Sunday, August 19, 2007
(All works shown are in the Archives of the Edwina Church of God in Jesus' Name and are presented here by express permission of the artist. All rights reserved.)
I'm really excited to present to you a taste of Pastor Morrow's artwork today for "Happy Sunday". I know when I first saw his paintings that I was completely blown away by them. I've long been a fan of outsider art. Jimmy's work is some of the most exciting that I've seen.
He works on a relatively small scale for most of his work. He has 600 paintings kept in loose leaf notebooks in the Church Archives. Some are historical in nature, given Jimmy's keen interest in history, so there are secular works. But for the most part they deal with the subject closest to his heart, The Pentecostal Church Serpent Handlers and The Signs Followers.
I asked Pastor Morrow if there was a reason that he did 600 of the paintings. I think I was perhaps hoping there was some story like Howard Finster's about the blob of paint speaking to him and saying, "Make Sacred Art!"
But Jimmy just shrugged and said, "No, my arms sort of started to cramp up and I don't like to get too involved with anything that takes me away from the Gospel."
I do think his art is very important. I hope you will see what I see in it. The passion of his convictions and his faith. And the beauty and sweetness that is the Pentecostal Church Serpent Handlers.
If you would like to view the entire collection you will have to make the pilgrimage to the church to do so. I'd suggest writing before you come.
The address of the church is:
1751 Bloom Drive
Newport, TN 37821
i love that you find beauty in this, rosie! it is part of the appalachian culture, and you don't find it much anymore.
also....i have a call to action over at my blog. please stop over if you get a chance. thanks!
But all that being said, the pictures are quite impressive. I am sure they will find their way into an archive of some kind one day. Those Pent's and their traditions are just another facet of our collective mountain heritage that make us who we are.