Technicolor florals, piano-playing cats, and dancing goats dot the walls of the Headley-Whitney Museum in Lexington in an exhibition (through November 12) to honor the local legend and artist Henry Faulkner. The museum is also showing the short documentary Henry Faulkner: Poetry in Paint alongside over one hundred works, including some of the artist’s earliest and latest creations before his death in 1981. Portraits of roosters, butterflies, and his iconic bourbon-guzzling goat companion, Alice, provide a patchwork look into Faulkner’s imagination and his ability to find the sublime in his Southern surroundings. “A fun part of this adventure has been hearing the stories about him and how the work came to collectors,” says Christina Bell, executive director and curator. “Many pieces are family heirlooms that people acquired years ago and have never been exhibited. But when you see one, there is no mistaking it’s a Faulkner.”
Southern Agenda