The Sculpture of William Edmondson: Tombstones, Garden Ornaments, and Stonework

The Sculpture of William Edmondson: Tombstones, Garden Ornaments, and Stonework is the first large-scale museum examination of the artist’s career in over twenty years. Organized by Cheekwood Curator of Sculpture, Dr. Marin R. Sullivan, the exhibition draws upon new scholarship and methodologies to contextualize Edmondson’s sculpture, both within the histories of Nashville during the Interwar years and the art histories of modern art in the United States. Edmonson has largely been confined to narratives that focus on his artistic discovery by white patrons in the 1930s, his work’s formal resonance with so-called primitivism and direct carving techniques, and his place in the traditions of African American
outsider
art. This exhibition revisits Edmonson’s work within these frameworks, but also seeks to reevaluate his sculpture on its own terms and as part of a comprehensive practice that included the creation of commercial objects rather than strictly fine art. The exhibition’s title references the sign that hung on the outside of Edmondson’s studio, advertising what was for sale and on view to the public in his yard, including tombstones, birdbaths, and statuary meant to be used and intended for outdoor rather than gallery display.

This catalog expands upon the exhibition, including photos of Edmondson’s grave markers and his yard art.