|
|
|
|
 View Images
USA
South
|
Summerville, GA
Reverend Howard Finster - Paradise Gardens
1916-2001
Preacher, painter and sculptor
|
|
Information:
"The Lord spoke and said:
‘Give up the repair of lawn mowers; Give up the repair of bicycles; Give up the preaching of sermons; Paint my pictures.’ And that’s what I done."
("Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century American Folk Art and Artists" by Chuck and Jan Rosenak, Abbeville Press, New York, 1990.)
Howard Finster is a virtual paradigm for the rural southern "20th Century folk artist." Before turning to art at god's command he was a preacher and a bike repairman, among other things, who made tramp-art-like clock cases. Once he got going, his art was prolific, interesting, visionary and cheap. He built an environment that was stunning in whole and in many of its parts. Finster himself was personally accessible, even if there was an obvious cultural distance as hipster visitors listened politely to his monologues and sermons. Ultimately, the only bit of outsider prestige he was missing was the extra aura of being black.
Considered one of "50 Classic Outsiders", Raw Vision Sourcebook, 2002"
Although Finster may have underpriced his work in the early days, it was clear that he knew what he was about. And as perfectly as he represented so much that was attractive in the wave of self-taught artists who found success in the '80s, he also came to reflect the pitfalls of that success. Endless repetition of work fit mostly for gift shops did nothing for the credibility of more ambitious pieces. Quality plummeted across the board. Photocopied text replaced writing on low-end pieces and fade-prone markers replaced paint. He enlisted family members to assist with the mass production. Eventually the best parts of his Garden were sold off. Almost as quickly as he established himself as an artist of extraordinary vision, Finster raised the question: What happens when such an artist, call him self-taught, outsider or folk, becomes so thoroughly engaged with the art market? What does it mean to be a post-outsider?
(Curator Tim Flinn has generously donated images and text to this site from the exhibit "Howard Finster: Legacy of a Stranger on Earth Returned Home" )
Interesting Ideas: "Howard Finster's Paradise Garden"
|
 |
Bibliography:
"Detour Art—Outsider, Folk Art, and Visionary Folk Art Environments Coast to Coast, Art and Photographs from the Collection of Kelly Ludwig" by Kelly Ludwig, Kansas City Star Books, 2007.
"Rare Visions & Roadside Revelations" (the book), by Randy Mason, Michael Murphy and Don Mayberger, Kansas City Star Publishing, 2002.
On DVD - Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations, "Southern Flavor", KCPT, Kansas City Public Television, 1999-2001.
"Baking in the Sun, Visionary Images from the South" by Andy Nasisse and Maude Wahlman, University of Washington Press, exhibit catalog, 1987.
"Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century American Folk Art and Artists" by Chuck and Jan Rosenak, Abbeville Press, New York, 1990.
"20th Century American Folk, Self Taught, and Outsider Art" by Betty-Carol Sellen, Cynthia J. Johnson, Neal-Schuman Publishers, New York, 1993.
"Passing in the Outsider Lane: Art from the Heart of Twenty-One Self-Taught Artists" by Dan Prince, Journey Editions, 1995.
"Wos Up Man?" Selections from the Joseph D. and Janet M. Sheen Collection of Self-taught Art" by Joyce Henri Robinson, Palmer Museum of Art, 2005.
"Self-Made Worlds: Visionary Environments" by Roger Manley and Mark Sloan, Aperture, New York, 1997.
"Let it Shine: Self-Taught Art from the T. Marshall Hahn Collection" by Lynne E. Spriggs, Joanne Cubbs, Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, Susan Mitchell Crawley, Michael E. Shapiro and Peter Harholdt, organized by the High Museum of Art, 2001.
"Light of the Spirit : Portraits of Southern Outsider Artists" by Karekin Goekjian and Robert Peacock, University of Mississippi Press, 1998.
"Self Taught, Outsider, and Folk Art—A guide to American Artists, Locations and Resources" by Betty-Carol Sellen with Cynthia J. Johnson, McFarland & Company, 2000.
"Contemporary American Folk Art - A Collector's Guide" Chuck and Jan Rosenak, Abbeville Press, 1996.
"Flying Free: Twentieth-Century Self-Taught Art from the Collection of Ellin and Baron Gordon" by Ellin Gordon, Barbara L. Luck and Tom Patterson, exhibit catalog for The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center, 1997.
"The Intuitive Eye, The Mendelsohn Collection" by Gael Mendelsohn, Michael Mendelsohn, Ricco/Maresca Gallery, FotoFolio,U.S., 2000.
"Contemporary Folk Art: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum" by Tom Patterson, Watson-Guptill Publications/New York, 2001.
"Raw Creation: Outsider Art and Beyond" by John Maizels, 1996.
"American Self-Taught Art: An Illustrated Analysis of 20th Century Artists and Trends with 1,319 Capsule Biographies" by Florence Laffal and Julius Laffal, 2003.
"Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations Coast to Coast Travel-o-Pedia" by Randy Mason, et. al., Kansas City Star Books, 2009. |
|
|
Credit: |
|
|
Credit: Oliver's Folk Art |
|
|
From the collection of Kelly Ludwig
Credit: Kelly Ludwig |
|
|
Gabriel Trumpting Angel
February 22, 1990
Painting on wood (oil or water-based)
Size: 50 x 12"
From the collection of Kelly Ludwig, featured in the book Detour Art 2007.
Credit: Kelly Ludwig |
|
|
Holy Life and Holy Time
February 21, 1986
Painting on wood (oil or water-based)
From the collection of Kelly Ludwig, featured in the book Detour Art 2007.
Credit: Kelly Ludwig |
| |
