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Lot 350
Description:
John McCrady (American/Mississippi, 1911-1968), "The Divining Rod", carbon acrylic on board, signed and titled lower right, 1968, artist label bearing title, and a small remnant of label with exhibition no. "50" from the New Orleans Museum Art 1975 "John McCrady, 1911-1968" exhibition en verso, 21 7/8 in. x 29 7/8 in., in the original hand-painted frame by the artist with painted mat on canvas affixed to masonite.
- Provenance: Provenance: A gift from the artist, descended in the family. Exhibited and reproduced in "John McCrady: 1911-1968", New Orleans Museum of Art, exhibition catalogue by Keith Marshall, 1975, no. 50, p. 86; exhibited in "Mr McCrady of LA-FAY- ETTE County", University Museums, University of Mississippi, Oxford, exhibition catalogue essay by Glennray Tutor, 1986, no. 26
- Notes: Note: Raised in Oxford, Mississippi, John McCrady's childhood was steeped in Southern traditions and rural folklore. An engaging characteristic of McCrady's work is the consistent autobiographical thread evident in his paintings. Despite national acclaim and attention as an artist, McCrady felt most comfortable when living and working in the South. He often incorporated into his paintings the eccentric and idiosyncratic Southern customs of his youth. In "The Diving Rod," McCrady paints his wife Mary Basso McCrady in the countryside of Lafayette County against a landscape of a farm nestled in the hilly terrain. She is deep in solitary concentration as she maneuvers the diving rod in search for water. If water is suspected, the diving rod will dip, twitch and move down towards the spot. The belief in the diving rod goes as far back as the Renaissance and the practice has also been referred to over time as "Water Witching" and "Doodle bugging." In the 1960s, McCrady began to experiment with a technique of painting that he referred to as carbon acrylic, which combines both drawing and painting. He first drew a carbon sketch onto a watercolor board and then applied acrylic glazes over the surface. This technique is an updated variation of the multi-stage technique he favored earlier. Reference: Marshall, Keith, John McCrady: 1911-1968, exhibition catalogue, New Orleans Museum of Art, 1975, p.86.
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January 30, 2010 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US
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