Poplar Grove is proud to feature the artist, Ivey Hayes, a native of Pender County, whose art celebrated the spirit of place, of family, of community. His depictions of southeastern North Carolina reflect the vibrancy of Gullah culture. UNCW Art Major Intern, Anna Vann De Carr, is currently working on a series of Hayes’ work to exhibit permanently at Poplar Grove.
The subject matter of the painting below is a group of African American women who are working together picking peanuts. The use of contour lines helps outline the women’s bodies, and although their faces lack detail, there is a sharp profile of the two women specifically. These figures are stylized with some exaggerated proportions (larger bodies with smaller faces/heads) indicative of Hayes’ style.
The use of solid colors as well as patterns help guide the viewer’s eye through the painting. Contrast is also present. Warm colors such as yellow and red are placed against the cool colors like the shades of green in the peanut plants. This piece has a sense of rhythm with the many curved lines found in the women’s clothing, the sun hat and kerchief, the leaves of the peanut plants, the shape of the baskets, the collection of peanuts, and the billowing clouds.
Despite the labor that is depicted, this painting reflects a sense of community and dignity. Hayes’ rich colors elicit warmth, praising and acknowledging the daily lives of African Americans during Jim Crow. This painting highlights two women performing an assigned tasks in an elegant, almost regal, state of repose contrasting with the labor-intensity of farming and agricultural work. This piece is a celebration of the resilience and strength that Black communities embody, and in particular Black women’s sense of community and togetherness through shared labor and perseverance.
Although the women are depicted in this painting performing a daily task, with the basket of peanuts and peanuts plants displayed in the foreground, the clothing of the women in the middle ground leads the viewer’s eye in a circular motion to further explore through the use of color and pattern not only in the painting, but also in the rich and complex lives of Black tenant-farming women in southeastern North Carolina and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.
by UNCW Art History Intern, Anna Van De Carr
You can view more of Ivey Hayes’ work by visiting https://iveyhayesartworks.com/