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Box Sculptures and Paintings
George Thomas (Idlewild, Michigan) |
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Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1940, George Thomas was raised in a family of eight children who moved to Detroit and finally to Idlewild, Michigan, where he now lives. Using weather-beaten wood, old bed sheets, wire, plaster of Paris, and other miscellaneous found and scrap objects, he creates framed three-dimensional sculptures. He depicts memories of his childhood in Georgia—for example, children in a one-room schoolhouse learning about African-American history, a woman quilting on the porch, a family at the supper table, a church congregation listening to a preacher. George uses his "box sculptures" to help others recognize the importance of African-American heritage. He has participated in youth education programs in East Lansing and Idlewild where he enjoys talking about his art and encouraging young people to make their own memory boxes. |
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