Portion of Birth Certificate c. 1940

Albert Levone made this portion of a birth certificate, sometime in the 20th Century, with watercolor and ink on paper. Just imagine Levone, carefully outlining each shape, filling them in with delicate washes of color. Look at that parrot! It's got this strange, knowing gaze. The document teeters between folk art and something more personal, even obsessive. The garland of flowers and the little heart feel sentimental, but the execution is so raw and direct. You can see the artist's hand in every stroke. The paint is thin, almost translucent in places, allowing the paper's texture to peek through. I wonder, was Levone thinking about his own birth, his own origins, as he made this? Maybe he was connecting with something deeper, something about life, death, and the stories we tell ourselves. It reminds me of other self-taught artists, like Bill Traylor, who transformed simple materials into powerful expressions of their inner worlds. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is a conversation across time, a way of grappling with the big questions, leaving the answers beautifully open-ended.