-out VIP gala, at which 1,200 guests will enjoy live music, fine wine, boutique beer, and gourmet cocktail food while getting the first look at this year's incredible lineup of original New Zealand art. Spanning two dynamic venues—TSB Arena and Shed 6—the show will feature works by more than 250 artists, with around 120 artists onsite for art lovers to meet and discuss their practice. With over 25% of this year's exhibitors new to the show or early in their careers, audiences can expect a refreshing mix of established names and exciting new voices. As New Zealand's first, largest, and most successful art show, the NZ Art Show continues to be a beacon for artists and art enthusiasts alike. Its commitment to accessibility and affordability, with most works priced below $5,000, ensures that art remains inclusive and accessible. Featured Artists and Collectives Among the diverse talents on display are: METcALfe – A Hawke's Bay sister duo, Amy and Kate, crafting whimsical sculptures from recycled steel drums. Graeme Smallfield (Auckland) – A hyper-realistic painter and the Best Still Life Award winner at the 2023 International Guild of Realism's 17th Annual Juried Exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Wilkie Proudfoot (Wellington) – The 2024 Hyundai Emerging Artist Premier Award winner. Additionally, the show will feature renowned artist collectives such as: DYED Studios, an artist collective from Wellington NZ Glassworks, New Zealand's premier art glass gallery, based in Whanganui Space Studio & Gallery, a vibrant gallery and artist studios in Whanganui Art Start - a national organisation that promotes and exhibits artists aged 15–18 nationwide. New Zealand and Māori - renowned artist and cultural advocate Darcy Nicholas QSO (Wellington) brings together artists working across multiple media Art Awards – more than $30,000 in Prizes Celebrating artistic excellence, the 2025 NZ Art Show includes six awards: R.T Nelson Awards for Sculpture – $25,000 - sponsored by Richard T Nelson People's Choice Award – $3,000 - Sponsored by Brendan Foot Supersite Hyundai Emerging Artist Award – $1,000 - co-sponsored by Brendan Foot Supersite The Pippy Award – $1,000 The Precious Cargo Award – $500 - sponsored by Pack and Send, Thorndon The Luna Estate Wine Award Show Days & Ticketing The NZ Art Show will run over King's Birthday Weekend, May 30 – June 1. TSB Arena, Wellington. Tickets are available online for just $10 until May 30. Door sales will be $15. Children 12 years and under are free Secure your spot and experience the finest in New Zealand art. For more details and ticket purchases, visit: About the NZ Art Show: Statistics since 2004 20 million in art sales $200,000 presented in art awards 30,000 artworks sold 4,000 artists represented 150,000 visitors 2023 winner of Vibrant Gold in the Wellington Gold Awards The NZ Art Show is Aotearoa's premier annual art event, dedicated to showcasing the incredible talent of New Zealand's contemporary artists. Pioneers of the NZ art market scene, established in 2004, the event has grown into a vital platform for both emerging and established artists to present and sell their work. With over 250 artists and more than 4,000 artworks on display each year, the NZ Art Show is a cornerstone of New Zealand's vibrant art community. As Wellington's original art showcase, we take pride in fostering innovation and creativity, providing artists from across the country with the exposure they deserve. The event also serves as a unique opportunity for art lovers, collectors, and businesses to engage with artists, discover new talent, and purchase original New Zealand art. The NZ Art Show is governed by a charitable trust, with all profits being reinvested into the arts community. Our mission is to promote the appreciation and acquisition of New Zealand art while supporting the artists themselves.
