Plantation Life 1986

Clementine Hunter made this painting, Plantation Life, probably sometime in the mid-twentieth century, using house paint on canvas, and look at that yellow! It’s like the whole scene is bathed in this sunshiny glow, totally transforming the historical reality of plantation life. The paint is applied pretty thickly, you can almost see the individual strokes making up each figure, tree, and building. I’m especially drawn to how she renders the people; they’re not just flat shapes, but these vibrant, almost cartoonish characters bustling with energy. There’s one woman stirring a big black pot, and you can feel the heat rising, the labor involved. Hunter makes me think of Bill Traylor; they both just dove right in with their materials, making art that speaks directly from their life experience. There’s an honesty and immediacy in both their work that really transcends any need for technical perfection. It’s like a conversation, a direct line to the artist’s world.