One of the most amazing things in the world is the Throne of the Third Heaven The Nations Millennium General Assembly. James Hampton, a janitor, was called by God to create it, and worked on it secretly for 14 years in a rented garage. It was intended to herald the Second Coming. The throne is huge, nearly ten feet tall, and made of foil and scavenged materials. It was discovered after Hampton’s death, and is considered quite rightly to be one of the most remarkable pieces in the history of American folk art.
The throne, composed of humble materials, is spectacularly beautiful, and every piece vibrates with the care of an untrained hand driven by divine revelation to create beauty. It was literally Hampton’s life’s work: he never created another work of art.
I saw some amazing pieces of art at the Smithsonian this weekend in DC, but the Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millenium General Assembly is always the highlight of the nation’s capital for me.