Photo of collection object Untitled
James "Son Ford" Thomas. Untitled, 1987. unfired clay, fiber (artificial hair), metal (iron alloy), glass, overall: 8 × 9 × 9 1/4 in., 9 lb. (20.3 × 22.9 × 23.5 cm, 4.08kg). Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2018, 2018.28.4. © artist or artist's estate.

Untitled

1987

James "Son Ford" Thomas

American, 1926-1993

Contemporary Art

 A blues musician and visual artist, James “Son Ford” Thomas made his portrait-like studies from unfired clay that he dug from various sites near his home, including the Mississippi River riverbed. Often adding wax or hair grease to stop the raw clay from cracking, the artist would sometimes bake his pieces in a fire before adding paint and found objects, such as the cigarette included here. Thomas, who also worked as gravedigger, saw his pieces as personal reflections on the people he knew in his community, as well as a commentary on the inevitability that “we all end up in the clay.”
Classification
Sculpture
Formatted Medium
unfired clay, fiber (artificial hair), metal (iron alloy), glass
Dimensions
overall: 8 × 9 × 9 1/4 in., 9 lb. (20.3 × 22.9 × 23.5 cm, 4.08kg)
Inscribed
Son Thomas is signed on the bottom of the sculpture with red paint
Departments
Contemporary Art
Accession Number
2018.28.4
Credit Line
Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2018
Rights Statement
© artist or artist's estate
Dominant Colors

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