Jim Sudduth (American, 1910-2007). House paint or acrylic on plywood mounted in handmade wooden frame, ca. 1980s. Signed at top center. A large cityscape painting by self-taught master Jim Sudduth (also known as Jimmy Lee Sudduth) depicting a group of tall brick buildings and a double decker bus or trolley, all painted in a vibrant palette that dazzles against the dark night sky. An outsider artist, Sudduth began by painting with his fingers, because as he stated "they never wore out". He rarely used traditional brushes or canvases and experimented with interesting binders such as sugar and syrup. Interestingly, in this composition, Sudduth mixed a sandy substance with pigment to create a gritty texture on the buildings to suggest the look and texture of brick. While many of Sudduth's artworks were inspired by the life he lived as an African American in the rural South, he was also inspired by American cities as demonstrated here. A lively urban scene by this legendary outsider artist, set in a handmade wooden frame that Sudduth painted white to create a striking contrast with the painting's night sky. Size (painting): 24" L x 48" W (61 cm x 121.9 cm) Size (frame): 28.25" L x 52.25" W (71.8 cm x 132.7 cm)
About the Artist: Jim "Jimmy Lee" Sudduth was raised on farm in Caines Ridge, Alabama. His interest in creating art began during childhood. Jimmy Lee enjoyed making hand-carved dolls and drawing on tree trunks or in the dirt. He continued to develop his artistic expression by finger painting on found objects - doors, signs, and plywood boards - creating pigments from plants and the earth, using house paint, and mixing in unusual binding agents like sugar, sand, and syrup. Also a blues musician, he played harmonica and banjo.
Sudduth's works have been exhibited and collected by many museums such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the High Museum of Art, the Corcoran Gallery, and the Birmingham Museum of Art. Among numerous honors, Sudduth served as an artist-in-residence at the New Orleans Museum of Art, appeared on "60 Minutes" and the "Today Show", and was invited to exhibit his art and play harmonica at the Smithsonian Institution's Bicentennial Festival of American Folk Life. In 2005, the Birmingham Museum of Art honored the artist with a solo exhibition, and Sudduth's painting entitled, "Self Portrait with Banjo" is exhibited at the Smithsonian Luce Foundation Center.
Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
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#192637
Condition
Signed at top center. A few minor scuffs and abrasions to the painting that primarily impact the peripheries. Frame is rough hewn and has a few scuffs/nicks/abrasions as well as a small fissure at top center. Suspension wire is old and should be replaced.