The Art of Prophet William J. Blackmon


	SIGNS OF INSPIRATION The Art of Prophet William J. Blackmon Prophet William J. Blackmon has been variously recognized as a "preacher, healer, businessman, social worker, hitchhiker, self-taught artist, outspoken moralist, opponent of witchcraft and paganism, and battler for peace and harmony." Blackmon himself prefers the title "God's bum" because all of his endeavors, no matter how modest or unconventional, are driven by a belief in the eternal love and absolute power of God. Blackmon (b. Albion, MI, 1921), whose parents moved north as part of the Great Migration of African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century, grew up in a large family with little income but strong emotional and spiritual bonds. Amid the Depression, he quit the tenth grade and worked as a laborer until joining the Army during World War II. After discharge, Blackmon's religious convictions intensified, his gifts for healing and prophecy revealed themselves, and he was called first to be a "hitchhiking man of God," and later - following a spectacular, fiery vision - to be "God's Modern-Day Apostle." In the mid-1970s, Blackmon settled in Milwaukee where he established his "World Revival & Interprice Center," a combination storefront church and neighborhood self-help agency that included a food pantry, hand laundry, and shoe repair shop. To promote the latter, Prophet made hand-lettered signs that attracted the attention of local collectors and led to the creation of his first figurative painting in 1984. Prophet Blackmon's paintings all begin with a carefully inscribed underdrawing and are executed in ordinary latex and enamel pigments on solid or hollow-core wood panels. His style is marked by a monochrome band and text, usually in black and white, that frames and identifies the subject. His compositions feature bold juxtapositions of primary colors, more subtle secondary accents, and in the most recent work, a variety of brush strokes that add texture and energy to the surface. Forms are emphatically outlined and pieced together much like stained glass or precious mosaic. Perhaps most distinctive is Prophet's spatial conception which stretches, bends, and penetrates the "natural" world in order to provide magical, multiple perspectives. As a preacher and prophet, Blackmon's paintings - whether inspired by contemporary urban issues or favorite biblical passages - serve as animated visual "sermons" that urge humanity to keep the Commandments and live according to God's will. They also invoke a profound sense of social justice and compassion that honors the downtrodden and reflects his own identity and struggle as a black American. Ultimately, Prophet regards his paintings as just another sign, another instrument of faith: "You have to have an inspiration, all artists will tell you that, so I meditate to God. And when I finish [the painting], I stand back and look at it and say "Oh my. I 'm amazed! I know it's not me, I know it's inspiration from God - so I end up giving God all the praise and all the glory." Jeffrey Hayes, Exhibition Curator © 2000 Marquette University

SIGNS OF INSPIRATION

The Art of Prophet William J. Blackmon
Prophet William J. Blackmon has been variously recognized as a "preacher, healer, businessman, social worker, hitchhiker, self-taught artist, outspoken moralist, opponent of witchcraft and paganism, and battler for peace and harmony." Blackmon himself prefers the title "God's bum" because all of his endeavors, no matter how modest or unconventional, are driven by a belief in the eternal love and absolute power of God.

Blackmon (b. Albion, MI, 1921), whose parents moved north as part of the Great Migration of African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century, grew up in a large family with little income but strong emotional and spiritual bonds. Amid the Depression, he quit the tenth grade and worked as a laborer until joining the Army during World War II. After discharge, Blackmon's religious convictions intensified, his gifts for healing and prophecy revealed themselves, and he was called first to be a "hitchhiking man of God," and later - following a spectacular, fiery vision - to be "God's Modern-Day Apostle." In the mid-1970s, Blackmon settled in Milwaukee where he established his "World Revival & Interprice Center," a combination storefront church and neighborhood self-help agency that included a food pantry, hand laundry, and shoe repair shop. To promote the latter, Prophet made hand-lettered signs that attracted the attention of local collectors and led to the creation of his first figurative painting in 1984.

Prophet Blackmon's paintings all begin with a carefully inscribed underdrawing and are executed in ordinary latex and enamel pigments on solid or hollow-core wood panels. His style is marked by a monochrome band and text, usually in black and white, that frames and identifies the subject. His compositions feature bold juxtapositions of primary colors, more subtle secondary accents, and in the most recent work, a variety of brush strokes that add texture and energy to the surface. Forms are emphatically outlined and pieced together much like stained glass or precious mosaic. Perhaps most distinctive is Prophet's spatial conception which stretches, bends, and penetrates the "natural" world in order to provide magical, multiple perspectives.

As a preacher and prophet, Blackmon's paintings - whether inspired by contemporary urban issues or favorite biblical passages - serve as animated visual "sermons" that urge humanity to keep the Commandments and live according to God's will. They also invoke a profound sense of social justice and compassion that honors the downtrodden and reflects his own identity and struggle as a black American. Ultimately, Prophet regards his paintings as just another sign, another instrument of faith: "You have to have an inspiration, all artists will tell you that, so I meditate to God. And when I finish [the painting], I stand back and look at it and say "Oh my. I 'm amazed! I know it's not me, I know it's inspiration from God - so I end up giving God all the praise and all the glory."

Jeffrey Hayes, Exhibition Curator