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Awards And Recognition Take Centre Stage At The 2025 NZ Art Show
More than $30,000 in prize money will be awarded at the 2025 NZ Art Show, celebrating artistic excellence and recognising both emerging and established talent from across Aotearoa. With six distinct awards on offer—ranging from major sculpture prizes to youth encouragement awards—this year's event continues its proud tradition of supporting artists and championing creativity in all its forms. The prizes are made possible by the generosity of private donors and sponsors, reflecting the strength of community backing for the arts. R.T Nelson Awards for Sculpture – $25,000 Now in its fourth year, the R.T Nelson Awards for Sculpture remain one of the country's most significant art prizes. Established by arts philanthropist Richard Nelson, the award highlights sculptural excellence and innovation. This year's showcase includes 32 finalists exhibiting 56 works, with prize categories as follows: Premier Award – $15,000 Highly Commended Awards – 2 x $1,000 People's Choice Award – $2,000 The remaining finalists receive a $250 finalist award Hyundai Emerging Artist Award – $1,000 Jointly sponsored by Brendan Foot Supersite, this award encourages promising young artists still at secondary school. Open to NCEA Level 3 students from the Greater Wellington region, it celebrates youthful creativity and ambition. People's Choice Art Award – $3,000 Also sponsored by Brendan Foot Supersite, this much-loved award allows the public to vote for their favourite artwork from a curated selection. Ten standout pieces, selected by a panel, will be displayed in a dedicated space. The most popular work wins the prize. The Pippy Award – $1,000 This heartfelt award was created in memory of Pip Lawn. Her family and friends select and purchase a work each year that reflects Pip's vibrant love of art, with the chosen artist also receiving the Pippy Award. The prize celebrates the personal stories and emotional connections that art makes possible. The Precious Cargo Award – $500 Sponsored by PACK & SEND Thorndon Quay, this award honours work that explores ideas of value, protection, and what we consider 'precious'. It's a reminder that art can speak powerfully to our shared human experience. The Luna Estate Wine Award Blending art and viticulture, the Luna Estate Wine Award will see the Luna team select an artwork to feature on the label of a future wine release. The chosen piece will reflect the ethos and spirit of Luna Estate—capturing the character of their brand through artistic expression. It's a unique opportunity for an artist to have their work showcased well beyond the gallery walls. Executive Director Carla Russell says the awards reflect the depth and diversity of talent in the show: 'Each year, these prizes give us the chance to shine a spotlight on incredible artists—many of whom go on to achieve national recognition. We're especially proud to offer support across generations, from high school students to established sculptors.' Winners will be announced over King's Birthday Weekend (May 30–June 1), with a VIP Preview and Gala Evening on May 29 for sponsors and Friends of the Show. The 2025 NZ Art Show will feature over 250 artists and around 4,000 original works spanning painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, glass, mixed media and digital art. It's a celebration of New Zealand's creative spirit—and an invitation to discover your next favourite artist. As the country's largest and most successful curated art show, the NZ Art Show remains committed to accessibility and affordability, with most works priced under $5,000. Experience the 2025 NZ Art Show - at TSB Arena, Wellington: May 30–June 1 Tickets available now at WHERE: TSB Arena & Shed 6 | Queen's Wharf | Wellington |New Zealand WHEN: King's Birthday Weekend, 2025 VIP Preview: Thursday 29 May, 9 – 11am Gala Evening: Thursday 29 May, 6 – 9.30pm Show Days: Friday – Saturday, 30 – 31 May, 10am – 6.30pm Daily Sunday 1 June 2024, 10am – 5pm TICKETS: Door sales are available: $15 Adult, $10 Student and Community Service card, children 12 years and under are free Discounted pre-sales available via More information can be found online - About the NZ Art Show: Statistics since 2004 20 million in art sales $200,000 presented in art awards 30,000 artworks sold 4,000 artists represented 150,000 visitors 2023 winner of Vibrant Gold in the Wellington Gold Awards The NZ Art Show is Aotearoa's premier annual art event, dedicated to showcasing the incredible talent of New Zealand's contemporary artists. Pioneers of the NZ art