Thornton Dial

American artist Thornton Dial became an international art world sensation at 60. He started his career many decades earlier, making toys out of junk. Today, he is considered one of the great artists of his generation.

You need to know about this pioneering artist who made his fame at 60. 

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Thornton Dial had been making art his whole life. As a kid in 1930s Alabama, he entertained himself by making toys out of cans and other bits of junk.

A collage of many objects that may be considered junk, painted like the American flag

Don’t Matter How Raggly The Flag, It Still Got To Tie Us Together, 2003

Thornton worked as a steelworker, and his professional skills fed into his sculptures and assemblages. He was a family man, and much of his work commemorates his wife and children. 

And that’s where all the folk used to flock at over there when they were singing. [Singing]

At the age of 60, Thornton was discovered by an enthusiastic collector and his work was catapulted onto the international stage. The media tried to belittle his reputation, but in the end, his monumental legacy reigned.

A collage of many objects that may be considered junk painted in muted blue, green and purple tones

Memory Of The Ladies That Gave Us The Good Life, 2004

A collage of many objects that may be considered junk painted in muted blue, green and purple tones

Men On Alert: All Eyes On Iraq, 1990

A collage of many objects that may be considered junk, including flake flowers and a baby doll, painted in orange and yellow

Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle, 2003


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