February is Black History Month. Of course, that means it's Black ART History Month for this blog. To start February with someone for whom this country should have the highest regard, I point to George Washington Carver (1864?-1943)
In TIME magazine of 1941, Carver was compared to Leonardo (da Vinci) because both were polymaths. They are akin in that polymaths are defined as "people with broad and comprehensive knowledge." We already know that about Leonardo, but not many know Carver in that way.
Yet, Carver, who was born into slavery at an unknown day or date, grew to be a scientist, botanist, educator, inventor and, less known, an artist. He started painting an an early age and continued throughout his life. The TIME article also referred to some 71 of his paintings.
It's a mystery as to why it's difficult to find his paintings in images of reasonable size and resolution. For example, in spite of much online searching, I could not find the a good color/size version of painting shown with him in black & white. It's unfortunate that most of the images of his paintings lack the care and modern techniques applied for anyone as gifted as Carver.
As a man of deep connection to his roots,Carver strived to use his inventive mind in order to make the lives of the poor and enslaved a bit better. His artist self combined with his inventory self to discover that he could make house paint from motor oil and Alabama earth pigments so as to brighten the homes with his "rich colors for poor people."
"He showed them how through beautiful paint their spaces could reflect their dignity and worth as human beings, as well as create an environment that fed their emotional and spiritual needs through beauty and color." Clearly, the compassion, the science and the aesthete of a polymath named GW Carver.
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