Folk Art (Winter 1994/1995)

FOLK ART MAGAZINE OF THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART * WINTER 1994/95 * $6.00

Ss.

FRANK J. MIELE gallery

A Survey of Self-Taught American Artists of the Twentieth Century January 3 - February 4

January 27 - 29

February 7 - March 11 Artists Reception: Tuesday, February 7, from 6 to 9

March 14 - April 8 Artist Reception: Saturday, March 18, from 2 to 5

April 11 - May 6 Artist Reception: Saturday, April 15, from 2 to 5

May 9 - June 10 Artists Reception: Saturday, May 13, from 2 to 5

1262 Madison Avenue (at 90th Street) New York, N.Y. 10128 (212) 876-5775

STEVE HILLER 窶｢ AMERICAN FOLK ART 窶｢

THE ART OF THE WEATHERVANE JANUARY 15 窶認EBRUARY 15, 1995 A show and sale of this unique American folk art genre. Over thirty examples of 19th century American weathervanes, both production and individual efforts. Monday through Saturday, 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm. Sunday and mornings by appointment.

17 East 96th Street, New York, New York 10128(212)348-5219 Gallery hours are from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm,Tuesday through Saturday.

Other hours are available by appointment.

American Antiquts,31nr.

Furnishing quality antiques and folk art to collectors, dealers and museums for investment and pleasure at reasonable prices since 1976.

A PHILADELPHIA SILK THREAD AND PAINT ON SILK EMBROIDERY. This recently discovered folk rarity characterizes the informal spontaneity associated with only the best in American folk art. This embroidery is unique in that it depicts three young boys playing musical instruments and a young boy and girl frolicking. This playful portrait is obviously one of the most desirable and charming of silk embroidery works, circa 1810-1820. Original frame with Philadelphia characteristics, replaced glass.

18 3/4 x 15 3/4 inches, including frame. 12 3/4 x 10 inches, oval size.

Reference: Girlhood Embroidery Vol. II, by Betty Ring, "Philadelphia in the Federal Period," pp. 361-387.

Provenance is available to the purchaser.

Austin T. Miller • 685 Farrington Road, Columbus, Ohio • (614) 848-4080

• Decorated blanket chest, 1830, Berks County, Pennsylvania • Folk art 19th century bed, possibly Virginia, wonderful carving and red paint • Hooked stag rug, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, early 20th century

late 19th century, Olev Valley, Berks Count

AMERICAN ANTIQUES & QUILTS

Late nineteenth century painted gameboard. 18 x 35 inches.

BLANCHE GREENSTEIN THOMAS K. WOODARD 799 Madison Avenue New York, N.Y. 10021 (212) 988-2906•

We are always interested in purchasing exceptional guilts Photographs returned promptly. Telephone responses welcome

FOLK ART VOLUME 19, NUMBER 4 / WINTER 1994/95 (FORMERLY THE CLARION)

FEATURES

SPINNING IN A LONELY ORBIT: THE WORK OF DROSSOS P. SKYLLAS Jenifer P. Borum

33

THE SEARCH FOR EMELINE BARKER Deborah Lyttle Ash

42

MINNIE EVANS & ME Nina Howell Starr

50

Cover: UNTITLED (bull's head with sunset and eyes); Minnie Evans(1892-1987); Wilmington, North Carolina; c. 1960; Graphite, ink, wax crayon, and collage on paper; 111 / 488'!,"; collection ofDorothea M. Silverman; photograph by Ken Showell Folk Art is published four times a year by the Museum of American Folk Art,61 West 62nd Street, NY,NY 10023, Tel. 212/977-7170, Fax 212/977-8134. Prior to Fall 1992, Volume 17, Number 3, Folk Art was published as The Clarion. Annual subscription rate for members is included in membership dues. Copies are mailed to all members. Single copy $6.00. Published and copyright 1994 by the Museum of American Folk Art, 61 West 62nd Street, NY,NY 10023. The cover and contents of Folk Art are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Museum of American Folk Art. Unsolicited manuscripts or photographs should be accompanied by return postage. Folk Art assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of such materials.

Change of address: Please send both old and new addresses and allow five weeks for change. Advertising: Folk Art accepts advertisements only from advertisers whose reputation is recognized in the trade, but despite the care with which the advertising department screens photographs and texts submitted by its advertisers, it cannot guarantee the unquestionable authenticity of objects or quality of services advertised in its pages or offered for sale by its advertisers, nor can it accept responsibility for misunderstandings that may arise from the purchase or sale of objects or services advertised in its pages. The Museum is dedicated to the exhibition and interpretation of folk art and it is a violation of its principles to be involved in or to appear to be involved in the sale of works of art. For this reason, the Museum will not knowingly accept advertisements for Folk Art that illustrate or describe objects that have been exhibited at the Museum within one year of placing an advertisement.

