Elvis in the Army by Howard Finster

Elvis Presley’s humble nature and patriotism appealed greatly to visionary artist Howard Finster. Born in 1915 in DeKalb County, Alabama, Finster claimed to have his first vision in early childhood; his later visions would dictate decisions affecting both his life and his art. Finster was an evangelical Baptist minister before coming to view painting as the vehicle chosen for him to spread the gospel.

Included in the current NPG “Echoes of Elvis” exhibition are two of Finster’s painted, wood-cutout Elvis images: Elvis at Three (below) and Elvis in Army Uniform (above), both done in 1990 and from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Elvis at Three, which features a baby Elvis Presley adorned with angel wings and inscribed with Bible verses, conjures Finster’s idea of Elvis as a special Christian emissary on earth. Elvis in Army Uniform presents a more secular image of Presley with a reference to his military service.

Elvis’s military service could not have come at a more inconvenient moment from a career perspective. On July 8, 1954, Elvis’s single “That’s All Right, Mama,” was first played on Memphis radio. Within two years, Elvis was nationally known and had a number of gold records. By 1958, he had also become box-office gold, and his career seemed boundless. He ascent was put on hiatus, however, as he complied with his government draft notice. Elvis entered in the United States army in 1958, served for two years, and was honorably discharged in 1960.

>> Listen to Warren Perry's Face-to-Face talk on Elvis in the army (27:55)

Face-to-Face occurs every Thursday evening at the National Portrait Gallery. The next talk is Thursday, June 3, when curator Anne Goodyear speaks about artist Jim Torok's work, on view in "Portraiture Now: Communities." The talk runs from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. Visitors meet the presenter in the museum’s F Street lobby and then walk to the appropriate gallery.

Article by Warren Perry, curator of "Echoes of Elvis"