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VAM galleries including this work:
The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art | Everyday Life | Young at Art || VAM Home
Evan Decker (Kentucky, 1912-1981)
HORSE AND BUGGY WITH MAN AND WOMAN, 1974
Carved, assembled, and painted wood, metal, and plastic on wooden base; 17" X 43" X 11-1/2"
A Gift of Larry G. Hackley, Arthur F. Jones, James Smith Pierce, Richard L. Smith, Ellsworth L. Taylor, and Sidney L. Webb
Collection of Owensboro Museum of Fine Art
A lifelong resident of Wayne County, Kentucky, Evan Decker spent more than half his life carving figures and constructing tableaus reflecting his fondness for the American West and the “horse and buggy” era. The artist’s resistance to the idea of selling individual carvings has left his work little known outside of Central Kentucky. This sculpture reflects Decker’s interest in symmetry, curvilinear lines, and fine craftsmanship.
About the Artist
Evan Decker was born November 29, 1912, and grew up in the rural town of Delta in Wayne County, Kentucky. He lived out his life as a farmer and carpenter there. In his work, elements of his farming life—livestock and wildlife, simple architecture, and densely wooded settings—are embellished with references to cowboy hats, guns, and songs. His work displays the careful attention to detail and thoughtful planning that are the marks of a master carpenter.
A self-taught artist, Decker began creating art in the 1940s, drawing on his livelihood skills and taking his subject matter from the world he knew as well as the worlds he remembered and imagined. His creations include a life-size carving of a horse, replete with handmade tack; complex tableaus populated with carved miniature figures and symbols; and a variety of furniture, including heavily embellished dressers and a “yard rocker” that seated up to 24 people.
Decker died in 1981. His work has been included in a variety of exhibitions at museums and galleries, including the Huntington Museum of Art in West Virginia, the Tampa Museum of Art in Florida, and three Kentucky venues—the Berea College Appalachian Museum, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville, and the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art.
Classroom Ideas
Evan Decker photo by Guy Mendes
Discussion: Vocabulary terms that relate to this work include folk artist, three-dimensional, and mixed media. What aspects and details in this work suggest a time gone by? Compare this carving to other carvings by folk artists in the Virtual Art Museum.
If you watch the video: What do you think about Decker’s attitude toward selling his work? Which is your favorite work by Decker?
Activity: Create an artwork, in any medium, inspired by a favorite memory or activity from your life. What details will help you convey the experience?
Links
Find out more about folk art at the Folk Art Society of America site.
[www.folkart.org]