Hawkins Bolden By J. Scott Ogden here are only a handful of artists whose work moves me as much as Hawkins Bolden's. His sculptures completely fascinate me and provide a compelling example of how art can transcend almost any situation. His creations have left an indelible mark on my subconscious, causing me to have the recurring dream that I am visiting his home and seeing his new work. It's a dream that leaves me feeling cheated because it is not real. It's kind of like being twelve years old and thinking it's Christmas morning only to wake up to an ordinary day and find I am late for school. The term folk art is often used to describe Bolden's constructions; however, his assemblages look very little like typical folk sculpture. Although he is without question selftaught, his work remains on the outskirts of what is considered folk or Hawkins Bolden with his sister Elizabeth Williams, 1996
Hawkins Bolden in his backyard, August 1987 Photo courtesy of William S. Arnett
outsider art. When I think of folk art, I think about old weathervanes, Ammi Phillips portraits, and handdecorated furniture, not the work of unconventional artists like Bolden. The label "outsider" feels more disserving to a contemporary self-taught artist. It suggests that he or she is other or different, rather than simply talented. Maybe we can just say that Bolden is an artist, although this designation may also prove troublesome. Bolden's sculptures are powerful and sometimes haunting visual expressions of an inner world very few of us can fully appreciate. In his mind, he never intended for these objects to be considered art. The fact that the artworld has appropriated his work into its system of galleries, museums, and private collections is lost to him. It is only by chance that his work translates so well within