The Freeman Project

Takashi Shuji

The Freeman Project — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 18:24:37 +0000

Timing by Herbert Freeman

Takashi Shugi

Takashi Shuji (b.1974) lives with his family and supports himself working as a sewing machine operator. He also creates art which is featured in museum and private collections around the world. Shuji, who has Down’s Syndrome draws still lives of ordinary objects and also animals from illustration books.

He uses an additive/subtractive technique in which he studies his subject intently and lays down large areas of pastel on cardboard or paper and then erases and adds to the drawing until he is satisfied with the results.

Max Fleshman

The Freeman Project — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:03:04 +0000

The Teacher by Herbert Freeman

Ten days ago I received an email from Jonathan C. Wright describing an encounter with Herbert Freeman. The picture above was attached to the email.

I wrote back and asked for permission to quote from his missive. Mr. Wright gave that permission and now I present it to you:

While his 9am breath smelled of intoxication, poverty, and a sense of despondency, his work showed otherwise. Heading to Starbucks this morning/afternoon, Diana and I were, therefore, inclined to buy a piece of his art that the artist called both his favorite and most treasured piece on hand - ”the Teacher.”
The piece, Freeman said, signifies how children are “the teacher,” as darkly silhouetted images of children surrounded the Christ-like head image. I was struck by the sincerity of the gentleman, Herbert Freeman. To have met him seemed an honor-albeit at the time, a guarded honor, I sadly admit.
Indeed, there is no greater honor than to see a man in his glory and to recognize that we are all the same. And that in each and every one of us, there is that something, that some stint of brilliance, by which one should admire. And by which, one may be taught.

Thank you Jonathan, and I hope you enjoy your new purchase. It is gorgeous!

For the second part of our presentation we again feature work from an artist in the Slotin Folk Art Auction November 2010 catalog (PDF link in the post below). That artist is Max Fleshman and even less information is available about him than Troy Gaylon Phillips. His art will have to speak for itself. With an eye for perspective, Mr. Fleshman has decoupaged girly magazine photos onto large prints of forested landscape paintings and sometimes actual paintings. The results are quite engaging and humorous.

Autumn In The Tetons

River Crossing

Rainbow Trout Fishing

Brookside Mill

Moonshine Madness

Farmer's Daughters

Miss Interpretation

Good Old Summertime

Fishing In Mountain Lake

In The Pink

Heels & Eels

Horse and Buggy Days

Troy Gaylon Phillips

The Freeman Project — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:27:43 +0000

Bishop by Herbert Freeman

All I know about Troy Gaylon Phillips is what was printed in two lines in the November 2010 Slotin Folk Art Auction Catalog (pdf document).

“Troy Gaylon Phillips 1943-1995, Memphis, TN. All of these works were discovered after Phillips’ death, discarded on the sidewalk outside his home.”

I have looked in vain for more information or a photo of Mr. Phillips. I hope there were a lot more of these paintings in that trash pile and they were all saved from the dump. I want to see more of these crazy ass pictures!

Cat Over Alien Crowd - 10/1/85

Mystery World - 1/85

Voyager 2 - 9/10/89

Catman In Space - 6/20/85

Spirit - 7/1/85

Man In Grey Suit - 1/85

Space Cats - 6/9/85

Sedition - 2/20/85

Messenger - 1/18/85

Aggie Jones

The Freeman Project — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:38:06 +0000

Woman by Herbert Freeman photo by Brandon Telg

Lindsey Wenzell purchased this piece while visiting downtown a couple of nights ago. Besides buying a great picture she reports that she was stopped and asked by three different people if the piece was by Herbert Freeman.

Today I discovered this article in the Orlando Sentinel from 2003 about Aggie Jones.

Aggie Jones was born a slave in Tatnall County, Ga. and moved with her owners to the Lake City (then known as Alligator) area in Florida. After emancipation she moved to Lake City and worked as a domestic. Eventually she was able to purchase some land on Lake Desoto where she grew flowers and vegetables.