DEPARTMENTS

EDITOR'S COLUMN

8

DIRECTOR'S LETTER

13

MINIATURES

18

BOOK REVIEWS

24

MUSEUM CHRISTMAS TREES EXHIBITION

60

MUSEUM REPRODUCTIONS PROGRAM

64

TRUSTEES/DONORS

65

MUSEUM NEWS

70

TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS

76

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

88

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 5

LESLIE MUTH GALLERY) Contemporary American Folk Art The gallery is pleased to announce the availability of a rare collection of oils on canvas by Andrea Badami. Some ofthese will be available at our booth at the 1995 Outsider Fair at the Puck Building, the last weekend of January, in New York City. For a complete set of photographs ofthe works, please contact the gallery.

Andrea Badami,Priest with Child, oil on canvas, 24.5x19.5", nd.

leroy almon, Sr. eddie arning delbert buck david butler patrick davis mamie deschillie "uncle pete" drgac estate rev. howard finster ezekiel gibbs sybil gibson william hawkins justin mccarthy ike morgan "prophet" royal robinson sulton rogers "alex" sandoval mary t. smith sarah mary taylor willie white 225 East Be Vargas Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505)989-4620 FAX (505)989-4937

William Edmondson January 14 — March 4, 1995 "Miracles," The Sculptures of William Edmondson

Angel c. 1935 carved limestone 23 x 11 1/2 x 63/4 inches

Janet Fleisher GALLERY 211 South 17th Street PHILADELPHIA I 0 3 1 9 (215)545.7562/7589

Color catalogue will be available, with an essay by Jack Lindsey.

EDITOR 'S

COLUMN

A

ROSEMARY GABRIEL

s we come to the close of another calendar year, I want to thank all of you, our members and advertisers, for your support throughout 1994. In the past year, we have featured articles on a wide variety of folk expressions. With that aim in mind for 1995, we have included in this issue essays on Drossos P. Skyllas, a controversial contemporary self-taught artist, Minnie Evans, an African-American visionary, and Emeline Barker, an extraordinary quiltmaker of a century ago.

Anyone who has thumbed through the pages of the Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists, by Chuck and Jan Rosenak, has undoubtedly been arrested by the startling image on page 281. It is a detail of Drossos P. Skyllas's 1967 portrait of a Greek bishop. The caption for this image aptly begins,"This radiant rendering...." In our lead story,"Spinning in a Lonely Orbit: The Work of Drossos P. Skyllas," Jenifer P. Borum discusses his work and why it is so difficult to categorize him. Skyllas's aim, by his own admission, was for photographic realism. Borum suggests that Skyllas's personal vision caused him to shoot way past that mark. The result, a super-realism that is admired by some,scorned by others, and however strange, is often radiant and mesmerizing. "...[F]or without the quiltmaker, the history of quilts could not exist." So begins the essay on page 42 about an outstanding Mariner's Compass quilt in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York. In "The Search for Emeline Barker," Deborah Lyttle Ash unfolds the story of her efforts to document this quilt and its maker. She recounts the steps that led her to Mott Street in New York's downtown area in the 1820s,to Cow's Neck, Long Island, and New Rochelle, New York,in the DIANE, SUNRISE REFLECTION; Drossos P. 1700s, and to present-day Brooklyn. Skyllas; Chicago, Illinois; 1960; oil on canShe discusses the quilt's makeup—its vas; 42 x 50"; collection of Roger Brown; courtesy Phyllis Kind Gallery, New York intricate and perfect piecing and its exquisite stitching—and gives us a bit of the history of the Mariner's Compass motif in American quilting. Deborah Ash writes her story with a warmth that lets us share thejoy she obviously felt in discovering the woman behind a name inscribed on a tour de force of a quilt laboriously stitched over a century ago.

Nina Howell Starr met Minnie Evans in 1962 and represented her for more than twenty years. During that time, and up until Minnie Evans died in 1987,they remained close correspondents and dear friends. In her essay "Minnie Evans & Me," Starr shares with us the beginnings of that special relationship. This very personal account is illustrated by photographs taken by Nina Howell Starr between 1962 and 1977.

If you plan to visit the Museum during the holiday season, the current exhibition,"Every Picture Tells a Story: Word and Image in American Folk Art," will be on view through January 15, and The Historical Society of Early American Decoration's annual Christmas trees will be up from December 6 through January 8. On behalf of Folk Art and the entire Museum staff, I wish you a delightful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.

