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WESTON, EDWARD (1886-1958) William Edmondson, Sculptor.

WESTON, EDWARD (1886-1958)
William Edmondson, Sculptor. Silver print, 7 1/2x9 1/2 inches (19.1x24.1 cm.), with Weston's initials and date, in pencil, on mount recto. 1941; printed 1950s

In 1937 William Edmondson was the first African-American sculptor to have a one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. This primitive artist, who began his career by working on tombstones, employed limestone exclusively, which he obtained from demolished city buildings and curbs from rebuilt streets.

Five years after he began to sculpt, Edmondson's skill was acknowledged by the art world. Louise Dahl-Wolfe, a photographer for Harper's Bazaar magazine, brought Edmondson to the attention of Alfred Barr, the director of the Museum of Modern Art. Barr, and trustees expressed interest in a type of painting and sculpture they classified as "modern primitive," which they applied to Edmondson's art.


Fifty Photographs: Edward Weston, 33.

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February 14, 2007 10:30 AM EST
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