Rodney Hardee
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Rodney Charles Hardee (born 1954) is an American folk artist who was born in and still resides in Lakeland, Florida.[1][2] He is a working-class, self-taught, religiously inspired southern artist. He has been painting folk art since 1972.[citation needed] His style has been characterized as "simple and flat, without the depth of traditional perspective",[2] and folky but granular.[citation needed]
His work is held by the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, the Mennello Museum of American Art, and the Polk Museum of Art.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Hardee began painting after seeing a farm painting in an antique store which he liked but couldn't afford.[3] His early paintings focused on farm scenes, but he has since moved onto cats and other animals,[2] and religious subjects, most frequently Adam and Eve. In his early career, Hardee was influenced by the work of painter Grandma Moses and artist Howard Finster,[2] who visited Lakeland in the 1980s. Hardee has a significant collection of Howard Finster's works at his home. However, he later developed his own style, including "an edginess...that spills into the literal, with figures and colors (mostly primary) sharply delineated, typically arranged in spaces that are strongly defined geometrically".[4] Hardee dates each of his paintings, and writes a comment next to the date which reads as if he is writing a letter from home to update people on his progress with his paintings.
Hardee defines himself as a folk artist and not an outsider artist, saying "I don't do weird enough stuff to be an Outsider".[2]
He is included in the 1993 book 20th Century American Folk, Self Taught, and Outsider Art by Betty-Carol Sellen.[1]
Florida painter Ruby C. Williams credited Hardee for helping her launch her folk art career when he encouraged her to sell her paintings after meeting her in the 1990s.[3][5][6]
Personal life
[edit]Hardee worked for JBT Corporation as an inventory counter.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sellen, Betty-Carol; Johanson, Cynthia J. (1993). 20th Century American Folk, Self-Taught, and Outsider Art. New York: Neal-Schuman. p. 356. ISBN 9781555701420. OCLC 27678964.
- ^ a b c d e f g Spresser, Meredith (January 15, 2014). "Animals a Favorite Subject of Self-Taught Lakeland Folk Artist". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c Cruz, Andrea Calcano. "Polk Museum of Art features self-taught local folk artists". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Rodney Hardee". Interesting Ideas. n.d. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Attinger, Phil (November 20, 2012). "Folk Artist Ruby Williams Imparts Life Lessons to Students". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (August 30, 2022). "Ruby C. Williams, Folk Artist With a Produce Stand, Dies at 94". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 12, 2024.