Willard Watson (1921–1995), was a folk artist from Caddo Parish, Louisiana.[1] He also went by the nickname “The Texas Kid”.[2] He was African-American.

Early life and family

Watson was born on June 17, 1921, in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.[1] He was the son of L. T. and Mary Liza (née Frazier) Watson. His paternal grandparents were once slaves in Louisiana.[1] His maternal relations came to Louisiana via Mississippi, after their emancipation from slavery in Virginia.[1] His parents were sharecroppers in Louisiana.[1] In 1928, he and his family moved to Dallas, Texas.[1] While in Dallas, until fourteen years old, Watson attended the B. F. Darrell School.[1] As he became a young man, he frequented Elm Street's east end in an area known as “Deep Ellum,” which at that time was a major center of African American activity.[1] Watson was nearly shot and stabbed multiple times.[1]

In 1942, during World War II, Watson was in the United States Army and was in the southwestern Pacific area.[1] He was discharged as a disabled veteran in 1944.[1]

During Watson's life, he was married seven times. On April 1, 1967, he married his last wife, Elnora, and they were married for about twenty-eight years.[1]

In 1968, Watson started his nickname as the “Texas Kid”.[1] The start of this was from trips to visit relatives in Louisiana and Oklahoma.[1] The Watsons attended Frontier Days, where all guests wore traditional Western gear.[1] Watson said, "I would make a new outfit every year for us to wear; I’d sew them myself. They would be really showy and attention-getting; when I’d walk up, Elnora’s people would shout: ‘Here comes the Kid from Texas."[1]

Career

Watson based his folk on his "memory, dreams, spirituality, and life circumstances".[1] This provided the inspiration for his crafting, collecting, and art.[1] He was "not formally trained and used objects and materials sourced directly from his daily life".[1] Watson's work started when, as a child, he carved figures from collected wood, and he began to create folk art during his teen years.[1] He learned to sew from his mother and customized clothing and domestic textiles into one-of-a-kind fashions.[1][3] He produced drawings and paintings on paper. He used tableaus with text as his form of storytelling.[1] He also remolded "natural forms like wood pieces and rocks into sculpture".[1]

By 1975, he used his front lawn to display his works, such as sculptures of animals.[1] His 1968 Ford truck was an art object itself with horns and photographs adhered to the side.[1] This truck grabbed the attention of a local art dealer who started the later wider acclaim.[1] Watson's original intent for art creation was self-expression.[1][3] He became locally known for his yard art and people passed by to view the art.[1][3]

in 1976, Watson and Bob “Daddy-O Wade built "a three-dimensional, football-field-size map of the United States near the LBJ freeway.[4]

As time passed, a neighbor complained about the “junk” in his yard led to a charge of “illegal open storage” by the City of Dallas Department of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation.[1] Watson was supported by most of his neighbors and was found not guilty of the charge.[1] In addition, he would give tours of his home, accepted donations of art materials, and hosted an annual cookout.[1]

Cultural impact

In 1985, Watson's house was used as a filming location for David Byrne's movie, True Stories.[3] Watson did not appear in the movie; however, his wife, Elnora, and one of their grandsons had roles.[3]

Death

Willard Watson died, on June 12, 1995, in Dallas.[1][2] His funeral was held at Missionary Park Baptist Church and his burial was in Lincoln Memorial Park in Dallas.[1] He was survived by a daughter.[1]

Awards

  • Watson was featured in Time, Texas Monthly, D magazines, and PM Magazine television program for his art.[1]
  • A children's fund was established in his honor.
  • Dallas Museum of Art held an exhibit—Willard Watson: In Memorium, 1921–1995, as a tribute.
  • Texas Native Artists, Witte Museum in San Antonio, 1978.
  • The Eyes of Texas: An Exhibition of Living Texas Folk Artists, University of Houston, 1980.
  • Rambling on My Mind: Black Folk Art of the Southwest.
  • Museum of African-American Life and Culture, Dallas, 1987.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pleasant, Rae. "Watson, Willard [The Texas Kid]". Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  2. 1 2 Folk Art: Magazine of the Museum of American Folk Art. Vol. 20. Museum of American Folk Art. 1995. p. 22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Texas Kid and "True Stories"". Dallas Museum of Art Uncrated. 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  4. ↑ August 1995 0, Texas Monthly (1995-08-01). "The Texas Kid, 1988". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2022-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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