James Harold Jennings

1931 - 1999

A resident of North Carolina throughout his lifetime, fiercely private James Harold Jennings began to paint following the death of his mother in 1974. She had been his teacher at home for most of his childhood, in addition to the many journals and magazines which lay around their rural home. This unusual education no doubt had a great influence on Jennings. He worked for a while as a tobacco picker, cinema projectionist, and night watchman, but stayed at home for the most part, due to the unstable nature of his nerves. He began to create painted sculptures on scrap wood and placed them around a group of derelict buses, located near his home. Jennings’ creations grew increasingly complex, often involving mechanical or wind-powered assemblages. He painted bright whirligigs and wooden angels, taking inspiration from popular culture, religion, and his immediate environment. Jennings’ decorative endeavors took over his life. He eventually moved into the buses across from his house, living there without electricity or modern appliances, dedicated in his drive to continue his artwork. Sadly, the prolific artist committed suicide on the eve of his 68th birthday in 1999, evidently out of fearful anticipation of the end of the twentieth century. ¹