Jane Fonda will sell a large collection of Outsider art at Christie's

A vast collection of Outsider art belonging to Jane Fonda, including works by Thornton Dial, will be sold at Christie's.
When asked about these pieces, the actor and activist commented, "I couldn't believe how vibrant, dynamic, bold, and raw they were."

The collection of actor and activist Jane Fonda will be featured in Christie's upcoming Outsider and Vernacular art auction in New York on January 18, 2023. The auction will feature 14 works by Thornton Dial, Arthur Dial, and Thornton Dial, Jr. Over the course of 20 years, the actress amassed her collection. They range in price from roughly $2,000 for a painted bench in the shape of an animal by Dial Jr. to over $100,000 for a big mixed-media wall installation by Thornton Dial.

Fonda has long been an avid collector of artwork by Southern Black artists who have learned their craft independently. Missionary Mary L. Proctor, Purvis Young, and Thornton Dial's relative Ronald Lockett are just a few of these talented artists. Through the late collector Bill Arnett, she became acquainted with the Dial family. She visited him in Atlanta in the '90s. According to Christie's, Fonda had previously purchased largely female plein air painters and found great inspiration in the works of artists like Dial, Lonnie Holley, and Joe Minter. She bought several pieces because she "couldn't believe how alive, active, courageous, and raw they were."

Fonda has had these 14 items for a very long time. The sale's two most valuable items are assemblages created by Thornton Dial, a son of Alabama sharecroppers who rose to fame in the 1960s for the dynamic sculptures and wall pieces he created out of odd objects, paint, and other materials. A larger-than-life-size picture of Uncle Sam on canvas and plywood from 1989 (estimated value: $20,000-$40,000) and a number of smaller paintings of ladies on paper (estimated value: $3,000-$5,000) are also by Dial. In 1989, he displayed two mixed-media works on boards that illustrate his brother Arthur's passion in visual storytelling.
According to Fonda, the Dials belong to the pantheon of important works of American art. The use of found objects in creative works dates back to the 20th century. Her statement continued, "It's not just these Southern artists; it extends all the way back to Marcel Duchamp, who transformed urinals into a "fountain," to my friend Bob Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. I find it incredibly admirable that [Thornton] Dial constructed his space from discarded materials. In a way that few other artists have, he gave previously discarded materials new life.

Arnett's charity Tinwood Alliance for Black Vernacular Arts receives funding from Fonda. The work of the Alabama community of Gee's Bend quilters has been the subject of exhibitions and a book by Tinwood Alliance. She also serves as a trustee for the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, an organization that helps fund Southern Black artists.

To date, Fonda has auctioned off at least one item by Thornton Dial. It was the collection of works known as Trophies (Doll Factory), which used a wide variety of materials (1999). For auction in 2019, the piece was shipped to Christie's. The final sale price, £225,000, surpassed even the most optimistic projections of £200,000. (including fees).