Biography of a self-taught art collection: artists, collectors and culture

This research project furthers the goal of understanding the contributions of self-taught art to our collective narrative and sense of self in American society. The project focuses on the artists, and collectors, responsible for an important self-taught art collection held by Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. The research will further enhance the sociocultural understanding of these collected works through recorded video narratives and photographic research with a sample of artists as well as the collectors, Baron and Ellin Gordon. Research will involve three distinct phases over a 3-4 year period. Phase I, being conducted currently, involves an initial assessment of the permanent collection through a series of personal interviews with Baron and Ellin Gordon. Discussions with the primary collectors will help to better understand their interests and ideas in amassing the artwork and help to identify themes to consider for future research development and implementation. Phase II involves travel to and personal interviews with a selection of artists in the collection. Phase III involves a scholarly assessment of all research data in order to identify substantive themes along with visual and narrative imagery to include in a catalog of the Baron and Ellin self-taught art collection. An exhibit will be mounted in the ODU changing gallery to coincide with the themes and understandings wrought from this detailed investigation of those who contributed to this self-taught art collection.