Thornton Dial Catalog Peek

2010
February, 2010
48 x 57 x 3 in.
Private Collection
See p. 52

Looking Back, Fear No Evil, 2010
84 x 96 x 12 in.
Private Collection
See p. 84

2012
In the Mind of Emelle, 2012
48 x 59 x 6 in.
Collection of Robert S. Taubman
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
photo courtesy of Robert S. Taubman
See p. 78

Pain and Joy (Everyday Life), 2012
45 x 46 x 8 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 148

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

192

2014
In Honor of the Last Flower, 2014
38 x 41 x 8 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 203

Love on the Kitchen Floor, 2014
48 x 60 x 5 in.
Private Collection
See p. 118

2015
Antioch, 2015
72 x 96 in.
Private Collection
See p. 89, back cover

Migration, 2015
Private Collection
See p. 144

Patching the Wounds, 2015
63 x 81 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 91

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

193

Separation, 2015
64 x 84 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 85

Sunset, 2015
64 x 72 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 90

Undated
Advertising, undated
55 x 77 x 30 in. (sculpture)
30 x 38 in. (collage)
Collection of the Estate of William Sidney Arnett
Atlanta, Georgia
See p. 55

Blown Away, undated
14 x 13.5 in.
Collection of Rebecca & Jack Drake
Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 56

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

194

By the Roses, undated
30 x 30 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 8

Circus Bird, undated
39.5 x 27.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial.
McCalla, Alabama.
See p. 165

Counting Birds, undated
39.5 x 27.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 113

The Dreaming Tiger, undated
Collection of Rebecca & Jack Drake.
Birmingham, Alabama.
See p. 162

Face to Face with the Tiger, undated
22 x 28 in.
Collection of Rebecca & Jack Drake
Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 22

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

195

Falling From the Top, undated
30 x 22 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 43

Fighting Tiger, undated
7 x 9.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 129

Gymnastic Girl, undated
12.5 x 12.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 56

Having a Bad Day, undated
39.5 x 27.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama.
See p. 68

Holding Up the Roses, undated
39.5 x 27.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 131

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

196

It’s My Birthday, undated
13 x 14 in.
Private Collection
See p.

Jumping for Joy, undated
16 x 15 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 56

On the Tiger Back, undated
9.5 x 12 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 129

One Eye Open, One Closed, undated
39.5 x 27.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 83

Protestor, (Protestor, verso), undated
30x22 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 97

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

197

Shadow of the Rainbow, undated
24.5 x 19 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama
See p. 112

She’s Searching for the Poo Hog While He’s Cracking Nuts, undated
Collection of The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University
Gift of J. Mark Jones
Auburn, Alabama
photo courtesy of the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
See p. 17

Slave Ship, undated
41.5 x 29.5 in.
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial
McCalla, Alabama.
See p. 96

Stepping Up, undated
Collection of Michael Straus
Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 155

Time Alone, undated
30 x 22 in.
Collection of Rebecca & Jack Drake
Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 128

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

198

Twisting Around the Colors, undated
12.5 x 12.5 in.
Collection of Rebecca & Jack Drake
Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 56

Wrestling with the Cat, undated
22 x 30 in.
Collection of Rebecca & Jack Drake
Birmingham, Alabama.
See p. 130

Untitled, undated
49 x 35 in.
Collection of Doug McCraw
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 19

Untitled, undated
50 x 36 in.
Collection of Doug McCraw
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 127

Untitled, undated
Collection of Lydia Cheney & Jim Sokol
Birmingham, Alabama
See p. 153

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

199

Referenced Works (No Photo Unavailable)
Everybody Got a Right to the Tree of Life, 1988
48 x 102.5 in.
Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Gift of Ron & June Shelp
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Last Day of Martin Luther King, 1992
80 x 113.5 x 4.5 in
Collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle, 2003
Collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
partial Gift of Debbie Simon & Tim Grumbacher and museum purchase
Washington, DC

Feeding the Cupola, 2012
Private Collection

It’s Just Life, 2015
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial

The Black Tree of Life
Private Collection

By Myself (Wondering about Life)
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

200

Grinder (The Long Life of the Working Man)
Collection of the Estate of William Sidney Arnett

Hot and Cold (Life in the Rolling Mill)
Private Collection

Life Go On in the Tiger’s Jungle
Collection of the Estate of William Sidney Arnett

People Who Looked for a Better Life and Didn’t Get It
Private Collection

Pig’s Life
Private Collection

Rough Road through the Beautiful Life
Collection of the Estate of Thornton Dial

Scrambling for Life
Private Collection

The Spirit of Life
Private Collection

The Way of Life: The Freedom Picture
Private Collection

All artwork by Thornton Dial Sr. All photos by Jerry Siegel unless otherwise noted. © 2022 Estate of
Thornton Dial / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photos not available at press time are noted.

201

Acknowledgments
Special thanks are extended to all the artists, galleries, and collectors involved in the exhibition. Thank you
to all the members and supporters of AEIVA—without you this exhibition and programming would not be
possible. Thank you to the Alabama Humanities Alliance, Doug McCraw, and the National Endowment for
the Arts for their generous support of this exhibition and its programs. Finally, we extend our gratitude to the
Dial family, whose partnership in telling their father’s story was essential to the creation of this exhibition.

202

I'd tell him, "You got something great right there, man. That's nice." I mean, I love it. I
mean, I love his work. I love all his work. It could be a sculpture. It could be works on
paper. It could be a canvas. I mean, I just love all of it. I love all his work.

- Dan Dial

204