Thornton Dial Symbols

Thornton Dial was an innovative artist who incorporated found objects such as trash and common household items in his pieces. His work often explored dark themes, ranging from war to racism to homelessness. Having grown up in poverty in Emelle, Alabama, Thornton did attend art school; therefore, he was often dismissed by his peers as an outsider or folk artist. Although his circumstances growing up may have prevented him from receiving formal training, I think that Thornton Dial’s experiences in poverty may have enriched his art. He learned how to make the most out of whatever materials that he could find, possibly because he could not afford to buy art materials. Thornton’s use of found objects is a distinct stable of his work. Thornton Dial’s work did not come to prominence until 1987 when a local art collector, Bill Arnett, introduced it to the public. …show more content…
He uses clothing, mattress coils, chicken wire, enamel, found metal, wire, spray paint, and can lids to form a ragged, textured image of the flag. Similar to many African-American artists, he uses imagery of the American flag as a theme in his work. To me, the distressed appearance of the flag represents American history, particularly Black history, which is characterized by violence, systematic discrimination, and struggle. Therefore, the flag becomes a representation of America's history of segregation and intolerance. However, despite our nation’s violent and dark history, the flag serves to unite