"te"-iavei 8 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

FOLK ART

Rosemary Gabriel Editor and Publisher Jeffrey Kibler, The Magazine Group,Inc. Design Tanya Heinrich Production Editor Benjamin J. Boyington Copy Editor Marilyn Brechner Advertising Manager Craftsmen Litho Printers MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART Administration

Gerard C. Wertkin Director Karen S. Schuster Deputy Director for Planning and Administration Riccardo Salmona Deputy Director for External Relations Joan M. Walsh Controller Mary Ziegler Administrative Assistant Jeffrey Grand Senior Accountant Christopher Giuliano Accountant Carlos E. Ubarri Mailroom and Reception Alphonzo J. Ford Mailroom and Reception Collections & Exhibitions

Stacy C. Hollander Curator Ann-Marie Reilly Registrar Judith Gluck Steinberg Assistant Registrar/ Coordinator, Traveling Exhibitions Pamela Brown Gallery Manager Danielle Schwartz Weekend Gallery Manager Gina Bianco Consulting Conservator Elizabeth V. Warren Consulting Curator Howard Lanser Consulting Exhibition Designer Kenneth R. Bing Security Departments

Beth Bergin Membership Director Marie S. DiManno Director ofMuseum Shops Susan Flamm Public Relations Director Alice J. Hoffman Director ofLicensing Katie Cochran Director ofDevelopment Janey Fire Photographic Services Chris Cappiello Membership Associate Jennifer A. Waters Development Associate Maryann Warakomski Assistant Director ofLicensing Edith C. Wise Consulting Librarian Eugene P. Sheehy Museum Bibliographer Katya Ullmann Library Assistant Programs

Lee Kogan Director, Folk Art Institute/Senior Research Fellow Barbara W.Cate Educational Consultant Dr. Marilynn Karp Director, New York University Master's and Ph. D. Program in Folk Art Studies Dr. Judith Reiter Weissman Coordinator, New York University Program Arlene Hochman Coordinator, Docent Programs Howard P. Fertig Chairman, Friends Committee Museum Shop Staff Managers: Dorothy Gargiulo, Caroline Hohenrath, Rita Pollitt; Information Systems Management: Claudia Andrade; Mail Order: Beverly McCarthy; Security: Bienvenido Medina; Volunteers: Marie Anderson, Judy Baker, Marilyn Banks, Olive Bates, Catherine Barreto, Mary Campbell, Ann Coppinger, Sally Elfant, Sally Frank, Jennifer Gerber, Millie Gladstone, Elli Gordon,Inge Graff, Dale Gregory, Edith Gusoff, Ann Hannon, Bernice Hoffer, Elizabeth Howe, Annette Levande, Arleen Luden, Katie McAuliffe, Nancy Mayer,Theresa Naglack, Leslie Nina, Pat Pancer, Marie Peluso, Judy Rich, Frances Rojack, Phyllis Selnick, Myra Shaskan, Lola Silvergleid, Maxine Spiegel, Mary Wamsley, Marion Whitley, Helen Zimmerman Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shops 62 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10112-1507 212/247-5611 Two Lincoln Square(Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th) New York, NY 10023-6214 212/496-2966

9T SiunNad - gT Siunuur

cig

"Plant/Animal Form with Man and Dog," compressed charcoal on cardboard, ca.1939-42, 11 3/4" H x 7 3/4" W

We will be exhibiting at the Outsider Art Fair on Saturday, January 28th and Sunday, January 29th, 1995

RICCO/MARESCA GALLERY 152 WOOSTER STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10012. 212.780.0071 (FAX) 212.780.0076

Fine Americana IMPORTANT 20m

CENTURY

FOLK ART PIECES FROM THE GEOFFREY HOLDER COLLECIION WILL BE INCLUDED IN SOTHEBY'S UPCOMING SALE. AUCTION: January 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30, 1995 EXHIBITI0N: OpensJanuary 22, 1995 Illustrated catalogues are available at our offices and galleries worldwide and through the mail.

To order by phone, please call (800) 444-3709.

INQUIRIES: Nancy Druckman or Laura Evans at (212) 606-7225, Sotheby's, 1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021 Vernon Burwell, 1985, "The Big Red Hat", painted concrete, 28 x 13 x 11.

Auction estimate: $1,500-2,500

0.

SOTHEBY'S FOUNDED 1744 THE

WORLD'S

LEADING

FINE

ART

AUCTION

HOUSE

MINNIE EVANS 4tila4 PAINTINGS Jan — Feb

C

-% a,* -

The estate of Minnie Evans is represented by Luise Ross Gallery

ROSS

50 West 57 Street

New York NY

GALLERY 10019

212 307-0400

T2 DAVID ZELDIS DRAWINGS Lizard and Volcano 1984-5

LUISE

Jan — Feb

JOEL AND KATE KOPP

AMERICA HURRAH 766 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK NY 10021 tel 212.535.1930 fax 212.249.9718

HORACE BUNDY Portrait of Asa A.Ellison Oil on canvas 31" x 36" including period grain-painted frame

(1814-1883)

Signed, dated and inscribed on reverse of canvas: Asa A. Ellison Agd. 1 year 10 months Springfield Vt. Dec 9th 1845 H. Bundy

DIRECTOR'S

LET

TER

GERARD C. WERTKIN

ince the founding of the Museum of American Folk Art in 1961, one of the institution's principal goals has been to assemble a collection of masterworks that are truly representative of the field. As the Museum developed, and as objects of increasing importance entered the permanent collection, it became clear that a major effort in cultural conservation had been undertaken. In the successful realization of this objective, few friends have been more helpful or more generous than Jean Lipman and her late husband, Howard. As many members will recall, it was the donation of the Lipman folk art library in 1981 that spurred the Museum's efforts to organize a comprehensive resource for research and scholarship in the field of American folk art.

