By Tajudeen Sowole
As the art collecting passion
of late African-American poet, Dr. Maya Angelou, gets public attention with her
collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures going under the hammer in the
next one and half few week, African origin of the activist must have inspired parts of
the collection. Largely of works by American artists, some of the collection,
which are over 50 years old in provenance, include themes that reflect native
African homeland and the Diaspora challenges.
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‘Kumasi
Market’ (1962, Oil and
acrylic on masonite board, 1962. 863x1524 mm; 34x60 inches) by
John Biggers (1924 - 2001)
|
Whatever noble reasons motivated the auctioning
of Angelou’s collection is best known to the managers of her estate. However,
the characters and shades of the buyers when the auction The Art Collection
of Maya Angelou, organised by Swann Galleries' African-American Fine Art Department
holds on September 15, 2015 would determine the preservation value of the
pieces.
"Much of the works has never been
publicly exhibited," says a press statement issued on behalf of the
gallery. Angelou is mostly remembered for her award-winning work, a memoir
titled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She received several honours
throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding
literary work (nonfiction) category in 2005 and 2009. She died on May 28, 2014.
The auction will be available
to bid on the Live Auction platform on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/clt/collectibles-live-events/the-art-collection-of-maya-angelou-569963.
Among the lots for the auction are a painting
in quilt titled Maya's Quilt of Life by Faith Ringgold, a work said to
have been commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for Angelou's birthday in 1989, and a
"monumental" painting, ‘Kumasi
Market,’ oil and acrylic on masonite board (1962), by John Biggers,
which reflects "both the artist and Angelou's interest in African
culture."
A source discloses that many of the works in
the collection were inspired by and gifted to Dr. Angelou, particularly the
vivid story quilt by Ringgold. "Just as Dr. Angelou continues to serve as
a source of inspiration for countless artists, writers and performers, she also
found inspiration in the works of others."
Though
an auction, the event provides an opportunity to see how Angelou shared
something in common with the artists. The late poet's son, Guy Johnson has been
quoted as writing about his mother's collection, "She surrounded herself
with books and objects d'art because she liked to be inspired by the creativity
and genius of others." Johnson adds that Angelou believed in a common
"ideas and concepts expressed in well-written books as well as the
emotions and feelings evoked by intriguing and beautiful pieces of art,"
which stress "the deep, interior recesses of the soul".
And as
much of the collections are being shown publicly for the first time, the
promoters note that the event brings "a unique opportunity to see a more
private side of such an influential cultural force." Also, the collection,
it has been argued, "provides insight into how Dr. Angelou's interests
aligned with the art and artists in her collection, from her interest in
African culture, highlighted in John Bigger's ‘Kumasi Market,’ to her tireless
support of female artists like Elizabeth Catlett and Phoebe Beasley."
Angelou was a poet of quite dramatic,
sometimes tragic parts. For example, her close friend, African-American
activist, Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated on her birthday, April 4, in
1968. Sources say Angelou stopped celebrating her birthday for years after the
tragic year. She however kept sending flowers to King's widow, Coretta Scott
King, for more than 30 years until Coretta's death in 2006.
According to a source, the poet spent her life fully immersed in artistic ventures of all varieties. From her early time as a dancer, to appearances on Broadway and collaborations with artists of multitude genres, Angelou's passion for creativity in others resonates in her appreciation of art.
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