150820375Ernest "Popeye" Reed19191985ErnestReedhttps://collection.folkartmuseum.org/internal/media/dispatcher/27313/fullErnest "Popeye" Reed was born to a father of Irish descent and a Native American mother. He grew up near Jackson, Ohio an began carving at an early age, his first pieces depicting small animals carved from wood. Reed worked as a wood and stone carver full time for the past twenty years, using hand tools such as a pocket knife and a mallet to carve the locally quarried sandstone and limestone that he prefered. Reed was fascinated by archaeology and Native American artifacts, and early in his career began fashioning "relics" inspired by the Indian mounds near his home. He carved arrowheads and would sell them to unwitting tourists. Customers who asked, however, were always told that he carved the arrowheads himself. Reed's interest in archaeology artifacts greatly influenced his work, creating an emphasis on Native American, Greek, and Egyptian images, especially after around 1968, when his work changed as a result of a "big dream." (phone conversation with Jeff Way). He no longer carved just what he saw around him, but felt more freedom to carve whatever interested him. He began to lean towards large subjects, such as mythological themes and, by the 1970's, was creating mixed images with mythological overtones. Reed was also affected by major art exhibitions such as the "King Tutenkamen" exhibition, which may have served as the inspiration for this sculpture which resembles a funerary sculpture of a woman in that show. In the winters, when it was too cold to carve outdoors, Reed frequently used walnut and cedar inside his workshop, assisted by the young women he liked to hire on as apprentices. Died Fort Jackson South Carolina.(1919–1985)JacksonFort JacksonJacksonFort JacksonJacksonFort JacksonErnest "Popeye" Reed