05 Jan Out of Africa…
Just a stone’s throw from one of the busiest roads in Nashville sits a jewel of a condo that is as far removed from what’s outside its doors as you could possibly imagine.
This home for a Nashville gentleman is chalk full of African art and artifacts and is also a classroom of sorts. From graffiti to masks and fine art, there’s something fascinating everywhere you look. And the minute you walk in you know you’re in for a treat. From a mural on the wall, done by graffiti and fine artist, Nashvillian Troy Duff, to the grainery door on the other wall, the art is abundant.
Once you get through the entrance, which is mesmerizing enough, you see something tall that catches your eye in the living room. These are called spirit poles.
They were done by John Geldersma, of Dutch and Cajun descent, who made them from cypress trees in his home state of Louisiana. They certainly make a strong statement as do so many of the other pieces of art in this treasure trove. The homeowner’s penchant for African and modern art is evident.
While there’s something of interest throughout the space, it doesn’t feel cluttered. There’s just enough to grab your attention and make you want to know more without overwhelming you. So it makes it a perfect place to teach and that’s what he loves to do.
Some Indian pots from Santa Fe on the coffee table, more graffiti on the living room walls, and stunning photography over the mantle.
The home acts as a classroom of sorts for students thirsting for modern art knowledge before they travel abroad. I can only imagine the sense of excitement people have when they come here to learn with so much history around them.
These are ancestral African statues he purchased from collector Darrell Mosely who owns the gallery Tribal Arts in Franklin. If you haven’t been there, you really need to see his incredible collection.
Another fascinating piece is a helmet that would rest on the shoulders of a tribesman, to be worn during special ceremonies.
Nothing about this home is ordinary. The homeowner has a strong background in graphics along with modern abstract art. Thus the design on the walls and his collection of framed pieces as well.
This piece is by Nashville based abstract painter Jane Braddock, which says “too many rivers to cross” on the canvas. He calls Braddock the most refined abstract artist in the southeast. Many of her works fill his home, like the collage in a bedroom, seen below.
There are also numerous small stools holding art books.
This one would have been used as a cooking stool by a firepit.
In a bedroom is more tribal art. This piece by Carol LaRoche.
The teacher/homeowner says southerners are steeped in tradition and want to see more than the Mona Lisa when they go to the Louvre in Paris. Through his teachings, he is helping them navigate museums. Many of his mature adult students are big art collectors so they already have some knowledge.
He explained to me, being a neophyte when it comes to art history, that the modern movement is embedded in Africa; that Matisse and Picasso brought masks to galleries in their day, and modern abstraction came to us as impressionism from ancient Africa.
Fine art photography also graces the homeowner’s walls.
For example, this piece by fine arts photographer Jack Spencer.
But I have to leave you with a creative way he decorated his otherwise bland kitchen window.
Yes, you aren’t seeing things. Soup cans lined up on the window sill under a print. It’s his nod to Andy Warhol.
I felt like a student taking a crash course in modern art, and left hungry for more knowledge. But not before having a giggle at his doormat.
And so, I left. But I have a feeling I’ll be going back to one of the most unique retreats I’ve seen lately.
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