William Halsey: Abstract Expressionist in the South

Abstract

Unfortunately, artists like William Halsey often do not have extensive records, biographical data, or written texts. Information rests in family members' memories, scrapbooks, disorganized archives, and the art itself. Finding the correct date, the lost painting, or even the right word to define the meaning or the style of an unknown body of work is challenging, but the result is indescribably rewarding. At the heart of every painting described, celebrated, and studied in art history is the creative spirit and soul of an individual artist. This spirit links together all of the styles, movements, and objectives of art, past and present. My thesis is intended to provide a partial introduction to the life, work, and spirit of William Halsey, a reclusive Southern painter, often called the "Dean of contemporary art in South Carolina." As a college professor and local modernist, Halsey is credited with teaching and inspiring hundreds of younger artists and individuals to pursue and support contemporary art; however, as a devoted painter and abstract artist, Halsey has not yet been credited (beyond the Southern region) with producing an important body of work that could provide a unique and alternative insight into modem American art of the 20th century. Through the seven hundred or so paintings and drawings I photographed in the summer months of 1997, I discovered a wealth of work in one American's development in art: a testimony to freedom and creative independence. Though not a political painter, William Halsey did survive and experience the aftermath of two world wars, the great depression, the New Deal, integration in the old South, and the complete remodeling of his historic hometown. His artistic responses to these experiences and events provide insight into understanding the regional perspectives and developments of 20th century American art. This thesis is designed to present the spirit and work of William Halsey, and to encourage the exploration and rediscovery of other unknown artists whose forgotten work could contribute to our comprehension of 20th Century American art. [From Author's Statement]