There are plenty of mysteries and coincidences in the world of Outsider Art. I can add these four pieces to the mystery of lost New York City street artist Carolyn Goe. I've owned the group above TWICE in the last thirty years! I sold them in a batch of things before I moved out of Manhattan in 2008 and hadn't thought of her since. When I saw them turn up recently on an online auction site (without the artist's name) I added them right back into my collection. How they got to Maine I have no idea.
I also had absolutely no knowledge of the Caroline Goe at White Columns in 2019 until browsing it up a week ago. I wish I could contribute more to fill in the missing blanks.
Cori Hutchinson wrote a lovely, particularly thoughtful review of the White Columns Goe Show
HERE in White Hot Magazine. It is a very good read.
One thing I do know about Ms. Goe is that somewhere along the line I was told the artist's name was Carolyn GOES. As in "she comes and goes…?" Although I personally knew both
Barry Cohen, who collected and promoted her work, and the folks at the Artisans antique shop who had work of for sale at one time, I don't think my set came either sources. Could be wrong, as it's a world away to me now. In the 25 years I lived in Manhattan, I did purchase from (and personally befriend) lots of street artists (including the now better known "outsiders"
Bertha Halozan, and
Ionel Talapazan. I "discovered" Haitian artist
Max Romain's work in a public library show and first tracked him down through his librarian friend. There were many more. More than these three became friends of mine as well, which is why I am sure my Goe pieces didn't originally come directly from her. If they had, I would know plenty more about her than folks seem to know now. I can not remember ever seeing Carolyn Goe.
I can't claim these are among her best.
Lynne Tillman has the best. The show was drawn from her collection.
One indication of her possible disappearance could be that one of my pieces features a nurse, which could now foretell an uncertain future for the artist. Most street artists have a rough life.
Even Art Forum got aboard and featured the show
HERE illustrating a woman in a kimono from the exhibition.
Caroline Goe Four untitled mixed media works on canvas scrap circa 1970 - 1980
Collection Jim Linderman
