William Christenberry

(American, 1936–2016)

William Christenberry was an American artist, recognized for his haunting color photographs of landscapes, signs, and abandoned structures in rural Alabama. Chistenberry’s small photographs made with a Kodak Brownie camera initially served as color references for his expressionist paintings, but took on a primary role in his creative output as the artist discovered the work of photographers like Walker Evans, and later William Eggleston. Born on November 5, 1936 in Tuscaloosa, AL, Christenberry studied painting at the University of Alabama where he received both his BFA and MA. The artist continued making paintings and sculptures throughout his life and taught painting and drawing at the Corcoran School of Arts in Washington D.C. for many decades. On his relationship to the rural South, he has said, “My stance is very subjective…, the place is so much a part of me. I can’t escape it and have no desire to escape it. I continue to come to grips with it… It’s a love affair—a lifetime of involvement with a place.” Christenberry died on November 28, 2016 in Washington, D.C. His works are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and the Kemper Museum in Kansas City.

William Christenberry Artworks

William Christenberry (330 results)
Sign, Sawyerville, Alabama, 1973

William Christenberry

Sign, Sawyerville, Alabama, 1973

Jackson Fine Art

Price on Request

5 Cent, Demopolis, 1980

William Christenberry

5 Cent, Demopolis, 1980

Jackson Fine Art

Price on Request

Grave, Hale County, Alabama, 1976

William Christenberry

Grave, Hale County, Alabama, 1976

Jackson Fine Art

Price on Request

Studio Study, 2011

William Christenberry

Studio Study, 2011

HEMPHILL

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Night Forms, 2006 (Feb. 26), 2006

William Christenberry

Night Forms, 2006 (Feb. 26), 2006

HEMPHILL

Price on Request