In this column, I have highlighted several important objects presented by Jean Lipman to the Museum in the last several years. It is with a special sense of gratitude that I announce the most recent in this series of accessions: an exuberantly painted and decorated chest of drawers (Massachusetts, 1825-1835)that was included in the landmark 1974 exhibition "The Flowering of American Folk Art," presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Earlier this season, Cyril I. Nelson, who serves as Chairman of the Museum's Accessions Committee, Curator Stacy C. Hollander, Deputy Director Riccardo Salmona, and I visited Jean Lipman's New York apartment at her invitation to select other works of art for the Museum. As a result, a number of additional, equally splendid works will soon be added to the permanent collection. On behalf of everyone here, I want to thank Jean Lipman for her great friendship and her continuing commitment to the realization of the Museum's goals.

It is a special privilege for me to welcome Edward Lee Cave, the distinguished New York realtor, to the Museum's Board of Trustees.

Mr. Cave was elected to a regular three-year term at the Board's September 1994 Annual Meeting. He brings to his service as a Trustee not only wide-ranging experience in real estate, but an impressive background in the fine and decorative arts. In generously agreeing to place his expertise at the disposal of the Museum, Mr. Cave has also accepted the chairmanship of the Museum's benefit auction, now being planned for April 11, 1995, at Sotheby's here in New York. With Edward Lee Cave at the helm I know that the auction will be outstanding, and I suggest that you mark your calendars now and plan to be with us for this wonderful event.

In September, I attended the meeting of the Historical Society of Early American Decoration in Farmington, Connecticut, and received a very generous contribution for the Museum from the Society's Old Colony Chapter. This gift is earmarked for the publication of a book on the collections presented to the Museum by the Society. I am deeply grateful to the members of the Old Colony Chapter and to all the Museum's friends in the HSEAD for their enthusiastic support.

Although the Museum's highly regarded and popular shops regularly operate from two locations in Manhattan—adjacent to the Museum galleries at Two Lincoln Square and in Rockefeller Center at 62 West 50th Street—members and friends of the Museum have become accustomed to finding the shop elsewhere, as well. Under the very capable leadership of Marie DiManno,this important Museum department operates temporary shops at such popular annual events as the Fall Antiques

BLANKET CHEST; artist unknown; Massachusetts; 1825-1835; painted wood; 393/4 / 421/4 x 18/ 1 4" deep; Museum of American Folk Art, gift of Jean Lipman in honor of Cyril I. Nelson. 1994.5.1

Show at the Pier, the Outsider Art Fair, and the New York Quilt Festival. Last summer,the shop even traveled beyond New York; its wonderfully comprehensive selection of books was available for sale at Folk Fest'94 in Atlanta. During the holiday shopping season, the shop will also be found, for the second year in a row,in a special market at New York's Grand Central Station.

Earned revenues from shop sales enable the Museum of American Folk Art to sustain its various public services, including the presentation of exhibitions and educational programming. It is my pleasure to acknowledge with gratitude the dedication and commitment of Marie DiManno and her very loyal Museum Shop staff. I should also like to express my thanks to members and friends who enthusiastically support the Museum through Museum Shop purchases and to encourage all of you to consider the wonderful selection of gift items available in the shop when you plan for holiday gift giving this year. Members,of course, are entitled to a 10% discount on shop purchases.

The Museum lost two dear friends recently: Laura Harding of Bayonet Farm, Holmdel, New Jersey, and Samuel Schwartz of Paterson, New Jersey. Miss Harding, who will be remembered by the Museum's members and friends for her major contributions to the Museum's permanent collection, arranged for the Museum to select additional objects from her home following her death. For this kindness and her many generous benefactions through the years, all of us will remain deeply grateful to her.

For many years, Samuel Schwartz and his late wife, Esther Ipp Schwartz, were valued colleagues of this institution. Mrs. Schwartz, who served as a Trustee immediately after the Museum's founding in 1961, was a pioneer scholar and collector in the American folk and decorative arts. Samuel Schwartz not only was an enthusiastic partner in her efforts, but,following her death, arranged for the Museum (in conjunction with The Pennsylvania German Society and Hudson Hills Press)to publish in facsimile a major work in their collection: The Picture-Bible ofLudwig Denig. The field of American folk art has been notable for the spirit, dedication, and sense of adventure of its pioneers; their loss is all the more difficult to sustain. To the families of Laura Harding and Samuel Schwartz go the heartfelt condolences of the Museum's Board of Trustees and staff.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 13

The Collection of Mr.and Mrs.Eddy Nicholson Auctions to be held January 27 and 28,1995 in our galleries at 502 Park Avenue,NewYork,NewYork 10022.

The Collection will be on view from January 21. For inquiries regarding this sale,please contact Susan D. Kleckner (American Decorative Arts) at 212 546 1181.