market scene, established in 2004, the event has grown into a vital platform for both emerging and established artists to present and sell their work. With over 250 artists and more than 4,000 artworks on display each year, the NZ Art Show is a cornerstone of New Zealand's vibrant art community. As Wellington's original art showcase, we take pride in fostering innovation and creativity, providing artists from across the country with the exposure they deserve. The event also serves as a unique opportunity for art lovers, collectors, and businesses to engage with artists, discover new talent, and purchase original New Zealand art. The NZ Art Show is governed by a charitable trust, with all profits being reinvested into the arts community. Our mission is to promote the appreciation and acquisition of New Zealand art while supporting the artists themselves.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Art Fairs to See in the New York City Area in May
Art lovers of all kinds — from seasoned curators and collectors to newcomers — flock to New York City in May to experience the area's vibrant art scene. 'May in New York is a special moment on the cultural calendar — the city is in full bloom,' said Amy Hau, director of the Noguchi Museum in Queens. Art fairs such as TEFAF and Frieze bring together artists and galleries from around the world, but the scope and volume can be overwhelming. 'For anyone just starting to collect, I always say — don't be intimidated by the big fairs, even if they can feel like a bit of a visual overload,' Hau said. 'Just go, look around, and see what resonates with you. Even if you're not buying, these fairs are an inspiring, low-pressure way to learn, explore and connect with artists and gallerists.' Here is a selection of some of the May fairs that will introduce visitors to works and experiences, including 18th-century portraits, new voices in contemporary art and an interactive art scavenger hunt. Venues range from an elegant Beaux-Arts building on Manhattan's East Side to a former warehouse in the Powerhouse Arts District in downtown Jersey City, N.J. Some offer free admission. Clio Art Fair May 1-4 and 8-11 at 528-532 West 28th Street More than 70 self-represented contemporary and emerging artists are displaying about 250 works, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media works and installations, at Clio Art Fair, named for the Greek Muse of history and the poetry she inspired. The artists have their own exhibition spaces to encourage relaxed and direct interaction with visitors, and prices range from $250 to $25,000. 'Behave as if God Exists,' an immersive performance project, explores spiritual, social and existential themes through live actions and interventions by artists. Esther II May 6-10 at New York Estonian House, 243 East 34th Street Twenty-five galleries from 18 cities around the world will fill the elegant New York Estonian House for Esther's second year. Founders Margot Samel and Olga Temnikova, gallerists with strong connections to Tallinn, Estonia, discarded the traditional art fair booth concept in favor of shared gallery spaces. Artworks, site-specific installations, performances and events will be presented — and experienced — throughout the four-story Beaux-Arts building, once a gathering spot for Estonian refugees after World War II. 'Return to Innocence,' a series of sculptural candle holders by the Tallinn artist Edith Karlson, will guide visitors, and the basement will be transformed into a showroom that will include custom-made products by the Estonian designer Laivi. SPRING/BREAK Art Show May 6-12 at 75 Varick Street Nontraditional exhibition venues, free spaces for independent curators and reduced-cost spaces for galleries and nonprofits — strategies designed to reduce upfront risk and encourage experimental work — are a few of the hallmarks of SPRING/BREAK Art Show. More than 350 midcareer and emerging artists will be showcased at a landmark building that was once home to many firms in printing and related trades. Among them is the actor Alia Shawkat, whose paintings chart her Assyrian lineage and family migration, reflecting the immigrant story motif that recurs in this year's theme of 'PARADISE LOST + FOUND.' Future Fair May 7-10 at Chelsea Industrial, 535 West 28th Street Future Fair's fifth anniversary edition will feature nearly 70 local, national and international exhibitors. A quarter are minority-owned, a quarter are global and over half are led by women. Since its founding in 2020, the fair has embraced a cooperative business model, initially profit sharing with founding galleries. Starting this