On the Walls

These are two pieces by OL Samuels, a Tallahassee-based folk artist. He is recognized nationally in the National Folk Art Museum and numerous collections of major institutions. We were introduced to his work when Rich bid on two sculptures by him at an estate auction. After bringing them home, we did a bit of research. The following week we met with OL at his home to authenticate the pieces. While we were there, we bought these birds!

This is a series of eight photographs that Rich made during a workshop on prescribed burning at Pebble Hill. The practice of clearing undergrowth by intentionally setting fire is a practice somewhat unique to this area. The workshop was interesting and the participants got to tramp through the plantation backcountry. These haunting images are an attempt to capture to mood, and the summer heat.

This is a large, four-panel collage made up of dozens of drawings that Rich cut up and arranged. The imagery is evocative of both cosmic and atomic forces that explode and recycle endlessly.

This is a painting Rich made some years ago. It is entitled Puberty. The background is made of linocut images printed in paint directly on to the wood panel. The image of the boy in the foreground was appropriated from a study by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel. The painting overall, and the title, are a reference to that awkward transitional time between childhood and adulthood. By extension, the painting is a meditation on the transition from apprentice to professional artist.