To purchase a catalogue,please call 800 395 6300.

A pieced and appliqueed cotton quilted coverlet,Baltimore,Maryland, inscribedJohn and Rebecca Chamberlain, and dated 1848.

Estimate:$70,000-100,000. To be offered on January 28.

Principal Auctioneer: Christopher Burge #761543

CHRISTIE'S

JOSEPH H. DAVIS (1811-1865)

9), ftwir

Charles, Comfort, and Isaac Caverly Watercolor, pen and ink on paper, 10 1/2 x 15 inches, original frame, untouched original condition Inscribed: Painted at Caverly's Hill / One mile from Bow-Pond (N.H.)/ July 16th 1836 This recent major discovery descended directly in the sitter's family and has never before appeared in the marketplace.

Davis' other Caverly family works appear in Three New England Watercolor Painters (Art Institute of Chicago-1974).

Attributed to

EDWIN PLUMMER (1802-1880) ,

.111111.1.••••00.M.

Elizabeth, John, Mary, and Moses Marsh (aged nine, seven, three, and five) Watercolor and pencil on paper, each approximately 4 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, exclusive of frames The book held by John is dated 1826. The children are descendents of the Carleton family, originally of Plaistow, N.H.

lig

Joseph S. Caldwell, III is a member of the Private Art Dealers Association and the Appraisers Association of America, Inc.

BUYING • SELLING • APPRAISING• CONSULTING

!

74 -Tr -71 The Ita Caldwell 7 Gallery

We welcome your inquiry.

800-331-1278 (Toll-free) 315-682-6551 (Phone) 315-682-4032 (Fax) 4574 Meadowridge Road Manlius, NY 13104

Robert Cargo

FOLK ART GALLERY Contemporary Folk Art • Haitian Spirit Flags Southern, Folk, and African-American Quilts

()Ma. Haitian voodoo flags.

Beads and sequins on cloth or canvas backing. Ca. 1985.

Top, left to right: Damballah/St. Patrick, 33 x 30 inches; Damballah, 41 x 31.

Bottom: Erzulie Dantor, 29 x 39; Damballah/St. Patrick, 32 x 30.

Other flags available: Agoue, Baron Samedi/Guede, Bossou, Erzulie Freda, Grandbois, La Sirene, Trois Marassas, Cousin Zacca.

2314 Sixth Street, Downtown, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 • Home Phone 205-758-8884 Open weekends only and by appointment • Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 5 p.m.

Experience

the Fantasy

Photography and Paintings by

Eugene Von Bruenchenhein

CARL HAMMER GALLERY 200 West Superior Street - Chicago, Illinois 60610 - 312.266.8512

FOLK CARVING DAVID WHEATCROFT 220 East Main Street Westborough, Massachusetts 01581 508-366-1723

Carved and polychromed articulated black figure c. 1910

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 17

MINI

A

TUR

ES

EPSTEIN/POWELL COMPILED BY TANYA HEINRICH

Twentieth-Century American Folk Artists at The Newark Museum

Mr. Eddy, Oil on board, 12"x16"

Jesse Aaron David Butler Rex Clawson Vestie Davis Roy Ferdinand Victor Joseph Gatto (estate) Lonnie Holley S.L. Jones Lawrence Lebduska Charlie Lucas Justin McCarthy Old Ironsides Pry Popeye Reed Max Romain Jack Savitsky Clarence Stringfield Mose Tolliver Chief Willey George Williams Luster Willis ...among others

EPSTEIN/POWELL 22 Wooster St., New York, N.Y. 10013

By Appointment(212)226-7316

18 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

"A World of their Own: Twentieth-Century American Folk Artists" will open at The Newark Museum in Newark, N.J., on January 26, 1995, where it will remain on view through April 23.

Organized by Joseph Jacobs, curator of painting and sculpture, the exhibition will include a selection of quality pieces that span the century and encompass a broad range of issues, including the concept of the Outsider. As a reflection of the approaching end of the 20th century, the works are to be regarded more as paintings and sculpture than as traditional utilitarian folk art in an effort to make a more clear distinction. The 19 artists included, each of whom has cultivated a compellingly unique

SUNBURST; John Scholl; Germania, Pennsylvania; 1907-1916; wood, 1 2"; paint, wire, metal; 71 x 38 x 24/ collection of the Museum of American Folk Art; 1982.8.1

style, are William Blayney, David Butler, Henry Darger, Thornton Dial, Sr., Sam Doyle, William Edmondson, Howard Finster, William Hawkins, Laura Craig McNellis, J.B. Murry, Martin Ramirez, John Scholl, Bill Traylor, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Joseph Yoakum,Purvis Young, Willie Young,and two anonymous artists. The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated 80-page catalog. For more information, call 201/596-6550.

Blizzard Pottery in Virginia The Meadow Farm Museum in Richmond, Va., has an exhibition of Virginia folk art on display through February 19, 1995.