year, the fair will commit 15 percent of its profits toward a pay-it-forward fund that allocates grants to rising art dealers. Visitors can swing by a culinary pop-up by the Brooklyn restaurant Stowaway and grab some Southern-inspired fare and limited-edition anniversary beers crafted by Grimm Artisanal Ales. Art Fair 14C May 8-11 at 157B First Street, Jersey City 'Our name (14C) is a wink to the 'What exit?' joke about New Jersey,' Robinson Holloway, Art Fair 14C's chief executive, wrote in an email, 'and we embrace our Jersey roots and celebrate the art of our native state.' But exhibitors are wide ranging and include the International Sculpture Center, an artists collective from Brooklyn and a small New Jersey nonprofit that works with artists with disabilities. The Pompidou Center in Paris, which plans a North American outpost in Jersey City, she said, will provide programming, including a workshop for children based on masterpieces from their permanent collection in cooperation with the Jersey City Free Public Library. The venue is a former warehouse for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) in the Powerhouse Arts District. Tours will be available before regular hours for visitors who are visually impaired or need low sensory environments. The Other Art Fair Brooklyn May 8-11 at ZeroSpace, 337-345 Butler Street The 15th edition of the Other Art Fair Brooklyn, presented by Saatchi Art, continues its mission to support artists and make the art world more accessible and inclusive in unexpected and fun ways. A wide variety of works, in forms including documentary photography and embroidery, by 125 New York-area artists, will be shown along with immersive installations, performances and artist-led activities. Highlights include a fantasy drawing experience by the portrait painter Ben Lenovitz, an interactive art scavenger hunt led by the multimedia artist Joe Kraft and machine-free tattoo pop-ups. Special Mother's Day weekend events feature photographic portrait sessions with the artist and author Anna Marie Tendler and hands-on workshops for making paper flowers. The American Art Fair May 10-13 at Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street The American Art Fair, now in its 18th year, exclusively celebrates 18th- to 21st-century American works. More than 400 landscapes, portraits, still lifes and sculptures — from folk Art and the Hudson River School through the modernist movements — will be on view. The fair offers a series of lectures, such as one tied to the 'Sargent and Paris' exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that looks at the early years of the American painter John Singer Sargent's career, from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a young art student through the mid-1880s. More Art Events There are plenty of art goings-on in New York City beyond the fairs. MoMA PS1 in Queens will present the first U.S. museum exhibition of the Angolan-born artist Sandra Poulson. Her sculptures, made from furniture and influenced by daily life and customs in her hometown, Luanda, examine how intimate spaces become spheres for political consciousness. Nature lovers may enjoy the photo-based work inspired by the gardens of the poet Emily Dickinson at Rick Wester Fine Art in Chelsea, or a respite at the Davis Center in Central Park, which opened last week and has a series of special events planned. NYC Tourism + Conventions' Spring 2025 Arts Guide provides a raft of art exhibitions, live performances, festivals and outdoor public art programs, including museums, memorials, monuments and attractions that are always free or are free on specific days and times. A special website this year lists places and events that commemorate 400 years of New York City history. 'Don't miss some of the great museum exhibitions that will be on view,' Hau of the Noguchi Museum said. 'This season's highlight is definitely the Amy Sherald show at the Whitney.' She also recommends visiting the newly renovated Frick Museum, checking out the public art along the High Line, stopping by the nearby Chelsea galleries and taking a ferry to Queens to visit the institution she leads, which is dedicated to the work of the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Special exhibits, art-making activities, musical performances, and dance and culinary programs are among the events planned at the museum in May, many to celebrate its 40th anniversary. 'And visitors shouldn't forget the garden,' she added. 'It's one of the most beautiful times to experience our outdoor space, offering a quiet, contemplative escape from the energy and pace of the city.'
