Story 2image Text chinese
From that point on she got to know the artists Arnett was supporting, visiting their home studios and yard art displays in Birmingham and surrounding communities in Alabama. She was particularly drawn to the work of Thornton Dial, a self-taught artist whose dynamic paintings and assemblages of found objects depict the struggles of Black Americans. His vibrant, unflinching depictions offer incisive social commentary on racism, sexism and the violence of war.
At the time, Fonda was a collector of plein air paintings — mostly early California landscapes by female painters. She was deeply moved by the art she saw at Arnett’s: ‘I couldn't believe the dynamism, the energy, the courage, the rawness of these works.’ It marked a turning pointing in her collecting — ‘I bought a number of things right then and there,’ she adds.