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Tim Hawkinson — Old Harp Singing - The Old Harp Singers of Tennessee
Tim Hawkinson

Old Harp Singing - The Old Harp Singers of Tennessee

A weathered and richly textured surface of gesso, wax, ink, and shellac builds up layers of material history on paper mounted to wooden board, evoking the aged patina of a well-worn artifact. Hawkinson channels the folk traditions of shape-note and Sacred Harp singing, a communal musical practice deeply rooted in the American South, translating its resonant cultural legacy into a tactile, almost archaeological object. The work honors the collective voice of a vanishing tradition, its handcrafted materiality mirroring the humble, deeply human nature of the singing communities it commemorates.

Medium
gesso, wax, ink, shellac on paper mounted on wooden board

🔨 Auction Lot

Under the Influence

September 19, 2013

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About this work

Tim Hawkinson, Old Harp Singing - The Old Harp Singers of Tennessee

A weathered and richly textured surface of gesso, wax, ink, and shellac builds up layers of material history on paper mounted to wooden board, evoking the aged patina of a well-worn artifact. Hawkinson channels the folk traditions of shape-note and Sacred Harp singing, a communal musical practice deeply rooted in the American South, translating its resonant cultural legacy into a tactile, almost archaeological object. The work honors the collective voice of a vanishing tradition, its handcrafted materiality mirroring the humble, deeply human nature of the singing communities it commemorates.

Medium
gesso, wax, ink, shellac on paper mounted on wooden board
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Assemblage, Conceptual, American, Mixed Media, Musical, Text, Textural, Paper, Black and White, Contemporary

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