An artist died without widespread recognition. His daughter wants to change that

OKLAHOMA CITY — O. Gail Poole was a prolific artist. But like his artistic hero, Vincent Van Gogh, Poole died in relative artistic obscurity. The Oklahoma City-based artist was known and beloved in his community art circles, but he was not well known to the public. Also like Van Gogh, a family member now fights to right that wrong.

The majority of her father’s artwork have been in storage, Poole said. “That kills me,” she said. “For a long time, I wasn’t selling them. I wasn’t letting them go, but now it hurts more to keep them in the dark than it does to let them go.”

The word “prolific” may not suffice. Poole’s hundreds of paintings included portraiture in the style of the Dutch Masters, and landscapes that would be at home in any museum. He painted still lifes, made mystical and abstract sculptures and sketches, and of course, works in the style of Van Gogh.

OETA spoke with Nicole who admittedly knew very little about the art world, but suddenly inherited the responsibility for a creative legacy.

This report originally appeared on OETA’s “Gallery America.”