Untitled mural by Kermit Oliver
Untitled mural, Kermit Oliver, unknown date
Untitled mural, Kermit Oliver, unknown date
Kermit Oliver's mural consists of two sections. One section features a man while the other is a woman looking upwards, with a child looking at her. The figures are painted using cross-hatching, where multiple layers of intersecting lines overlap to develop tone and shading. Oliver, heeding Dr. Biggers’ instructions, also incorporates the building’s architecture into his mural. In both panels, the light source (reflecting off the figures’ faces) comes from above, just as it does in Hannah Hall. This lends the appearance of the figures standing in the wall as part of the building’s environment. Some of the themes reflected in this mural are family, the mother-child bond, and looking onward despite life's troubles. Both adult figures are seen with their eyes looking upwards, as if they are deep in thought or seeking guidance. The child looks to be fragile and frail, as they cling onto their mother.
Oliver is one of only very few students who painted multiple murals in Hannah Hall. Dr. Biggers, speaking of Oliver, said that “he liked mural painting so much that on the third floor of Hannah Hall not only one mural but a mural wherever an empty space allowed.” By the time he graduated, Oliver had finished 6 murals of varying sizes and shapes. His enthusiasm for mural painting, talent, and speedy working pace led Biggers to allow Oliver to paint so many walls. Oliver has become one of the most successful art graduates from Texas Southern University. He is the only American artist to design scarves for the French fashion house Hermès, creating several designs reflecting on the Americas, Texan flora and fauna, and indigenous peoples. In 2005, he was also the subject of a retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston titled, “Childs Odyssey: The Art of Kermit Oliver.”
- Title
- [unknown]
- Description
-
Across two panels, separated by a mural, Oliver’s mural uses crosshatched, dark green hues to depict a woman and child (together) and a man (separate). Almost all art students painted only one mural; Oliver was an exception. Because of his enthusiasm and talent, he painted several murals, often using small spaces between other students’ works.
- Creator
- Kermit Oliver
- Date Created
- unknown
- Medium
- unknown
- Spatial Coverage
- 3rd floor, Hannah Hall, Texas Southern University
- Extent
- 38 x 72 in., 38 x 72 in.
This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.