They Too
Object Label
Mary T. Smith lived alone in a house on Highway 51 outside Hazlehurst, Mississippi. A domestic worker and former tenant farmer, she surrounded her home with paintings on wood and metal that depict people and personal spiritual texts. Informed by yard art traditions, nearby billboards, and her Christian beliefs, Smith’s painting installation was a form of divine conversation between its domestic, everyday characteristics and eternal glory.
Caption
Mary T. Smith (American, 1905–1995). They Too, 1987. Oil or acrylic on wood, 32 × 24 in. (81.3 × 61.0 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2018, 2018.37.4.
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Artist
Title
They Too
Date
1987
Medium
Oil or acrylic on wood
Classification
Dimensions
32 × 24 in. (81.3 × 61.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2018
Accession Number
2018.37.4
Frequent Art Questions
What is Yard Art?
Yard Art started around the 1960s. Black artists in the American South started displaying their creations in yards so people in their community could see them.The practice of displaying art outside has certainly existed before the 60s. We even see the widespread practice in the 1940s.What is yard art?
Many Southern Black artists began displaying artwork in front yards in the late 1960s. This was a way to ensure that other people could see their work rather than if they were kept in their homes or studios.This practice was also an extension of the significance of yards and gardens in many Black American communities. They served as a symbol of homeownership and financial success as well as a space for community-making.
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