The Art of Al Urness

Charles Ferguson By Al Urness

Day 8 (12/15/14)

I have to apologize to anybody who has been trying to follow the continuing saga of Al Urness. Perhaps someday I will try to put it all together but for now I just update when I get a chance. I would never have thought when I started this journey two years ago I would still be getting more information on this incredible man. Recently I received an e-mail from a lady who had happened upon my blog that had known Al quite well. She and others have sent me images of some of his art which up until now have been scarce to say the least. I know that there has to be more out there and perhaps someday I will hit the mother lode. In previous blogs I have sketched out what I was able to find of Al’s journeys. http://onionriver.blogspot.com/2013/01/in-search-of-al-urness.html  http://onionriver.blogspot.com/2013/01/urness-on-yellowstone.html. http://onionriver.blogspot.com/2013/02/urness-1953-54.html  http://onionriver.blogspot.com/2014/04/urness-kayak-in-new-orleans-day-2-42914.html Now I would like to spend a little time looking at Al the artist. For the sake of continuity I will go back and start at the beginning. In late 2012, I was contacted by a lady from Colorado who while housesitting for her daughter in Culver City, California came across a painting by Urness in a thrift store across the street from the Sony Pictures complex, which was the site of the old MGM studio. She later received the painting as a gift from her daughter. In her words from an e-mail,

It is a profile of an African-American man who is impeccably dressed in a dark-blue suit, tie, white shirt, a handkerchief in pocket, a neat narrow mustache and short graying hair. In the left lower corner is the artist's name, which I read as "Al Urness" and the year 1952. In the lower right corner is written by the artist: "A Happy Birthday to my Very Dear Friend Charles. Al Urness, Feb. 28, 1952. Then, at some point, Charles Ferguson apparently gave away the painting. In the upper left corner in, apparently, his handwriting are the words: "To my very good friend Miss Judy. From, Charles Ferguson."”.

She then continues,

 So I started researching and this is what I found: In the 1940 U.S. census, Leon Gordon, a well-established playwright and MGM studios screenwriter had in his Beverly Hills house located not far from the MGM studios, a wife, a daughter, age 2, (who would grow up to be actress Gloria Gordon), and a staff that included butler Charles Ferguson, 48, whose birth date was Feb. 28, 1892. (The Feb. 28, 1952 date of the painting would have been his 60th birthday.)  And in 1952, Judy Garland happened to be under contract with MGM.  My guess is Judy knew Leon, knew his family and so probably knew butler Charles. Is it possible Judy Garland was the "Miss Judy” Charles Ferguson gave this painting, too?  Fun possibility. So I've been trying to find out what I can find out. I've sent messages to Judy's daughters to ask if they might know of Charles Ferguson or of a friendship with their Mom.

I have never heard more from this lady and do not know if she ever found out anymore about her painting. Like so many things in this adventure it leaves more questions than answers. In the next couple of installments I will look at some of the lives that Al touched in his journeys and a few of the paintings and drawings that were created as a result of these relationships.