"Georgia Blizzard: Southern Visionary Artist," curated by Brian Sieveking,features 24 works by the self-taught potter from Glade Springs. With an

expressive hand, Blizzard has formed beautiful and grotesque figurative vessels, plaques, and boxes, borrowing ancient and traditional forms to explore her personal experiences and emotions.

For more information, call 804/672-5100.

Legacy of 19th-Century Alabama A major traveling exhibition showcasing Alabama's rich 19thcentury cultural heritage is on view at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Birmingham, Ala., through January 8, 1995. Initiated and organized by curator E. Bryding Adams,"Made in Alabama: A State Legacy" is the culmination of extensive research conducted throughout the state since 1985 and comprises nearly 300 decorative arts objects, paintings, photographs, textiles, and pieces of furniture of the 6,000 pieces thus far documented. The exhibition, which will

travel to museums in Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery, Ala., through January 1996, is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog. For more information, call 205/254-2566.

THE JAMES TRIMBLE FAMILY Attributed to Joseph Thoits Moore; Wetumpka, Alabama; c. 1850; oil on canvas;62 x 48"; collection of Mrs. Alexander Mather

OUTSTANDING OUTSIDER ART! Annie Hooper In North Carolina The life's work of North Carolina self-taught artist Annie Hooper will be on display in its entirety for the first time at the recently constructed Foundations Gallery at North Carolina State University's Visual Arts Center in Raleigh, N.C., beginning February 16, 1995. Hooper, a housewife and Sunday school teacher who died in 1985,spent the last 35 years of her life creating a monumental environment—a personal interpretation of ancient history consisting of thousands of biblically inspired sculptures made of driftwood and concrete—within her house at Cape Hatteras, N.C. Angels,sheep, prophets, and scriptural messages fashioned on Styrofoam meat trays filled every available space of her home,leaving only narrow pathways for viewers to walk through the environment. The exhibition, curated by Roger Manley and on view through June 1995, is the realization of Hooper's intent to have her piece Ship,Sea 81 Sky "Ship,Sea & Sky: The Marine Art of James Edward Buttersworth," a major retrospective of the American master artist, will be on view at the Terra Museum of American Art in Chicago from January 10 through April 2, 1995.

Buttersworth, who emigrated to West Hoboken, NJ., in 1847, transformed the genre of marine painting into an evocative personal vision of the cultural force of 19th-century America. The simplicity and lyricism of his work had much in common with the celebrated landscapes of the Hudson River School. Also on view, through December 31, 1994, is the traveling exhibition "Revisit-

Annie Hooper in 1983 standing amid SERMON ON THE MOUNT and LAND OF CANAAN; Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; driftwood, cement, English putty, and house paint; collection of the Visual Arts Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

on display in a larger site. However, the presenters of the exhibition will seek to maintain the ambiance of the environment's original context in Hooper's home. A public symposium held from March 24 through March 26 and featuring a series of internationally recognized scholars and authorities will help place Hooper's work in the spectrum of selftaught art. For more information, call 919/515-3503.

ing Ammi Phillips: Fifty Years of American Portraiture," organized by the Museum of American Folk Art. For more information, call 312/664-3939.

Correction The photograph accompanying the item on the exhibition "Hairstyle Boards and Fantasy Coffins from Africa"("Miniatures," Fall 1994, Vol. 19, No. 3, page 32) was incorrectly credited. The barber shop sign is from the collection of Deborah Cholet and Anthony Fisher, courtesy Indigo Arts, Philadelphia, photo credit Bruce Matthews.

From a selection of works by

Jerry Coker

Increasingly sought after by public and private collectors and museums, Jerry Coker's work is currently included in a two year, world wide travelling exhibit sponsored by the American Arts Council. Characterizing his sculptures as Identity Masks, and with an emphasis on found metals, Jerry Coker translates his personal influences into a strong visual statement and artistic record which sing with honest appeal and spontaneous energy.

FACE VALUE The Identity Masks ofJerry Coker Recently published four colour catalogue on the work of Jerry Coker, with an extensive commentary by Roger Cardinal, is now available.

MAR!ON HARR!S Four colour catalogue—$25.00, $28.00 by

mail.

Please call, write or fax to order.

WOODHAVEN,SIMSBURY, CONN.06070 Tr 203 -658-9333 • FAX: 203 -658.9333

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 111

MINIATURES

AMERICAN PRIMITIVE Quilt Exhibitions Roundup

GALLERY

"Lit From Within: Amish Quilts of Lancaster County" will be on view at the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, Calif., through February 26, 1995. Organized by Julie Silber, the exhibition comprises 30 quilts drawn from the collection of Doug Tompkins.

Crafted between 1880 and 1950, these Amish quilts showcase a visual synthesis of the ideal that spiritual beauty is the result of utmost simplicity, perfect group harmony, and a reverence for tradition. For more information, call 714/494-8971.

