J.B. Murray: Writing in an Unknown Tongue: Reading Through the Water

John Bunion (J. B.) Murray (1908-1988) was a farmer who lived in rural Glascock County, Georgia, near the community of Mitchel. When he was approximately seventy years of age, believing he had experienced a vision from God, he began writing a non discursive script on adding machine tape, wall board, and stationery. He described it as "the language of the Holy Spirit, direct from God" and interpreted it using a bottle of water as a focusing device. In the last ten years of his life he made over a thousand paintings, introducing the script into fields of color and adding figures that represent "the evil people; the ones that are dry tongued, the one's that don't know God". Murray's works are exhibited throughout the world and he is represented in collections in Japan, Switzerland, France, and the United States.
See the filmmaker Judith McWillie's site on at http://art.uga.edu/lessonsandchants/

"LESSONS AND CHANTS is an interactive forum dedicated to the contributions of American artists of African descent to our nation's culture and identity. Through video taped interviews and still images of their work, these artists express their lives, personal relationships, and reasons for working. They create in their living spaces and encode the unique resources of their African heritage into a visual language rooted in American popular painting and sculpture. While many have produced art since childhood, they first emerged as public figures in the decades following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 60's. "

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• Bunion
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• visionary
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• artist
• painter

[Joody]

Thank you, cwciastate, for your comments. If you are interested in seeing more of JB Murray you can see outtakes from the film by going to Vimeo and searching under his name. Also there is a discussion of J B Murray in No Space Hidden (Gundaker and McWillie, 2005).

[cwciastate]

Thank you so much for this video. I've been using this video and clips from it in my American and African-American religion university courses to demonstrate Pentecostal folk art. Its absolutely invaluable!

[jllpmusicman]

You're providing a real benefit by spreading valuable folklore, and thanks also to all those who find folk artists while they are still around and help them realize their gifts are appreciated. Thanks!

[jmg1957]

very deep..nice