James Hampton (artist)
Encyclopedia
James Hampton was a janitor
who secretly built a large assemblage of religious art
from scavenged materials and is considered an outsider artist
.
, in 1909. His father was a gospel
singer and a traveling Baptist
preacher. In 1928, Hampton left for Washington, D.C.
, to join his elder brother Lee. They shared an apartment. James Hampton worked as a short-order cook until 1942 when he was drafted into United States Army Air Forces
. He served as a carpenter with the noncombatant 385th Aviation Squadron around the Pacific theatre. He was honorably discharged in 1945 and returned to Washington, D.C.
. His brother Lee died in 1948.
In 1950, he rented a garage in northwest Washington. A month after Hampton's death, Meyer Wertlieb, owner of the garage, came to find out why the rent had not been paid. He knew that Hampton had been building something in the garage. When he opened the door, he found a room filled with many symmetrical, glittering objects surrounding a central throne.
For 14 years, Hampton had been building a throne out of various old materials like aluminum and gold foil, old furniture, various pieces of cardboard, old light bulbs, shards of mirror and old desk blotters. He had pinned it together with tacks, glue, pins and tape.
It is unknown whether Hampton considered himself an artist
. Hampton's work would be an example of folk or naïve art
— art made by people who are self-taught, who have not studied art techniques, art history, or art theory.
The text The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly was written on the objects in Hampton's handwriting. He had emblazoned the words Fear Not above the central throne. The complete work (what is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's permanent collection) consists of a total of 180 objects. Many of them were inscribed with words out of the biblical Book of Revelation
. The objects on the right side of the central throne seem to refer to the New Testament
and those on the left side to the Old Testament
.
Hampton had also kept a 112-page notebook, titled St James: The Book of the 7 Dispensation, written in his personal code. He referred to himself as St. James and ended each page with the word "Revelation". He had written more text on various pieces of paper and cardboard. Some of them refer to religious visions. Hampton's personal code remains unsolved.
In Hampton's writing he kept the title "Director, Special Projects for the State of Eternity".
The story became public in the December 15, 1964, issue of the Washington Post. Hampton had kept his project secret from most of his friend and family; his relatives first heard about it when his sister came to claim his body.
The Throne was an anonymous gift to the Smithsonian American Art Museum
in 1970.
on November 4, 1964, at the Veteran's Hospital in Washington, D.C. He never married.
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
who secretly built a large assemblage of religious art
Sacred art
Sacred art is imagery intended to uplift the mind to the spiritual. Sacred art involves the ritual and cultic practices and practical and operative aspects of the path of the spiritual realization within the bosom of the tradition in question....
from scavenged materials and is considered an outsider artist
Outsider Art
The term outsider art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for art brut , a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane-asylum inmates.While...
.
Early life
James Hampton was born in Elloree, South CarolinaElloree, South Carolina
Elloree is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 742 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elloree is located at ....
, in 1909. His father was a gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
singer and a traveling Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
preacher. In 1928, Hampton left for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to join his elder brother Lee. They shared an apartment. James Hampton worked as a short-order cook until 1942 when he was drafted into United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. He served as a carpenter with the noncombatant 385th Aviation Squadron around the Pacific theatre. He was honorably discharged in 1945 and returned to Washington, D.C.
Work
In 1946, Hampton became a night janitor with the General Services AdministrationGeneral Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
. His brother Lee died in 1948.
In 1950, he rented a garage in northwest Washington. A month after Hampton's death, Meyer Wertlieb, owner of the garage, came to find out why the rent had not been paid. He knew that Hampton had been building something in the garage. When he opened the door, he found a room filled with many symmetrical, glittering objects surrounding a central throne.
For 14 years, Hampton had been building a throne out of various old materials like aluminum and gold foil, old furniture, various pieces of cardboard, old light bulbs, shards of mirror and old desk blotters. He had pinned it together with tacks, glue, pins and tape.
It is unknown whether Hampton considered himself an artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. Hampton's work would be an example of folk or naïve art
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
— art made by people who are self-taught, who have not studied art techniques, art history, or art theory.
The text The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly was written on the objects in Hampton's handwriting. He had emblazoned the words Fear Not above the central throne. The complete work (what is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's permanent collection) consists of a total of 180 objects. Many of them were inscribed with words out of the biblical Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
. The objects on the right side of the central throne seem to refer to the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and those on the left side to the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
.
Hampton had also kept a 112-page notebook, titled St James: The Book of the 7 Dispensation, written in his personal code. He referred to himself as St. James and ended each page with the word "Revelation". He had written more text on various pieces of paper and cardboard. Some of them refer to religious visions. Hampton's personal code remains unsolved.
In Hampton's writing he kept the title "Director, Special Projects for the State of Eternity".
The story became public in the December 15, 1964, issue of the Washington Post. Hampton had kept his project secret from most of his friend and family; his relatives first heard about it when his sister came to claim his body.
The Throne was an anonymous gift to the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
in 1970.
Death
Hampton died of stomach cancerStomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
on November 4, 1964, at the Veteran's Hospital in Washington, D.C. He never married.
External links
- James Hampton biography - Smithsonian American Art Museum
- The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly, exhibition label - Smithsonian American Art Museum