Gene Merritt
(American, 1936-2015)
Gene Merritt At Work at Home
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Bengerman Franklin
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Jules Verne, 2004/2005/2006
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Richard Petty, 2001
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Merl Hagard, 2000
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Aberham Linckon, 1998
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Clark Kent, 2001
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Jan Vetran Cab Driver, 2002-2003
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Jack Lord, 1998
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Ronie Millsap, 2003
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Gina Butiful
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Pope Pall, 1999
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Butiful All Year Round, 2001
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Lousieal Ball, 2002
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Wild Cat Growing Paines, 2001-2002
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Hawayee-5-0, 1999
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Natalie Wood, 2002
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Cramer
Pen
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Merlin Helper at Pilgrims Inn
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
Carlin Helper at Pilgrims Inns
Pen, colored pencil
Van Every/Smith Galleries Collection
In 1992, Gene Merritt began drawing with ballpoint pen and colored pencil, mainly from memory. His works revolved around his personal experiences and celebrity phenomena that he saw on television—his window to the larger world. He portrayed hundreds of musicians, film stars, and local VIPs, creating a graphic style all his own: puzzle-like compositions, segmented facial features, and dynamic line quality. His “autograph” was a series of frequently misspelled written words, often including his name, a description of the subject, and a date or an extended time frame. Punctuation like brackets, dashes, and quotation marks visually reinforce his work.
Biography
Photo by photo Mario Del Curto
Clyde Eugene Merritt, known as Gene Merritt, was a self-taught artist born in Columbia, South Carolina. As an infant, a bout of heavy fever left him with permanent cognitive disabilities. When he was twelve, after his mother committed suicide, Merritt and his father moved to Fort Mill, SC. There he attended high school but never graduated. He became dependent on alcohol, and worked a variety of odd jobs. After his father’s death in 1981, he stayed briefly in a nursing home before becoming a ward of the state, dependent on an adult foster care program.
After being recognized by the late curator Geneviève Roulin, Merritt's works were acquired by the Collection de ‘Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland, established by modernist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985). His works have since been exhibited worldwide and are included in several important museum collections.
