The Mountain of God
1991 enamel and house paint on wood cabinet panel
Dr. Wolfgang Zeman Fund Purchase

Prophet William Blackmon, a shoe repairman, street preacher, and healer, gained artistic skill by painting signs for his shop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He also used his shoe repair shop as a revival church and an outreach center.  Though his landlord often removed the signs he considered “eyesores,” Blackmon's artistic career began when a passerby offered him $300 for one of his colorful works.  Not picky about his materials, he used inexpensive house paint and whatever he could find to serve as a canvas, including scraps of wood he retrieved from the street and dumpsters.  Blackmon employed a primitive Cubist style, creating multiple perspectives within a piece.  The message of his works is often religious and includes sayings, such as, “Listen Man if you are going to heaven act like it,” which can be found on many of his paintings.