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.