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Catalog Data

Artist:
Sulton Rogers, born Oxford, MS 1922-died Oxford, MI 2003  Search this
Medium:
painted wood
Dimensions:
overall: 20 x 15 3/4 x 10 in. (50.8 x 40.0 x 25.4 cm.) A (devil): 1 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (4.4 x 29.8 x 5.7 cm.) B (casket open): 4 1/8 x 15 3/4 x 7 in. (10.5 x 40.0 x 17.8 cm.) B (casket closed): 3 1/2 x 15 3/4 x 5 in. (8.9 x 40.0 x 12.7 cm.) C (she devil): 14 x 9 x 3 3/4 in. (35.6 x 22.9 x 9.5 cm.) D (evangelist): 14 x 5 3/4 x 3 7/8 in. (35.6 x 14.6 x 9.8 cm.)
Type:
Sculpture
Folk Art
Date:
ca. 1991
Luce Center Label:
Sulton Rogers took up carving to entertain himself while working the night shift at a chemical plant in New York. Upon discovering that people were stealing his handiwork while he was not around, he decided to see what would happen to a carving of a deceased man in a coffin. No one took it. From then on, Rogers thrived on creating macabre, quirky pieces drawn from his dreams. His fanciful, sometimes grotesque figures often humorously blend African American folk beliefs and religious icons. The she-devil, whom Rogers called a "haint" (ghost), and the evangelist are recurring characters in his work.
Topic:
African American  Search this
State of being\death  Search this
Occupation\religion\preacher  Search this
Religion\Satan  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Object number:
1997.124.81A-D
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk717ada150-1b05-49e3-b014-7006e0e8e58f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_1997.124.81A-D