Description:

Joe Louis Light
American/Tennessee, 1934-2005
"Flower Fridge"
mixed media on vintage Westinghouse refrigerator
1998, signed and dated along lower front edge, inscribed "God of Isrrel [sic]" on reverse.

Note: Visionary artist Joe Louis Light reimagines a vintage Westinghouse refrigerator as a
spiritual vessel in "Flower Fridge". His imagery is rendered in different types of paint outlined by dense black enamel that recalls the thick linear qualities of stained glass, German Expressionist paintings by the likes of Max Beckmann, and the cartoonesque
bubble letters of early aerosol artists. Light's employment of salvaged and commercially-
produced objects – ranging from Mississippi River driftwood boards to this refrigerator –
aligns his work with Assemblage and Pop Art traditions. As a Black man of the Jewish
faith heavily invested in the Old Testament, Light's bold, distinctive hand-lettered sign
works are often accompanied by his personal and religious visual lexicon that petition
the viewer to consider more just ways of living. The right side of "Flower Fridge" bears
his recurring figure, "Birdman", an enlightened messenger from God. This motif of a
man in profile with a bird upon his head was inspired by a spiritual awakening during his
incarceration when a bird flew into his jail cell. At the left, another key to Light's personal
symbology – the fish – signals spiritual transformation, baptism, and divine abundance.
Note that this refrigerator was in use at the artist's own home, installed on his porch.

Here in Louisiana, old refrigerators with writing on them have emerged as symbols of
Hurricane Katrina's devastation, upturned lives, and peoples' resilience. While this work
precedes that event by years, seeing the back of Light's refrigerator with the lettering,
"God of Isrrel" with its shadowy spray-painted underlay might conjure those memories; if
you look at the writing quickly, you might see the words as "God is real".

  • Dimensions: 57 3/4 x 30 1/4 x 25 1/4 in. (146.7 x 76.8 x 64.1 cm.)
  • Medium: mixed media on vintage Westinghouse refrigerator
  • Condition: No signs of past restoration; piece has slight lean forward but structurally sound; door opens but does not close fully or latch; holes and losses along lower front edge; numerous dents throughout, ranging from minor up to 7 1/2 in., particularly on the left and right sides, most appear to be inherent to found media; heavy scratches, dirt, accretions and rust throughout; some active flaking.

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January 23, 2026 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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