"HAMBONE"
HAMBONE was born in the spring of 1956 in a Louisiana Sanitarium (yep...you heard that right!).
Who is Hambone? There is a level of mystery and an aura of intrigue to the name the artist has chosen for the signature on his paintings. He finds that it elicits a raised eyebrow or at the very least some level of curiosity. Here is an artist whose expressive style of painting scenes from the Old South can best be described as “folk art,” a genre that is without pretension and representative of a way of life that is rapidly fading away. For many it has an evocative quality, bringing back a flood of memories. In Hambone’s own words, “When you find your memory in one of my paintings, I will have done my job.”
THE NATURE OF FOLK ARTThe crafts of any traditional society are generally viewed within the framework of what is considered to be folk art. Often the artisans have not received formal training, but rather have garnered their skill from those of the prior generation. Thus the techniques are handed down over time, often with little change, thus representing the true aesthetic values of a people, offering a look into the depths of their culture. Woven ware, pottery, basketry, woodcarving, doll making, beadwork and painting are among the many facets of folk art. Quite often utilitarian items have their function enhanced through decoration, thus becoming works of art.
Hambone is the product of Creole and Choctaw cultures, having been raised in the Louisiana Bayou at a time when many of the values and traditions of both societies, including their arts, were still very much an integral part of life. But for Hambone, it was not until well into his mature years that he began to realize his natural talent for painting. Since that discovery, all of the images stored since childhood have poured out in his distinctive style that some compare to the late Grandma Moses. And like her, Hambone’s painting style falls within the broad category of folk art.
CREOLE AND CHOCTAW CULTUREMost Americans instantly recognize highly spiced jambalaya, gumbo and the fast paced music called zydeco, as being Creole. But what does it mean to culturally call one’s self a Creole? In 1813, the British takeover of Nova Scotia caused a migration of French Acadians to Louisiana. Their French name “Acadien” ultimately became corrupted and the word Cajun emerged. As they later prospered, they imported African slaves to work their plantations. What emerged was a multi ethnic mix of Francophone and West African values, a culture that is today called Creole. Add to this the infusion of local Native-American traits, and a rich, beautiful society developed in the southern bayou country. Those who clung more specifically to their Acadian roots are today recognized as Cajun, while those of mixed heritage are Creole.
Among the Native American tribes to inhabit the lower Mississippi, the Choctaw have a long history of interaction with the Creole. As a sophisticated people, they were able to integrate many European and American elements into their society, and often then intermarried into southern communities. Like the western Navajo, the Choctaw were able to blend outside values into their lifestyle without a loss of their own identity, keeping many of their traditions, foods and beliefs alive into the present day. Hambone’s cultural heritage is a fusion of Creole-Cajun and Choctaw, thus he walks with one foot in each culture, but his fondest memories are of the black Creole people with whom he spent so many happy days during his early childhood.
HAMBONE’S FORMATIVE YEARS
Hambone is a true Renaissance man, as his life has been enriched by many exciting activities. For the past 30 years, he has been a professional auctioneer, his voice ringing out over the country’s most prestigious livestock sales, in addition to his own equine auction facility in the past where his reputation as a true horseman was nurtured. At present, he is still registered as an equine appraiser for the American Society of Equine Appraisers. But this is only one facet of Hambone’s varied career history.
One cannot have a name such as Hambone without somehow being associated with food, as more than one who enjoys its flavors. And as the southerners would say, “He shore ‘nuff is!” Hambone is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a certified chef. He spent many years working in some of the most famous kitchens of New Orleans, a city where food is truly a virtue. His upbringing and years in Louisiana have made him a true aficionado of Cajun cuisine, but he is also a master at barbecue, holding numerous gold medals for his slow cooking techniques for ribs, pork shoulder and brisket, all spiced with his special brand of homemade rubs. And this form of cooking is so natural to the lifestyle of Hambone’s current home in the deserts of Arizona, a land where fine horsemanship, barbecue and folk art are all a part of the way of life.
Until just seven years ago, the present day artist did not know that his God-given talent lay dormant, just one more aspect of his Renaissance personality waiting to be developed. It was only after encouragement from his wife that he began to express his childhood memories. “I’m completely self-taught, and at first I did not even know how to hold a paint brush or mix colors,” says Hambone when describing his early attempts. “But my gift was there, and the memories just poured out. There was a lot of trial and error.”
HAMBONE’S ART
Fanciful, nostalgic, primitive and compelling are just a few of the adjectives used to describe a Hambone painting. Each painting is highly detailed. Action is the rule. There are numerous characters, always chocolate or sometimes black in color and faceless, engaged in varied activities – cooking, preparing vegetables, cleaning fish, playing a banjo, sweeping the floor, washing clothes or performing other daily chores. And in most Hambone paintings, somewhere amid the action, there are two distinct Hambone icons, a black cat and a blue jay. They are incorporated into the spirit of the scene, so it often takes the viewer a bit of time to find them.
Because Hambone’s compositions present so much activity, as to almost be overwhelming, the first time viewer often does not know where to look first. One must keep in mind that the entire mélange is connected and is telling a story. There is a deep message in all of the action. Each figure is only one small part of a larger whole, as the painting is intended to represent a microcosm of the spirit of Creole culture.
Working in acrylic on canvas, Hambone is able to portray his characters with amazing clarity of form, and his level of detail is intense. His style is essentially two dimensional, which is what gives it a primitive look. But the quality of his workmanship and the attention to authenticity in clothing, implements and architecture far outweigh the stylized childlike nature of his imagery. The reality of life, as portrayed in his paintings is what stirs the emotions of those who have familiarity with the subject. “Many people will come up to me at a show and tell me that a particular painting brings them back to their childhood and Hambone is so pleased that his art has struck a chord with someone.
What makes a Hambone painting even more amazing than its rendering of accurate detail is the fact that the artist does not sketch any part in advance of panting. “It is all in my head. I just begin to paint without any planning, and somehow it happens.” It is here that the sophistication of Hambone’s talent emerges, as he simply builds an intensive story purely out of memory.
Hambone has become recognized as one of America’s foremost artists, lauded at exhibitions and in the press for his straightforward portrayal of the African-American way of life in the Old South. Collectors worldwide have come to appreciate his unique and expressive style, making him a one of a kind artist who tells us of an era that is fading from history.
