- Ulysses Marshall. Courtesy of Jenne Glover via The Heart Art Gallery
“Ulysses Marshall: Master Collagist, Artist In Exile”
By Jenne Glover
February 13, 2013
“Ulysses Marshall calls himself an artist in exile because he spends a lot of time alone. He says the term anchors him and gives him the space to create independently. Growing up in Vienna, Georgia, he had no playmates, so as his grandmother made patchwork quilts, Ulysses played paper dolls with cuttings from catalogs and magazines.”
“He has been painting and doing collage art for 30+ years and recently began calling his collages paper dolls. His exhibition ‘Paper Dolls: Poetic Responses to the Artwork of Ulysses S. Marshall‘ will be on exhibit through April 13, 2013 at the Prince George’s African American Museum Gallery 110, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, North Brentwood, Maryland. This exhibit is special to him because he knows he’s created something that has meaning to others.”
- “Grandma and Me” By Ulysses Marshall, 2010
“Greatly influenced by how his grandmother worked spontaneously, putting her hand in a pile of scraps, and cutting and sewing them together, he strives to maintain that sense of freedom when he’s creating and he loves experimenting and taking risks. He feels every time he picks up a paint brush his grandmother is there with him. Before Mama Gussie made her transition she knew Ulysses was a painter, but she never knew how greatly she had influenced him and his work.”
- “Madame E Spirit Seeker” By Ulysses Marshall, 2010
“After serving in Viet Nam, Ulysses became a student of sociology at Albany State College in Georgia. When it rained he often found shelter under a large oak tree on campus and students passing by would ask him if he was an art student. His eccentric behavior reminded them of art professor, Joo-Yon Ohm-Cederberg. The professor had a reputation of being different because he talked to himself, drove around with his paintings in an ice cream truck, and his clothes were covered in paint. When Ulysses visited the art department to meet him his artistic talents were ignited; and the professor became his mentor.”
- “Where You At Mama” By Ulysses Marshall, 2012
- “Harriet and the Safe House” by Ulysses Marshall, 2008
“Professionally, his biggest challenge is having articles published about his art. He thinks this is important because it secures him a place in history and makes his work more important. He also finds it challenging that there are so few African American galleries in the area and white galleries often do not know how to accept the expressions in his work. He says the rejections motivate him and push him to continue doing what’s fun to him.”
To read the complete article, visit “Ulysses Marshall: Master Collagist, Artist In Exile“.
We were long-time colleagues of Ohm Cederberg at Albany State (1972-2004) and always appreciated his work and his friendship. We have three of his stunning works hanging in our home, including a larger one he called “Lonely Lady.”
Drs. Benjamin and Mary Lawson