"Threads Through the County: Quilting in Monmouth 17901900" will be on view at the Monmouth County Historical Association Museum and Library's main gallery in Freehold, N.J., through March 17, 1995. Included among the 22

REV. ALBERT WAGNER St. Simon of Syrenia 596 Broadway 212-966-1530

#205

Erotic Folk Art

20 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Ht. 44 inches

New York, New York 10012 Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm January 12 - February 25

Free Within Ourselves The National Museum of American Art presents "Free Within Ourselves: African-American Art from the Museum's Collection," a major exhibition celebrating the many achievements of AfricanAmerican artists, at its Renwick Gallery, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., through February 26, 1995. The title of the show is derived from an essay by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes that was first published in 1926.

The exhibition is drawn from the museum's holdings and includes works by both academically trained and self-taught artists. More than 170 works dating from as early as 1805 were selected by curator Lynda Roscoe Hartigan to highlight the creativity of African-American artists.

quilts is a circa 1790 whole-cloth quilt of rose-pink wool. For more information, call 908/462-1466.

A compelling 19th-century appliquĂŠ quilt by Harriet Powers, a former slave, is part of the textile exhibition "Sweet Dreams: Bedcovers and Bed Clothes," on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through March 12, 1995.

For more information, call 617/267-9300.

"Collection Quilts," a selection of quilts from the permanent collection of The Hudson River Museum of Westchester in Yonkers, N.Y., is on view through December 30. Included is a pieced sampler quilt, made in 1887 by New York tailor Adolf Schermer. For information, call 914/963-4550.

The Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, Md.,is presenting

PEACE WITH HONOR; Elijah Pierce; Columbus, Ohio; 1973; carved and painted wood with glitter; 113/8 x 18 x 1/ 1 4"; National Museum of American Art, gift of David L Davies, 1992.37.4

The comprehensive scope brings into focus a range of interests and concerns in African-American art: spirituality, social issues, the perception of ancestry and identity, and the improvisational use of materials and techniques.

A fully illustrated catalog accompanies the exhibition. For information, call 202/357-2247.

OUTSTANDING OUTSIDER ART! Paradise Garden Project DIAMOND; Amish quilt; artist unknown; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; c. 1920; pieced and quilted wools; 78

78";

collection of Doug Tompkins

two exhibitions selected from the museum's diverse collection of textiles."Sweet Dreams: Quilts and Coverlets from the Collection," on display through December 31,features 24 quilts and coverlets, including Baltimore Album quilts, crib quilts, and crazy quilts. "Starry Nights: StarPatterned Quilts from the Collection," an adjunct to "Sweet Dreams," will be on display through April 16, 1995. For more information, call 410/396-6300.

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is launching a major initiative to acquire, catalog, house, and conserve the artworks, archives, and related materials from Howard Finster's Paradise Garden, his exuberant environment in Pennville, Ga. Included in the acquisition are a number of outstanding examples of Finster's early work, among them a cement sculpture of an infant seated above a den of serpents and the large sign painted with a poem that hung over the entrance to the garden. The acquisition also includes many boxes of archival materials, artist's supplies, records, and smaller works of art, which will be counted and cataloged as the project progresses. For more information, call 404/733-4435.

From a selection of works by

Scottie Wilson

WEANED CHILD ON THE CICATRICES DEN; Howard Finster; Paradise Garden, Pennville, Georgia; date unknown; cement; 43 x 38"; collection of the

High

Museum of Art,

Atlanta, Georgia

Japanese Folk Art In Manhattan "Otsu-e: Japanese Folk Painting from the Harriet and Edson Spencer Collection" will be on view at the Japan Society in New York City until January 8, 1995.

Produced in Japan between the 17th and 19th centuries by anonymous artists with little or no formal training, otsu-e are simple yet highly expressive images marked by a pattemized style and vigorous brushwork.

Otsu-e take their name from Otsu, a town along the heavily traveled road that linked the his-

torical capital of Kyoto with the new and burgeoning capital of Edo(present-day Tokyo). Otsu was a stopping point for pilgrims and travelers who purchased otsu-e as souvenirs.

The exhibition, organized by The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, features 25 paintings in addition to selections of folk art(mingei) from the Japan Society's Folk Art Collection. A fully illustrated catalog is available. For more information, call 212/752-3015.

Scottie Wilson, defined as naive, primitive, a genius and visionary, is known for his intricate ink and pencil drawings depicting forms of nature within colourful symmetrical designs. A contemporary and peer of Dubuffet and Picasso, who were collectors of his work, Scottie Wilson is one of the few Outsider artists represented in many major museums as well as Collection L'Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland. Featured in numerous exhibits and catalogues, Scottie Wilson's work was included in the landmark exhibit, Parallel Visions, at The Los Angeles Museum of Art in 1992.

Exceptional works by the following artists also available: F.B. Archuleta, Leroy Archuleta, Larry Bissonnette, Georgia Blizzard, Jerry Coker, Rev. Herman Hayes, Ralph Auf der Heide, Albert Louden, B.F. Perkins, Max Romain, Jimmy Lee Sudduth,Sarah Mary Taylor, Purvis Young and many others.

MAR!ON HARR!S :.

