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The Blue Angel
The Blue Angel

The Blue Angel

Artist (Born in Autauga County, Alabama, 1951)
Date1993
MediumAcrylic on wood
DimensionsFrame: 48 x 16 x 1 inches (121.9 x 40.6 x 2.5 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LinePromised gift of Bruce Lineker, A.B.’86
Object numberL.9.2008.38
Collections
  • ART OF THE UNITED STATES
  • MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
Label TextAlthough Charlie Lucas is most widely known for his large scale metal sculptures, these works demonstrate his range as an artist. These works show Lucas's interest in obscure forms that are unlike the recognizable subjects often seen in Outsider art. For instance, Lucas's Blue Angel is animal-like and mysterious compared to the clearly articulated angels of Fred Webster and the Reverend Howard Finster in this exhibition. Lucas's work is even more abstract in Sucking My Thumb. The artist appears at the bottom of the small piece sucking on a swollen-looking green hand; his bad habit has landed him in a turbulent sea of lavender, green, and gray brush strokes that is presided over by a giant serpent, an animal that typically symbolizes temptation.