New York Times
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Visionary Artworks Plumb the Mysteries of Creativity
Scott Kerr, a fifth-generation art dealer in St. Louis, didn't know what to expect last year as he was crossing the Mississippi River into East St. Louis, a once vibrant city in Illinois with a large Black population that never recovered economically after the civil unrest of the 1960s. Kerr was responding to an unsolicited email from a man named Lincoln Walker, who was hoping to get an appraisal of paintings by his father, Abraham Lincoln Walker, a house painter by trade who died in 1993. He had spent his spare hours during his last three decades in his basement, consumed with making art. The younger Walker, 62, an auto mechanic who goes by Link, guided Kerr to a tractor-trailer on his property. There, he opened up the back doors to reveal a trove of more than 800 artworks filling racks and stacked deep on the floor. 'I was just mesmerized by what I saw,' Kerr said of the dark, phantasmagoric paintings, many with abstracted faces and forms materializing out of flowing evanescent brushstrokes and textured surfaces. 'As soon as I looked at it, I was very confident that this was a major body of work.' So far, many in the art world seem to concur. Last November, at the Art Dealers Association of America's Art Show in New York, Andrew Edlin, a specialist in self-taught artists, organized a presentation of Walker's work. (Kerr, whose gallery McCaughen & Burr, now represents Walker's estate, has teamed up with Edlin.) Edlin's booth sold out, he said, with paintings bought by prominent collectors including Beth Rudin DeWoody, founder of the Bunker Artspace in West Palm Beach, Fla.; the New Museum board president, James Keith Brown; and the artist Brian Donnelly (a.k.a. KAWS). Walker's first solo New York gallery show opens Feb. 22 at the Andrew Edlin Gallery, with about two dozen paintings priced from $10,000 to $85,000. Several more works by the artist will be at the Outsider Art Fair, which Edlin owns, from Feb. 27 to March 2 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. During a preview of Walker's paintings at his gallery, Edlin described one untitled 1980 canvas as a cross between the work of the Surrealist Max Ernst and the Romantic painter and poet William Blake. 'I don't know if that's hell or purgatory,' Edlin said. He believes that Walker must have looked at other artists as he was teaching himself to paint, comparing some of his neighborhood scenes of Black life to expressive figurative painters such as Benny Andrews and Ernie Barnes, and Walker's more desolate landscapes to Surrealists like Giorgio de Chirico and Salvador Dalí. Yet Walker's influences remain largely unknown. 'There's this inherent mystery about the work of a lot of 'outsider' artists that get discovered posthumously because they didn't necessarily write or talk about it and aren't around to tell people about it,' Edlin said. He noted that it's typical for someone other than the artist to get such work into the public eye, citing the stories of two acclaimed self-taught artists. Henry Darger's landlord rescued his work and Martín Ramírez's psychiatrist shared his. Edlin acknowledged that the term 'outsider art' is controversial, with many in the art world rejecting the differentiation between trained and untrained artists. 'The nomenclature is very loaded politically,' said Maxwell Anderson, president of the Souls Grown Deep foundation, which promotes Black artists from the American South. 'When you look at our website, you won't find the following phrases: 'self-taught,' 'outsider,' 'vernacular.' We just want it to be seen as art.' But Edlin believes that the outsider art category does have a distinct culture. Such artists working hermetically 'don't have career aspiration, it's just not part of the equation,' Edlin said. 'I've always felt like there's something to being un-self-conscious that is liberating in the creative process. They're creating their own worlds.' Walker certainly never sought attention for his paintings. 'He never cared if anybody ever saw one of them; that was just not his thing,' said Link, who was adopted by Walker and his wife, Dorothy, as an infant and inherited his father's work when his mother died in 2013. Link said he carefully stored the paintings for years, but after he almost died during the coronavirus pandemic, he decided it was time to do something with them. He said he sent inquiries out to the art world, and Kerr was the only one to respond. 'My mom wanted to get his paintings out there,' Link said. 'We all knew how good he was. I want to make his name great.' Dorothy Walker, who was a social worker, had some of her husband's paintings exhibited at a street fair and at a local gallery in the mid-1970s — and, according to Link, would yell at her husband when he didn't show up for these events. In 1995, with the help of Lou Brock, a baseball Hall-of-Famer whose wife was close to Dorothy through their church, she got Walker a posthumous retrospective at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A 1995 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the exhibition noted that Dorothy showed some of her husband's paintings in 1974 in Seattle, where they were critiqued by Jacob Lawrence, arguably the most famous Black artist at that time. (Link said an uncle on his mother's side was a professor at the University of Washington, where Lawrence taught, but doesn't know if his father ever met Lawrence.) There was also a 2013 show of Walker's work at 10th Street Gallery, in St. Louis, Mo. Born in 1921 in Henderson, Ky., Abraham Lincoln Walker moved in his youth to live with his aunt and uncle in East St. Louis, which was once home to creative luminaries including Josephine Baker, Ike and Tina Turner, and Katherine Dunham. In the 1995 article, Dorothy said that as a child, her husband had been an evangelical inspirational speaker at the Church of God in Christ in Mounds, Ill. Link said he could remember his father going to church only once. 