Clementine Hunter Her Life And Art

by Art Shiver, Tom Whitehead

Clementine Hunter (1887--1988) painted every day from the 1930s until several days before her death at age 101. As a cook and domestic servant at Louisiana's Melrose Plantation, she painted on hundreds of objects available around her -- glass snuff bottles, discarded roofing shingles, ironing boards -- as well as on canvas. She produced between five and ten thousand paintings, including her most ambitious work, the African House Murals. Scenes of cotton planting and harvesting, washdays, weddings, baptisms, funerals, Saturday night revelry, and zinnias depict experiences of everyday plantation life along the Cane River. More than a personal record of Hunter's life, her paintings also reflect the social, material, and cultural aspects of the area's larger African American community. Drawing on archival research, interviews, personal files, and a close relationship with the artist, Art Shiver and Tom Whitehead offer the first comprehensive biography of this self-taught painter, who attracted the attention of the world. Shiver and Whitehead trace Hunter's childhood, her encounters at Melrose with artists and writers, such as Alberta Kinsey and Lyle Saxon, and the role played by eccentric Fran?ois Mignon, who encouraged and promoted her art. The authors include rare paintings and photographs to illustrate Hunter's creative process and discuss the evolution of her style. The book also highlights Hunter's impact on the modern art world and provides insight into a decades-long forgery operation that Tom Whitehead helped uncover. This recent attention reinforced the uniqueness of Hunter's art and confirmed her place in the international art community, which continues to be inspired by the life and work of Clementine Hunter.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

260 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Chrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I expected--I thought from the title this would be a biography of the artist herself and less about how (and through whom) her art became recognized. Several sections dealt with ancillary characters and the genesis of the painting itself was quickly summarized (scenes painted from memory, offered completely free of any interpretation aside from vibrant color=happy). After reading, I felt uncomfortable, as if the artist herself were being glossed over in favor of the machinery of how she became known.

[Lavon Stennis-Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like she was exploited.

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good biography of Clementine Hunter and lots of info about her art.

[Kate DeKeyser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m smitten with this artist and her work. I enjoyed learning more about her life.

[Zivile · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was my first book about Clementine and first deeper introduction to her art. The book is short, you could read it at once in few hours, but in the same time the information is well picked, the authors covered the most important parts surrounding Clementine's world. I only missed more of professional interpretation and criticism about her art. Sometimes it seems that her star rose accidentally but not for really persuasive reasons. The book lacked this part. Authors explain how and when Clementine's art became renowned but not particularly offering analysis of her works.