Gregory "Mr. Imagination" Warmack AMERICAN, 1984-2012

Mr. Imagination used everyday, cast-off materials to explore themes of self-identity, immortality, and Black pride. He was the third of nine children who grew up in one of the poorest parts of Chicago. He credited his mother for recognizing and encouraging his creativity at a young age⁠—by his teens, he was making found object jewelry and carving bits of bark into faces. He had a series of jobs to help support his family, including a busboy, masonry repairman, and a hairdresser.  

In 1978, Mr. I had a premonition that someone was going to kill him. One week later, while selling jewelry on the street, he was shot twice in the stomach at point-blank range. He spent six weeks in a coma, and, during the doctors' attempts to save his life, he had a life-altering "out of body" experience during which he had visions of time travel, past lives, and ancient cultures. According to Material Culture, "the visions inspired him to dedicate his life towards the creation of art with spiritual power and a positive restorative force that could make people happy." 

"Years ago, my great aunt predicted I was going to be a minister, and in a way she was right," Warmack said. "I think every artist is a minister and a messenger in a way." 

In the 1980s, he renamed himself Mr. Imagination, and, inspired by his visions, began to work with new materials including the bottle caps and sandstone he is most known for today. His signature pieces were hardened paintbrushes with mask-like faces. He also began covering everything⁠—including his clothes⁠—in bottle caps. The bottle caps gave his sculptures a regal, jewel-like finish; ordinary chairs became thrones and hats were transformed into stately crowns. 

In 2002, Mr. I moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in search of the pace of a smaller town to aid in his creative process. He became ingrained in the Pennsylvania art community until 2008 when a fire consumed most of his artwork, material possessions, and several beloved pets. Seeking a fresh start, Mr. I moved to Atlanta and lived there until his untimely passing in 2012.  

During his life, Mr. Imagination became one of the most famous self-taught artists in the world. In addition to dozens of exhibitions both national and international, his work resides in the collections of the American Visionary Museum in Baltimore, MD; The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; the Museum of American Folk Art, New York, NY, among others.