She later created a garden with white sand pathways and fantastic arches, trellises, and border ways created out of bones that were wired together. Her garden became a popular destination for visitors. The Bone Yard flourished as one of Florida’s earliest attractions from 1900 to Aggie’s death in 1918.

Aggie Jones

When searching for images for this post I found this quilt constructed by Teddy Pruett inspired by the postcard above.

Quilt by Teddy Pruett

Thai Varick

The Freeman Project — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:45:32 +0000

Maisy's Treasure by Herbert Freeman

Maisy May Marrs is an Orlando artist who recently sold some of her work at the City Arts Factory downtown. She reports that after she left the gallery she ran into Herbert Freeman and admired the piece above. Mr. Freeman had promised it to a woman named Evon, but he said she was very drunk and he did not believe she was coming back to collect it. Maisy offered to buy the piece with proceeds she had just earned from selling her own work. Mr. Freeman agreed and crossed out the dedication to Evon he had written on the back and wrote in her name. He also wrote in the word Project so she could find this blog.

As far as I know Mr. Freeman has only seen this blog once when I showed it to him about a year ago. He was only vaguely aware of it before then. He was very pleased.

back side

Thai Varick - New York City homeless artist

A few months back I discovered Donald Blank’s 1994 short documentary of Thai Varick (1941-2001). Varick was a incredibly talented sculptor who used wire as his medium. I have searched the web for months trying to find photographs of his work but these pictures are all that I can find.

Kamante Gatura

The Freeman Project — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:24:43 +0000

Sam's Piece by Herbert Freeman

I received this image from a gentleman named Sam Venus who purchased this from Mr. Freeman this past weekend. Congratulations Sam!

Kamante Gatura (1912-1985) was a Kenyan national of the Kikuyu tribespeople. As a young boy his family exchanged work for wages and the right to live on the undeveloped farmland of Karen Blixen, better known by her pen name Isak Dinesen the author of the memoir Out of Africa. Mr. Gatura became Blixen’s cook and good friend and is featured in the memoir.

He was also a self-taught artist who captured life in Africa with crayon and colored pencils. Along with Dinesen and the photographer Peter Beard he wrote a book called Longing For Darkness: Kamante’s Tales from Out of Africa which contains stories of his life with Dineson as well as folk tales of his people.

Kamante Gatura photo by Peter Beard

Pointy Boots

The Freeman Project — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:54:59 +0000

The Protagonist by Herbert Freeman

This past March Vice reported on a regional men’s fashion phenomenon that is taking place in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi and specifically emanating out of the city of Matehuala. Pointed boots have long been a popular style in Mexico, but these vaqueros have brought pointedness to a new level.

Stephen J. Martin

The Freeman Project — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:40:56 +0000

Rich's Piece by Herbert Freeman

Rich, who works Downtown, emailed me this photo of a piece he recently acquired from Mr. Freeman. Earlier, on the same day that Rich sent me his photo, I happened upon a 2009 Al Jazeera video about Stephen J. Martin. That video and this post in Taxidermy are the only references to Mr. Martin I could find.

Chicago cartoonist Stephen J. Martin

Mr. Martin is a homeless man who spends his days drawing his comic books in Chicago coffee shops.

Helen La France

The Freeman Project — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:39:24 +0000

Family by Herbert Freeman

Born in 1919 in Graves County in western Kentucky Helen La France has been painting since she was a young child. Her mother used to make paint for her using laundry bluing and different plant materials such as dandelion, walnut bark, and berries. Helen never attended high school and has had no formal art training.

The Mexican School of Down Art

The Freeman Project — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:04:03 +0000

Ronnee by Herbert Freeman

The Mexico School of Down Art which began as a recreational activity for the clients of the John Langdon Down Foundation has blossomed into its flagship program. The school offers formal training in the fine arts for students with Down syndrome of all ages and economic backgrounds. The mission of the school is to “promote social integration, reaffirm identity, and elevate the self-esteem of people with Down syndrome.”

Art exhibits featuring the work of the school’s students have been mounted from Asia to Europe and the Americas.