DAVID DORM
HALLELUJAH LADY Mary T. Smith (1904/1905-1995) Hazelhurst, Mississippi 1987 Paint on plywood 4 x 24" 1 23/ Collection of Dan and Kristi Cleary
ary T Smith's Hallelujah Lady shows the head and shoulders of a figure with upraised arms. The pose is known in both black and white churches of the South, where a form of religious faith known as evangelical Protestantism—also sometimes called evangelical Christianity—is predominant. Personal experience, the kind that results in being "born again," is central to this brand of Christianity, which professes the Bible as the voice of God and the authoritative guide to human life."Coming Home! Self-Taught Artists,the Bible, and the American South," which will open in Memphis on June 19, is the first comprehensive exhibition to explore the impact of this particular religion on contemporary folk artists of the South. It does not feature purely religious art, nor does it advocate a particular religious doctrine. Instead, "Coming Home!" explores and attempts to better understand how the Bible, seen most often through the lens of evangelical Protestants—both black and white—has influenced the subject matter, meaning, and function of artworks made by Southern self-taught artists. SPRING/SUMMER 2004
FOLK ART
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