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Wikipedia entry
Introduction
William Traylor (April 1, c. 1853 – October 23, 1949) was an African-American self-taught artist from Lowndes County, Alabama. Born into slavery, Traylor spent the majority of his life after emancipation as a sharecropper. It was only after 1939, following his move to Montgomery, Alabama, that Traylor began to draw. At the age of 85, he took up a pencil and a scrap of cardboard to document his recollections and observations. From 1939 to 1942, while working on the sidewalks of Montgomery, he produced nearly 1,500 pieces of art. While Traylor received his first public exhibition in 1940, it was not until 30 years after his death that his work finally began to receive broader attention, in the late 1970s. Recent acceptance of Traylor as a significant figure of American folk and modern art has been founded on the efforts of Charles Shannon, as well as the evolving tastes of the art world. Shannon, who first encountered Traylor's work in 1940, brought Traylor to the attention of the larger art world. Traylor now holds a central position in the fields of "self-taught" and modern art.
Wikidata
Q862623
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Getty record
Introduction
Born a slave in Benton, Alabama, ca.1854, Bill Traylor worked as a farmhand for his former owner after he was emancipated. In 1939, Traylor began producing art at the age of 85. His work heavily featured geometric shapes and animal figures, and he produced art until his death in 1947.
Nationalities
American, African American
Gender
Male
Roles
Artist, Naive Artist, Painter
Name
Bill Traylor
Ulan
500081799
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Information from Getty’s Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License

Works

12 works online

Exhibitions

View all 9 exhibitions

Publication

  • Among Others: Blackness at MoMA Charlotte Barat and Darby English, 2019 Hardcover, 488 pages
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