Reverend L.T. Thomas

Lilion T. Thomas (born October 9, 1904 in Calvert, Texas; died 1995 in Abilene, Texas) ^{[1] [2]} was an American pastor and self-taught artist. He began drawing portraits in the 1940s while working as a pastor at Mt. B Zion Baptist Church in Kerens, Texas. He was given the nickname "Thunderbolt" due to his hellfire-preaching sermons. ^[2] In the 1960s he became pastor at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas where he continued his artistic practice. His art would feature famous outlaws such as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. He used different materials to create portraits and figures in profile. ^[3]

Selected exhibitions

• Spirited Journeys: Self-Taught Texas Artists of the Twentieth Century, August 29 – October 19, 1997 ^[3]

Selected permanent collections

• Collection de L'art Brut, Lausanne, Switzerland ^[4]

References

1. Sellen, Betty-Carol; Johanson, Cynthia J. (2000). Self-Taught, Outsider and Folk Art: A Guide to American Artists, Locations and Resources (Updated and rev. ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p.  280. ISBN   9780786407453. OCLC   41439642.
2. "Rev. L.T. Thomas". Black Sheep Gallery. n.d. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
3. Adele, Lynne (1997). Spirited Journeys: Self-Taught Texas Artists of the Twentieth Century. Austin, Texas: Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery, College of Fine Arts, the University of Texas at Austin. pp. 159–160. ISBN   0935213422.
4. Mackey, Michelle. "The producers: a road trip to Webb Gallery in Waxahachie, Texas". artcritical. artcritical. Retrieved June 4, 2024.

Further reading

• Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector's guide by Chuck and Jan Rosenak, Abbeville Press, 1996
• American Self-taught Art: An Illustrated Analysis of 20th century Artists and Trends with 1,319 capsule biographies by Florence Laffal and Julius Laffal, 2003