Minnie Evans (1892-1987) | Untitled

Crayon, graphite, ink on paper
Circa: 1946
Size: 11 1/2" × 9"
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"I have no imagination. I never plan a drawing, they just happen. In a dream it was shown to me what I have to do, of paintings. The whole entire horizon all the way across the whole earth was out together like this with pictures. All over my yard, up all the sides of trees and everywhere were pictures." — Minnie Evans quoted in Nina Howell Starr, "The Lost World of Minnie Evans," The Bennington Review vol. 111, no. 2 (Summer 1969): 41.

An untitled early work from Minnie Evans. The symmetrical "mirrored" work is composed of abstracted birds, insects and florals—eyes are abundant!

Minnie Evans was a visionary African American artist known for her enchanting and spiritually charged works of art. Born in 1892 in Long Creek, North Carolina, Evans' artistic journey was deeply intertwined with her religious faith. She began creating art as a means of expressing her visions and communing with a higher power. Evans worked as a gatekeeper and later a domestic servant at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, North Carolina, where her artistic talents were discovered and encouraged by the garden's owner, Mrs. Pembroke Jones.

Evans' art was characterized by its vivid and intricate depictions of fantastical landscapes, dreamlike creatures, and celestial beings. Her preferred mediums were often crayon and pencil on paper, though she occasionally incorporated other materials like found objects and textiles. Her work was heavily influenced by her dreams and the spiritual visions she experienced, reflecting a deeply personal and mystical perspective on the world.

Evans gained recognition for her art in the 1940s and 1950s, exhibiting in both regional and national venues. Her pieces captivated audiences with their ethereal beauty and spiritual resonance. Today, Minnie Evans is celebrated as a pioneering figure in the world of outsider and visionary art.

Evans' work is in numerous private and public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Pérez Art Museum Miami,[27] the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the High Museum of Art.



Provenance: Cavin Morris Gallery; Private Midwestern Collection.

HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES AVAILABLE.

Condition: Excellent with a gold gilt frame, 8 ply matting and Optium acrylic glazing.

Price: SOLD

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