'But he was real religious,' Link said. 'I'd come downstairs, he'd be on his knees praying. Some of his paintings might be what he pictured as the afterworld, as hell or heaven.' Walker had a thriving house-painting and wallpapering business, and first tried making art in the early 1960s, when Dorothy asked him to bring home a catalog of murals. When she selected a tree with apple blossoms to hang over the living room couch, Walker balked at the $25 price, instead painting the image himself. 'He had the ability to look at something and duplicate it, if he wanted to,' Link said. He would play in the basement while his father painted before and after work and all weekend long, listening to Bill Cosby on 8-track or jazz albums by Count Basie or Miles Davis, a contemporary of Walker's who was also raised in East St. Louis, just blocks from the Walkers' home. On lunch breaks from work, Walker would drive around the neighborhood with his sketch pad, often drawing one of the abandoned burned-out houses there. Link said that his father never went to an art museum, though he did keep the family's set of encyclopedias in his work space — a possible source for early works from the 1960s, where Walker was learning the fundamentals of anatomy and composition and experimenting with styles such as Cubism. By the 1970s, Walker had developed his own moody palette and dystopian style of painting narratives unfolding around him. These scenes became increasingly psychedelic and abstract in the 1980s, in works where he moved paint across his canvases in huge swaths. Link said he used putty knives, all kinds of brushes, newspaper, plastic wrappers — whatever was at hand. Walker quit smoking and drinking after the sudden death of a close friend, Link said, and subsisted mainly on juiced vegetables for the last 15 years of his life. According to his wife's account, Walker would fast periodically, and then would have visions. 'As he progresses more to abstraction, I think he's referencing a response to a spirit world,' Kerr said. 'From three feet away you would think a painting is a complete abstraction, until you get up on it and there are just a thousand different faces in the work.' Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director at the New Museum, said he was struck by how Walker used 'frottage,' a technique of rubbing a textured surface and teasing out imagery within the pattern. It has a long history in art, most famously with the Surrealists, including Ernst, who said he was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. 'Did Walker just develop it on his own? Maybe. Did he learn it? Probably,' Gioni said. 'With the great self-taught artists, you are always confronted with this strange phenomenon that they had a knowledge of art and techniques. It suggests they were certainly less isolated than we think.' Beth Marcus, who lives in Boston and collects contemporary and self-taught artists, bought two Walker works in November. What really interested her were the large brushstrokes in his later works that looked like they had been applied with house painting tools. 'It reminded me of Gerhard Richter and Ed Clark,' she said, 'who used squeegees in their work.' Walker's relationship with reality and fantasy fascinates Katherine Jentleson, senior curator of American art and curator of folk and self-taught art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. 'My favorite of his paintings have abstracted human forms emerging from almost geologic matter, like continents breaking apart and something very cosmic,' she said. Jentleson has committed to acquiring at least one painting for the High Museum from Walker's exhibition at Edlin. While a lot self-taught artists she exhibits had exposure to canonical art, whether through museums or magazines or television, she said that in terms of scholarship, 'I think we have to be more broad in what we think of as being relevant influence on their art.' Many experiences in Walker's life could have had 'an interesting bearing on the lyrical quality of his brushstrokes or otherworldly realms he appears to be dipping into,' Jentleson said. 'Very rarely is an artist, especially in the latter half of the 20th century, truly going to be outside of culture, in the way that Jean Dubuffet imagined.' Dubuffet was the midcentury French artist who promoted the idea of 'art brut' as pure, naïve talent. For Donnelly, the artist who bought five of Walker's paintings, the works can stand on their own visual power without connecting all the art historical and biographical dots. 'I love learning about artists,' he said, 'but there's so much there in the painting, it's nice not to have it all laid out for you.'
