European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse The throne of the third heaven of the nations millennium general a gift for turning janitor s junk9 into j artist s Gold j by Kendal Weaver associated press Ames Hampton born poor and Black in the South was a gentle reclusive janitor who believed in miracles. Upon his death one happened. It was t the sort of awesome spiritual resurrection he had envisioned. Instead it was the slow quiet revival of a life s work powerful in its human proportions. James Hampton it turns out had the rift of transforming janitor s junk into artist s Gold. The Miracle is that we know of it. When he died 13 years ago in Washington d.c., no one was around to say he knew James Hampton Well. A Bachelor janitor on the night shift he was by All appearances one of this nation s obscure figures destined for oblivion. Then his landlord told of the death opened the door of Hampton s rented Back Alley Earsee. Within was a stunning assemblage of altars Chain tables Wall nieces Tablet and crowns. There were to objects each Rajat Debly ornate Eaudry elaborately handcrafted. They set coated to Gold and diver foil that gave the look of a radiantly be Jeweld throne room. Indeed the Centrepiece was a Majestic throne Wofe objects were made from the refuse of a floor sweeper s life discarded furniture and card bar abused out ought bulbs Jelly glasses cigarette boxes desk blotters and aluminium foil retrieved in doily Magazine. A part from the bottles of wires. Hidden away for the Long Yean he worked on it the shining work considered by specialists a trea sure of 20th Century Folk Art still a virtually unknown to the american Public. But that May be changing. Three years of re search by an Art historian. Lynda Roscoe Hartigan have begun to shed Light on some of the mysteries of this janitor artist and have taken his work from the shadows of a museum warehouse. Last year the melange was exhibited in new York and Boston and currently it s on display at the Montgomery museum of Fine arts in Alabam through sept. 4. A permanent Home is being pre pared at the National collection of Fine arts in title of the work was Sera led on a garage blackboard by Hampton the throne of the third heaven of the nations millennium general Assem was an intern at the National collection in 1974 when she first saw fragments of the throne in several crates but what she saw persuaded her that it was what i wanted to work Hartigan is now assistant curator for 20th Century painting and sculpture at the National collection part of the smithsonian institution. The throne Isone of its prize possessions. If Tate throne u to be categorized As Folk Art says Hartigan its mod legitimate rela Tives Are the idiosyncratic project of people de sunday june 19, 1977 scribed As eras not Arthuu or naive and visionary by terms the throne is comparable to the uplifting Watts towers of los Angeles which Sam Rodia made of Concrete Railroad ties bottles cans tiles and bailing wire and the now destroyed Labyrinthine passageways which Clarence Schmidt constructed of mirrors tinfoil tar Timber and oddments on Ohayon Mountain in Woodstock n. Y. But the throne is different. It can be moved. And it is puzzling. As Hartigan unravelled the Story of James Hamp ton she found at its heart a deeply spiritual Man who had visions. At one Point Hampton wrote this is True that on oct. 2,1946, the great Virgin Mary and the Star of been chem appeared Over the nation inspiration Hampton jotted Down other visions is Well he spent the Odd noun of the last 20 years of his life constructing the he never explained what he was doing. His writ Ings Are vague some in an undecipherable script. Photographs were found of Hampton with his creation but the person who took them is unidentified. Hampton s work clearly is rooted in Bis own form of Christian vision and it seems a Celebration of life s castaways. The Centrepiece a tinfoil winged throne is a sort of flophouse chair with cheap Maroon upholstering. By its transformation into a throne for the almighty seems an affirmation of human potential. Clearly James Hampton built the throne As testimony to his Faith in god and to insure his per Sonal salvation says Hartigan. An analysis of the work s portentous title she adds reveals the degree to which he was preparing for the imminently anticipated second the image of a throne for god she says is Central to the Book of revelations Hampton s favorite part of the Bible and his preference to the third heaven is based on a Hierarchy of heavens in the scriptures. The third heaven is god s final phrase of the title nations millennium general Assembly is More complicated she says but it also can be traced to the concept in reve lations of a Mike Niue in which the nations Are be sieved by the Devil whom god vanquished to create his kingdom. Did Hampton have an earthly purpose for his creation perhaps As a place of worship i think he was building up to the Point where others could use it. And he would be the one to show hum says Hartigan. Unfortunately his life was Cut Short before he could enter the next Hampton born into Rural poverty in Enoree s.c., the son of an itinerant Black gospel Singer and preacher died of cancer at the age of 55 in Washington d.c., where be had moved and held Odd jobs finally As a Federal government janitor after army duty during world War ii. Most of his employment records were destroyed in a fire at a government building but Back at his Bleak garage the Fate of his glittering work was More fortunate. As Hartigan recounts it myer Wertlieb Hamp ton s landlord had gotten glimpses of the work Over the years. When Hampton died Wertlieb called the Washington Post which sent a reporter and photographer. Meanwhile Wertlieb ran an and to rent the garage space. The first person to answer the and was de Kelley who happens to be a Fine arts photographer with friends in the cultural Community. He spread word of what he saw. Eventually Harry Lowe assistant director for the National collection acquired it for the smithsonian. Members of Hampton s family have received pay ment Lor the work the smithsonian declines to say now much and for about five years the throne was in storage in 1971, u was included in an exhibit hidden a year later so pieces were in a exhibit in Virginia and two Yean after that 120 pieces were assembled for a showing in Minne Sota. U was then that Hartigan began researching the throne and preparing its full 180-piece assemblage for what now is becoming one of the revelations of modern american Folk Art an irreplaceable Arti fact of our culture As she puts it. The stars and stripes i Page 9
