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THORNTON DIAL Sr.

THORNTON DIAL Sr. (b. 1928), a self-taught artist from Bessemer, Alabama, is best known for his large-scale constructions and his works on paper. While Dial has always created “things,” his art became a primary focus upon his retirement. His work is in the permanent collections of the American Folk Art Museum, New York, and the Milwaukee Art Museum, and has been exhibited at the New Museum, New York, and the 1998 Whitney Biennial.
“Art ain't about paint. It ain't about canvas. It's about ideas. Too many people died without ever getting their mind out to the world. I have found how to get my ideas out and I won't stop. I got ten thousand left.”