This stunning, full-color, 80-page catalogue of O. Gail Poole’s Sideshow, features an extensive and beautifully insightful essay by Sideshow’s curator Dr. Mark A. White, with a foreword by artist Sherrie McGraw and a preface by Poole’s daughter, Nicole. This is truly a labor of love. Hand-embossed with the Poole Estate seal. Proceeds benefit the newly-created Poole Fund for the Art of Oklahoma.

A crowd favorite from O. Gail Poole’s Sideshow at the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art, “Human Fireater” is a jaunty, playful, enigmatic and self-referential explosion of color and form. I see Dad in this one, finally letting loose with all the stuff he wanted to say. 19”x13” Archival inks on 100% cotton, hand-embossed with the Estate seal.

I loved this side of Dad; for all his boisterous energy, he had a side to him that was subdued and elegant, fascinated by the play of light and shadow. This piece makes me yearn for the days of watching him paint models, with a friend or two lounging on the couch nearby, easy conversation over the sounds of Dave Brubeck. I can almost smell the turpentine, (intermingling with the endless pot of coffee), the air warmed by the lights on the model.

“Woman in Black” 12x9, Oil on Masonite, circa 2003; simple gold frame included.

Oil on Masonite, circa 1997; simple gold frame included.

Dad loved nothing more than knocking around the highway between Santa Fe and Taos. Rife with turn-offs and little hidden paths, he dragged his fieldbox with him on countless journeys. This one is one of my favorites, as I can see him so clearly, standing and marveling at the beauty of the scene before him, wondering how best to capture that moment in time.

“Ghost Ranch” is just radical joy. The original piece is a pretty good size, and hangs (as of 11/19) with a lot of Dad’s work, in Ludivine, a fabulous OKC restaurant . I’ve stood next to Dad observing this very scene, and the air - it’s electric. These saturated colors and Van Gogh-esque brushstrokes are the perfect vehicles to bring the moment to life.

12” x 12”, archival inks on 100% cotton. Estate reproductions of Poole's work have been digitized by noted photographer Dr. Neil Chapman, under the exclusive license of the O. Gail Poole Estate. Each reproduction is imprinted with the official Estate Seal, and hand-authenticated by Nicole Poole.