Sybil Gibson

Sybil Gibson
Born	Sybil Aaron (1908-02-18)February 18, 1908 Dora, Alabama, U.S.
Died	January 2, 1995(1995-01-02) (aged 86) Dunedin, Florida, U.S.
Nationality	American
Known for	Painting
Movement	Outsider art, folk art, naive, self-taught
Spouse(s)	Hugh Gibson (m. 1929–1935; divorce), David DeYarmon (m. c. 1950–1958; death)

Sybil Gibson (née Sybil Aaron; February 18, 1908 – January 2, 1995)[1] was a self-taught American painter.

Early life and education

Gibson was born Sybil Aaron in Dora, Alabama, to parents Lenora Reid Aaron and Monroe Aaron.[2][1] Her father was a wealthy coal mine owner and farmer. He owned and operated the Sulphur Springs Coal Company.[3] She was one of eight children.[2]

She was educated at Jacksonville State Teachers College, earning a B.S. in Elementary Education before going on to become a teacher.[4]

Career

For much of her adult life she had no interest in painting, having had her ambitions crushed when a college art teacher told her she had no talent.[5]^[better source needed] However, on Thanksgiving Day 1963, aged 55, Gibson took to creating her own wrapping paper designs using tempera paint and brown paper grocery bags. This led to a fascination with creating art which lasted until her death.[6]^[better source needed]

Howell Raines wrote in June 1971 that "the paintings are not over-powering, they are truly fragile in the best sense. The colors are very delicate, and while Sybil Gibson's work is figurative, her realism is tempered with a certain dream-like quality."[7] Gibson chose to paint limited subject matter, mainly concentrating on the human form, particularly faces, as well as flowers, birds and small animals.[8] Her style is considered 'folk art', and she is regarded as an outsider, or naïve artist.[4]

In May 1971, shortly before the opening of her first art exhibition at the Miami Museum of Modern Art, Gibson disappeared, leaving drawings strewn about her yard.[9] An eccentric woman, Gibson disappeared several times.[6] Around 300 of her paintings are believed to exist in museums and private collections, although many more have been destroyed after being strewn around outside her home when she disappeared.[6]

Gibson's work has been exhibited in more than fifty one-woman exhibitions.[10] Woodward Gallery in New York City represented the Estate of Sybil Gibson from 2011-2016. [11] Her work is featured in various public museum collections including at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts,[2] the Museum of American Folk Art,[12] the Johnson Collection,[13] Birmingham Museum of Art,[14] and the New Orleans Museum of Art.[15] Woodward Gallery featured Sybil Gibson in an expansive, retrospective solo hxhibition, "Art from Within", from May 10 - June 21, 2014. [16]

Personal life and death

She married her high school boyfriend Hugh Gibson in 1929, with whom she raised a daughter.[2] By 1935, she was divorced from Gibson and her parents were caring for her daughter while she went back to school.[2] Despite her prosperous upbringing, she spent much of her adult life living in poverty.[9]

In the late 1940s she moved to Florida due to a sinus issue.[2]

From c. 1950 to 1958, she was married to David DeYarmon. The marriage ended when he died.[2]

Late in life, her daughter arranged for Gibson to return to Florida, where she had an operation to restore her sight.[2] She died on January 2, 1995, in Dunedin, Florida, aged 86.[2]

References

1. Hood, John (2013). "Gibson, Sybil". The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 23: Folk Art. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 289–290. ISBN 978-0-8078-3442-8. JSTOR 10.5149/9781469607993_crown.130.
2. Bullock, Margaret (October 24, 1996). "Sybil Gibson". Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). Retrieved 2022-05-02.
3. Blokhuis-Mulder, Jantje. "Faces are the Mirror to the Soul: The Folk Art of Sybil Gibson". Folkartlife.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-29. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
4. "Sybil Gibson". Ask Art. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
5. "Sybil Gibson - Biography". Mich Barnes - Redkettle Art and Collectibles. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
6. "Sybil Gibson". Marcia Weber Art Objects. Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
7. Howell Raines (1971-06-20). "Here she is, Miami Herald, in Birmingham". The Birmingham News. p. E1.
8. "Sybil Gibson (1908–1995)". Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery. Archived from the original on 2008-01-28. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
9. Doran, Anne (2018-01-19). "Masterpieces from the Margins: The Outsider Art Fair Triumphs in New York". ARTnews. Archived from the original on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
10. "Sybil Gibson". Ginger Young Gallery. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
11. "Sybil Gibson. Art From Within". Meer. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
12. "Abstract with Three Faces". American Folk Art Museum. 1993.
13. "Index of Women Artists". The Johnson Collection, LLC. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
14. "Untitled, Sybil Gibson". Birmingham Museum of Art. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
15. "Portrait of a Woman by Sybil Gibson - intuitive eye". intuitiveeye.org. Archived from the original on 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
16. "New York Gallery Beat: 5 Critics Review 12 Shows". ArtNet. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 2024-02-19.