DAWSON, William (American, 1901-1990). Cow. 1990. Hand-carved and painted cow sculpture on found wood. 10 ½ h x 17 w x 2” d. Signed on the bottom of the hooves. Front legs have split and have been repaired. Split visible. Good condition. William Dawson moved to Chicago as a young man and worked in the produce industry. He is known for his three-dimensional wood carvings as well as paintings on wood and paper. Dawson's work was featured in the groundbreaking show, Black Folk Art in America: 1930-1980, at the Corcoran in 1983, as well as several other shows and publications. His art at first consisted simply of works he whittled out of pieces of scrap wood he found in alleys or on the street. He then added such materials as chicken bones and driftwood. His most frequent early carvings were totem pole stacks of faces. In later years he added painting to his body of work. He is in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The American Folk Art Museum, among many others.