Thornton Dial
American, 1928 - 2016
Thornton Dial Sr. attended school through the fourth grade and is married with five children. Dial worked for the Pullman Standard Company for thirty years. He did iron work, cement work, a jack-of-all- trades. Bill Arnett learned of his art through self taught artist, Lonnie Holley and brought attention of Dial's work to the art world in 1987. Before that time, his wife, Clara Mae, would make him bury his "junk."
Thornton Dial, sometimes called Buck Dial, created sculptural objects, large assemblages using as found objects. He also uses pastels and paints on small to large sized artist papers supplied by Arnett. Dial has deep convictions concerning racial, religious, political, and social valves which he expresses brilliantly in his work. Thornton has had one man shows in New York City and Houston. He is recognized as one of the greatest living self-taught artists in the United States.
In the fall of 2005, the Houston Fine Arts Museum hosted a show, "Thornton Dial in the 21st Century." The show contained over 60 large assemblage works, sculpture, and works on paper. The accompanying book; Thornton Dial in the 21st Century by Paul Arnett, Joanne Cobbs and Eugene W. Metcalf Jr. clearly establishes Dial as a premier artist.
Thornton Dial Sr. is one of a handful of artists that will bridge the chasm of self-taught verses trained artists. His brilliant work begs the question of artistic training. Dial's work is as thoughtful, thought provoking and timeless as the best of contemporary art in the universe!
- See more at: http://www.outsiderfolkart.com/outsiderart/a-l/Thornton-Dial-Biography.html#sthash.BCcEZKRH.dpuf
Thornton Dial, sometimes called Buck Dial, created sculptural objects, large assemblages using as found objects. He also uses pastels and paints on small to large sized artist papers supplied by Arnett. Dial has deep convictions concerning racial, religious, political, and social valves which he expresses brilliantly in his work. Thornton has had one man shows in New York City and Houston. He is recognized as one of the greatest living self-taught artists in the United States.
In the fall of 2005, the Houston Fine Arts Museum hosted a show, "Thornton Dial in the 21st Century." The show contained over 60 large assemblage works, sculpture, and works on paper. The accompanying book; Thornton Dial in the 21st Century by Paul Arnett, Joanne Cobbs and Eugene W. Metcalf Jr. clearly establishes Dial as a premier artist.
Thornton Dial Sr. is one of a handful of artists that will bridge the chasm of self-taught verses trained artists. His brilliant work begs the question of artistic training. Dial's work is as thoughtful, thought provoking and timeless as the best of contemporary art in the universe!
- See more at: http://www.outsiderfolkart.com/outsiderart/a-l/Thornton-Dial-Biography.html#sthash.BCcEZKRH.dpuf
Thornton Dial was born in 1928 in Emmel, Alabama. He was born into poverty with no formal education. Dial worked for a boxcar factory for thirty years in Bessemer, Alabama. He also did iron work, cement work, a jack-of-all- trades. Bill Arnett learned of his art through self taught artist, Lonnie Holley and brought attention of Dial’s work to the art world in 1987. Before that time, his wife, Clara Mae, would make him bury his “junk.” Dial’s early works expressed symbolic human and animal forms, such as tigers, birds and fish painted on paper using bold colors of oil and water based paints. Thornton Dial, sometimes called Buck Dial, creates sculptural objects, large assemblages using found objects. He creates with pastels, paints, toys, animal bones, fabrics, branches which are composed into large emotional works. His works convey deep convictions concerning racial, religious, political, and social valves which he expresses brilliantly in his work. Thornton has had one man shows in New York City, Houston and IMA, Indianapolis Art Museum among others. He is recognized as one of the greatest living self-taught artists in the United States. Not long ago, Dial was unaware of the formal meaning of art; yet, he recently stated in an interview, “Art ain’t about paint. It ain’t about canvas. It’s about ideas. I have found how to get my ideas out and I won’t stop. I got ten thousand left.”
