Merton Simpson
Merton Daniel Simpson (September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2013) was an American abstract expressionist painter and African and tribal art collector and dealer.
Jean Robertson Fleming, another local artist, was also instrumental in discovering Simpson’s talent and helping him hone his skills.
After graduating in 1949 Halsey, his wife Corrie McCallum, and former director of the Charleston Museum Laura Bragg sponsored Merton D. Simpson’s first solo art show.
"[2] Simpson became the first African American to receive a prestigious five-year fellowship from the Charleston Scientific and Cultural Education fund and left South Carolina in 1949 for New York City after he finished high school.
The New York School was also having its impact during that time and Merton D. Simpson came in close contact with Franz Kline, Max Weber and Willem de Kooning at the frame shop.
As his reputation grew his artwork made exhibitions at a number of galleries in New York City and even Washington, DC.
The new environment had a clear and direct impact on his painting style which had been greatly shaped by the brush painters of the New York School.
The purpose of Spiral was to gather African-American artists to discuss political and social issues, the Civil Rights Movement.
Bearden introduced Spiral members to collage work and the black and white artwork the group created reflected the political turmoil of the time.
The social and political movements of the decade in general and the Harlem Riot of 1964 which Simpson witnessed firsthand had a particular impact on his painting.
[7] The artist responded by creating the "Confrontation" series of paintings which featured schematized black and white faces inter-meshed in an intense encounter.
From November 2010 to April 2011, the Greenville County Museum of Art exhibited Mr. Simpson's "Confrontation" series and purchased works for their permanent collection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-kdfbVZ8GU Simpson was drawn to African and tribal art after seeing some sculptures that Paul Robeson, Julius Carl Clark, and Hale Woodruff had in their personal collections.
Simpson began collecting and dealing modern artists alongside the traditional indigenous works of art from Africa.
In the fall of 2008, Juliette Pelletier[13] was selected as the Director of the Merton D. Simpson Gallery, which, at the time, needed significant renovations and sales to continue operations.
[16] exhibition in the newly renovated space, which included a 50-year retrospective of Merton D. Simpson's own artwork in conjunction with key objects from his collection of Tribal art.
