Property from a Private Collection, Savannah, GA

Description:

Sam Doyle (SC, 1906-1985), Dr. Buz, Halo, Paint and Shell on Metal, the figure in red pants and white shirt holding a conch shell to his ear.

Often painted on flat or corrugated roofing tin or on large wooden panels, Thomas "Sam" Doyle’s images depict representatives of the sea island community of St. Helena, South Carolina, as well as iconic historic and religious figures, and modern American pop icons. A frequent subject was the iconic St. Helena root doctor, Dr. Buz. Personifications of this healer, also called Dr. Buzzard, have existed as far back as 1700, and succeeding generations of Dr. Buz have served the spiritual needs of their communities for hundreds of years. According to Doyle, the “conch shell was his [Dr. Buzzard’s] phone line. He put it to his ear, he switch his hand in the air, and then must get an answer, cause he say ‘Halo, halo, halo, this the Dr. talkin’ to you.’ You could hear him grumbling and talkin’ to the spirit with the conch shell to his ear. Notes; In Gullah culture, root doctors are recognized as conduits and conjurers who move between the world of the living and the spirit realm. Doyle’s distinctive dialect reflects Gullah linguistics, which combine vernacular, grammar, and speech patterns from West and Central Africa, as well as the Caribbean. While they now appear in major museums—including the High Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others - Doyle's works remain deeply personal homages to his home, visual reminders that he hoped would help preserve rapidly vanishing Gullah culture. (The Johnson Collection)

Measurements: Height: 54 1/2 in., x Width: 27 1/4 in. x Depth: 3 in.

Condition:

Good condition, some chipping to paint and rust near 'Dr', metal bent.

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