Creator Record
Metadata
Name |
Sharlhorne, Welmon |
Notes |
Self-taught artist Welmon Sharlhorne is known for his precise geometric and surreal ink drawings of buildings, buses, and imaginary creatures. Born in Houma, Louisiana, in 1952, Sharlhorne was involved in petty crimes at a young age. His crimes lead him to a four year confinement at a juvenile detention center outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Once released, Sharlhorne was in trouble with the law again for a series of burglaries and extortion. He served over twenty years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. During his time at Angola, Sharlhorne began drawing. He was provided with manila envelopes and ink pens. With the manila envelope as his substrate, he used found objects such as bottle caps, tongue depressors and bowls to make curves and straight lines. A common image in Sharlhorne's drawings is the clock and it is thought to be a mediation on serving time. Sharlhorne sold many of his drawing to fellow inmates. In turn, they would send the drawings home to their families. This eventually led to the works being noticed by collectors and dealers. After his release, Sharlhorne took his drawings to a gallery in New Orleans where he was discovered by avid self-taught art collectors, Chuck and Jan Rosenak. The Rosenaks featured his drawings in an exhibition they curated on American Art at the Collection de l'Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland. Sharlhorne's work can be found in important collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C., Collection de l'Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. |
Nationality |
American |
