American Folk Art

John Henri Toney was born on October 18, 1928 in rural Russell County, Alabama and still lives nearby. He attended school to about the 7th grade at the Sand Fort School near Seale, Alabama.

His home is an old house trailer on 10 acres of land bordered by a large swamp. His trailer leans to one side and the doors are kept shut, when he is outside, by long poles propped against the doors. He has no running water and his only heat is a small electric heater. His bed is piled high with quilts. He lives alone and says he cooks up a pot of something every few days. He paints sitting on his bed in cold weather, out under a shade tree in summer.

A deeply religious man know as " Mustache Jesus " by the other blacks, John Henry depicts lots of Bible stories in his art. Quite fancy, extremely bosomy women are another recurring prominently in his art.

John Henry paints on whatever is available to him. Starting with cardboard picked up at the local store, he now paints on poster board, art papers given to him and old pieces of plywood. He has painted on old doors and would again if someone gave him a door.

He signs most of his paintings very prominently MR JOHN HENRY TONEY, 70y (his age) and often his address and a phone number. Very proud of his work, he is known to often comment " I don't mean to brag, but that picture is somewhere between genius and expert! ".

Franck Turner