VAM galleries including this work:
Kentucky Folk Art Center | How’d They Do That? || VAM Home

Many Kentucky folk artists produce canes or walking sticks. On this one, the artist has combined three elements that often appear in his work: an alligator, a snake, and a female figure. Although these subjects would not normally be seen together, the artist has made them interact by placing them on top of one another.

About the Artist

Denzil Goodpaster spent most of his life farming on the land where he had been born, near Ezel, Kentucky. He retired from farming in 1970. After seeing some handmade walking sticks at the annual Sorghum Festival in nearby West Liberty, it occurred to him that he could make walking sticks that were as good as, if not better than, those he had spotted at the festival. He began making traditional, unpainted canes from cedar wood, many of which included marbles or beads inserted “ball-in-cage” style in the shaft, as well as small replicas of butter churns and other objects.

Goodpaster’s sticks rapidly evolved to include snakes coiled around the shaft, women wearing bikinis, alligators, and more. He also produced small, painted wood sculptures of animals and human figures, including country music singer Dolly Parton. Goodpaster has earned national recognition as an important folk artist, and his work is included in many major museums and private collections.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: This colorful walking stick raises many questions. How do the three figures on the cane interact with one another? Why do you think the artist chose to place these unrelated subjects together? Does this combination make sense? How does it make you feel? How does the form of the cane influence the image as it appears on the cane?

Compare this cane with the Dolly Parton Cane by Carl McKenzie, which is also located in the Kentucky Folk Art Center collection. How do the carving styles differ? What do the works have in common? Look at other works of carved wood in the Kentucky Virtual Art Museum. Do the methods of carving appear to vary from work to work? What kinds of tools do woodworkers use? How do they smooth the surface of the wood? Research the art of woodworking and then write a paragraph about how you think Goodpaster carved this cane and what tools he used.

Activity: Using a dowel rod and self-hardening clay, create a walking stick. Choose three figures that tie together in a theme. Sculpt the figures in clay and cover the dowel with the clay forms.

Links

See additional images of Goodpaster’s work in the America. Oh, Yes! Folk Art Gallery.
[americaohyes.com/pages/goodpaster.htm]