The Wedding

G. Caliman Coxe (1907-1999)

Ca. 1950s

Oil on canvas

Gift of Kay Oliver (2015.23.2)

Total Conservation Cost: $4,935

For nearly five decades, abstract painter Gloucester Caliman “G.C.” Coxe (1907-1999) was a fixture of the Louisville art scene. The first Black artist to receive a fine arts degree from the University of Louisville, Coxe worked and exhibited with a milieu of artists including Sam Gilliam and Fred Bond. He co-founded the Louisville Art Workshop, where he worked alongside Gilliam, Bond, Robert Douglas, and Ed Hamilton, and was a mentor to generations of Louisville artists. In 2015, the Filson acquired three wonderful Coxe canvasses. The paintings exhibit aspects of Coxe’s process and practice, ranging from vibrant pieces reminiscent of the color field movement to assemblages using everyday objects like cardboard and dowels to create stunning sculptural forms that leap away from the two-dimensional plane of the canvas.

This work was surveyed for conservation by Wendy Partridge with the ICA-Art Conservation. Wendy’s suggestions for repairs are:

This painting requires both structural and aesthetic work. Structurally, the tear should be relaxed and flattened to the extent possible, and the torn threads should be realigned and mended. If additional support is required, the mended tear should be given a Beva film/mylar patch. Aesthetically, the colors would appear much richer if the piece were surface cleaned. The damage at the tear should also be filled and in painted to match the surrounding original.