Jane Fonda sells works by Thornton Dial: things that call themselves art

opinion Auction of Thornton Dial

The Unusual Collection of Jane Fonda

As of 4:51 p.m | Reading time: 2 minutes

Jane Fonda with the Golden Camera

Source: dpa-infocom GmbH

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Actress Jane Fonda has long bought art, as have many other collectors. But then she came across the work of Thornton Dial, a self-taught artist who for a long time did not even know that he was making art, and fell in love with his work. Now she is parting with her collection – and is setting an example.

THornton Dial’s “Woman with Curly Hair and Tiger” is art, there’s no doubt about that. The image shows a woman removing her mask, revealing her open and friendly face. Only the rings under the eyes indicate a certain heaviness in life. For a long time, however, it was not clear to the American Dial what he was creating, because he did not know what “art” even was.

Thornton Dials „Untitled (Bust of a Woman with Curly Hair and Tiger)“ von 1990

Quelle: CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LIMITED 2023

Thornton Dial (1928–2016) was born in a cornfield to his far too young mother, grew up in lowland Alabama, worked on a farm from the age of five and rarely attended school. At the beginning of the Second World War he was sent to Bessemer, near Birmingham, raised a family and worked in heavy industry for half a century. But from an early age he built “things,” as he called them. Everything he found became art, with which he processed his hard everyday life, that of a black factory worker in times of racial segregation.

Dial has long been established as an artist in the USA and is collected by the major museums. In Germany, however, it was shown for the first time in 2021 at the Galerie Société in Berlin. But he couldn’t complain about a lack of support for a long time. One of his most important collectors is Jane Fonda.

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The actress, however, separates from her collection on January 18th – and could thus help the artist’s market, yes, give it a new boost. In 2019, Fonda auctioned Dial’s collage of Barbie dolls Trophies (Doll Factory) for a record £180,000.

In the Christie’s auction catalogue, she remembers her first encounter with Dial in the 1990s: “I could hardly believe how much dynamism, energy, courage and rawness there was in these works.” have experienced. Surcharges between an affordable $2,000 and a good $100,000 are expected.