Felrath Hines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felrath Hines
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| Born | November 9, 1913 |
| Died | October 3, 1993 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | John Herron School of Art Saturday School, New York University, Pratt Institute |
| Movement | Spiral |
Samuel Felrath Hines Jr. (born November 9, 1913 – died October 3, 1993) was an amazing African American artist. He was also an art conservator, which means he helped take care of and fix old artworks. Hines worked at places like the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. You can find his beautiful paintings in famous collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Early Life and Art Training
Felrath Hines was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1913. He started learning about art when he was just 13 years old, in 1926. He even won a special scholarship to take art classes for young people at the John Herron School of Art.
After finishing high school in 1931, Hines had a few different jobs. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps, a government program that helped people find work during tough times. He also worked as a waiter on a train for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. In 1945, he began his official art studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. Later, he moved to New York City to focus on design. There, he worked as a fashion designer and continued his studies at New York University and the Pratt Institute.
Joining the Spiral Group
In 1963, Felrath Hines joined a special group of sixteen African American artists called Spiral. This group was started by a famous artist named Romare Bearden. The Spiral group was made up of black artists of different ages and styles. They wanted to show their art and share their ideas.
Even though he was part of Spiral, Hines wanted his art to be for everyone. He didn't want his paintings to be seen as only about black social issues or African Americans. He believed his art had a message that was universal. Because of this, he chose not to be in a big art show called "Contemporary Black Artists in America" at the Whitney Museum of Art. He wanted his art to speak for itself, not just for a specific group.
His Unique Art Style
Felrath Hines's artwork is often connected to a style called De Stijl. This art movement uses strong design elements, simple shapes, and a limited number of colors. His work was inspired by Cubism, which breaks objects into geometric shapes, and by the simple, clean lines of artist Piet Mondrian.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Hines painted landscapes that were somewhat abstract. But over time, his art changed. He became more interested in geometric abstract art. He was influenced by other American modern artists like Stuart Davis, Ad Reinhardt, Josef Albers, Ellsworth Kelly, and Barnett Newman. Hines started to remove lines from his paintings, focusing instead on simple shapes and a very careful choice of colors.
Today, you can see Felrath Hines's amazing artworks in many important collections. These include the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
