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September Issue 2003
Converse College in Spartanburg, SC, Features Works by Johnnie Lee Gray
Twenty-two original paintings by Johnnie Lee Gray will be exhibited
in the Milliken Art Gallery at Converse College in Spartanburg,
SC, Sept. 17-Oct. 10. The exhibit will represent the first time
the paintings have been shown publicly. Shirley Gray, Johnnie's
widow, will present a slide-show discussion entitled "Rising
Above Jim Crow" on opening night (Sept. 17) at 6:30pm in
Daniel Recital Hall located in the Blackman Music Building. Note
cards of Gray's work will be available for purchase. The slide-show
discussion, reception, and exhibit are free to the public.
Born in Spartanburg in 1941, Gray was a self-taught
painter for most of his life. The majority of his work centers
upon life in the African-American community during the Jim Crow
era. Gray was largely ignored by the public and critics alike
until 2002 - two years after his death - when the New York Life
Insurance Company committed sponsorship for a nationwide touring
exhibit of much of his work. The exhibit has been shown at the
Russell Rotunda in Washington, DC; Forbes Galleries in New York
City; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York
City; the Chicago Historical Society; and the Atlanta History
Center. The exhibit will also be seen at the Main Gallery of California
State University in Los Angeles.
Gray's work is full of color, composition, and social significance.
The mediums that he used are equally impressive. "Johnnie
would often collect discarded pieces of plywood to use as a canvas,"
says Shirley Gray. "For his paint, he often used a mixture
of local clay with oils and leftover paints he found at work sites."
With the exception of a seven-year stint in the armed forces, he spent most of his life in Spartanburg working as a builder and carpenter. Although he was untrained as a painter, painting played a large role in Gray's life. "Johnnie always painted," says his widow. "There were many times when his family could not afford to buy gifts for him, so he would paint whatever item he wanted and consider it his. When we were married, he would come home from work, perhaps eat a bit, and then go right to his paintings where he would work late into the night. He often said that the two biggest wastes of his time were eating and sleeping."
Gray's paintings bring the experiences of his life as an African-American living in the South from the 1950s to the end of the century. The South that Gray knew as a boy was segregated in practically every way as African-Americans were divided from the white community in many areas such as schools, churches, businesses, and recreation. In response to this form of segregation, many African-Americans created their own counter-communities. It is these communities which Gray brings to life in many of his paintings.
The following descriptions of works by Gray that will be included in the Milliken Art Gallery exhibit are as follows: Graduation, a self-portrait Gray drew to commemorate his graduation from high school. His family could not afford to purchase his school photographs, so he sat in front of a mirror in graduation regalia as he painted. Ritual - Gray studied African heritage carefully. In Ritual, which depicts a native dance, he accentuates bright colors as they were symbols with meaning that were to be worn only on special occasion. Rowing Miss Daisy - In this piece, Gray overcomes a fear of painting water by turning the painting upside down to concentrate on the shadows. A Gathering - A painting of the building which Johnnie, Shirley, and their friends held their first church meeting. Those who attended the church, including Johnnie, can be seen in the painting. Women of Color - A tribute to African-American women. Strike Three - The last painting completed by Johnnie Lee Gray. It depicts a ballgame between the teams representing Foster Chapel community in Roebuck and the Sims Chapel community, which is now known as Arkwright.
For more information check our SC Institutional
Gallery listings, contact the Milliken Art Gallery at 864/596-9181,
or e-mail to (art.design@converse.edu).
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