Alpha Bruton Private Collection 1996,
oil on canvas
30 x 26 inches
Alpha Bruton Private Collection 1996
oil on canvas
30 x 26 inches
Born October 3, 1925, in Cincinnati, Ohio, she was creative and intellectually curious. She began writing poetry before later taking up drawing and finally painting. Bound to her pragmatic parents, Crossley wanted to major in art and attend the Cincinnati Art Academy, but was persuaded to pursue home economics at the University of Cincinnati, which she did, all the while continuing to draw and paint. Crossley took art courses at the Art Institute of Chicago while living in Chicago with her husband, Frank Crossley, from 1952 to 1966. He was a metallurgical engineer who minored in fine arts himself and encouraged his partner's artistic interests. After moving to California, she studied ceramics and jewelry making.
BLACK ART AUCTION
Historically Important African-American Art
Elaine Sherman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and initially studied home economics at the University of Cincinnati. In 1950, she met Frank Crossley, a metallurgical engineer from Chicago. The two had a whirlwind romance and married the same year.
Elaine studied and exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago. The work included in this auction, Frank, 1961, is clearly directly connected to her husband, although the interpretation remains somewhat subjective. Elaine chose to exhibit this work in 1963 at the Art Institute of Chicago's Sixty-sixth Annual Exhibition by Artists of Chicago and Vicinity (label verso). The couple lived in Chicago from 1952 to 1966.
Crossley identified the core of her artwork: "[It comes from an] ancient art form, originating in Sudan, and used in much of ceremonial and ritual design in African artifacts…I am a Black woman who paints what she feels, thus expressing and sharing her Black experience. - Brock & Co Fine Art
The couple moved to Palo Alto, California, and in 1986, lived near Granite Bay, Sacramento. Elaine continued to paint and exhibit throughout her life.