WOODHAVEN,SIMSBURY, CONN.06070 IT 203 - 658 - 9333

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 21

MINIATURES PORTRAIT OF MRS. FLORIDE

MANHATTAN ART &ANTIQUES CENTER

BONNEAU CALHOUN; artist unknown; Georgia; c. 1786; 1 2 ; collecoil on canvas; 29% x 24/ tion of the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia

The Nation's Largest and Finest Antiques Center.

Over 100 galleries offering Period Furniture, Jewelry, Silver, Americana, Orientalia, Africana and other Objets d'Art. Open Daily 10:30-6, Sun. 12-6 Convenient Parking • Open to the Public

AVENUE(AT 56TH ST.) NEW YORK, N.Y. Tel: 212-355-4400 • Fax: 212-355-4403

1050 SECOND

PRESENTS

LAURA FISHER GALLERY #84

Hooked rug, floral diamond grid with scrollwork border, 7'x9', c. 1900,from a collection of room-size rugs.

Antique Quilts Hooked Rugs Coverlets Paisley Shawls Beacon Blankets Vintage Accessories American Folk Art

Monday—Saturday 11 AM-6 PM

Tel: 212-838-2596

22 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

A Proper Likeness "A Proper Likeness: Plain Style Portraits in Georgia Collections" will be presented at the High Museum of Art Folk Art and Photography Galleries at the Georgia-Pacific Center in Atlanta from January 7 through April 8, 1995. The exhibition features approximately 30 folk paintings, all of which share an uncompromising emphasis on revealing a true likeness and what curator Judy Larson calls the "plain" style: straightforward, vigorous, and expressive without pretense.

Portraiture was the mainstay of many 18th- and 19th-century amateur and itinerant artists who either traveled in search of commissions or opened studios in rural areas, advertising their services to patrons who desired a visual record of family members.

Demand for such eloquent portraits increased from the late 18th century until the mid-19th century as the United States grew and prospered. The exhibition features paintings of many individuals with connections to the history of Georgia, as well as two portraits of children, both by unidentified artists, and a memorial portrait of a teenage bride that was commissioned posthumously by her grieving husband.

For more information, call 404/733-4444.

Helen Cordero 1915-1994 Helen Cordero, Cochiti Pueblo potter and creator of storyteller figures, died on July 24, 1994, at the Santa Fe Indian Hospital after a long illness.

Cordero created her storyteller figure, an open-mouthed male ceramic figure with little children clinging to his body and resting on his lap, in 1964. The form was inspired by Cordero's grandfather, Santiago Quintano, a storyteller who was well known in his community for maintaining the strong Pueblo oral tradition.

Of her work,Cordero commented,"All my potteries come out of my heart. They're my little people. I talk to them and they're singing."

The artist received a New Mexico Governor's Award in 1982 and a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in 1986. Cordero's figures are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; The Heard Museum,Phoenix, Ariz.; and the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of International Folk Art, both in Santa Fe, N. Mex. She is survived by her husband Fernando, her daughter Tonila Tanscosa, two foster sons, her mother, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

—Lee Kogan

OUTSTANDING OUTSIDER ART! Bessie Ruth Harvey 1929-1994 Bessie Harvey, noted self-taught artist, died in her sleep at her home in Alcoa, Tenn., on August ;ffl.

12, 1994. For many years, the artist suffered from congestive heart disease. she could teach by showing the Harvey was known for her spirit in her work." powerful figural works conThe first major museum exhistructed of roots and branches. bition of Harvey's art was "OutThese pieces were inspired by side the Mainstream: Folk Art in her creative response to life, her Our Time," Georgia-Pacific Cenpersonal and deeply felt religious ter, High Museum of Art, Atlanta faith, and her respect for and (1988). This was followed by identification with her African"Gifted Visions: Black-American American heritage. Beads, glitter, Folk Art," Atrium Gallery, Unihair, bits ofjewelry, artificial versity of Connecticut, Storrs flowers, feathers, shells, and (1988);"Black Art, Ancestral other pieces of wood enhanced Legacy: The African Impulse in African-American Art," Dallas the meaning and embellished the form of these works, which were Museum of Art, Dallas (1989); "Black History and Artistry: often painted. Harvey saw faces and beings within the natural Works by Self-Taught Painters found objects."I talk to the and Sculptors from the Blanchard-Hill Collection," Baruch trees," she said."There are souls in the branches and roots. I free College/CUNY, New York them." She also created a series (1993);"Dream Singers and Story Tellers," New Jersey State on Southern subjects as well as watercolor paintings related to Museum,Trenton, N.J.(1993); her sculptures. and many others.

Born in Dallas, Ga., Harvey Works by Harvey are in the began to experiment with the cre- permanent collections of the High Museum of Art and the ation of these sculptures in 1974, Smithsonian Institution, and are when she worked at Block on display at the Tennessee Memorial Hospital in Alcoa as a housekeeper's aide. She entered Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tenn. one of her sculptures in the hosBessie Harvey's funeral, piial's annual art show in 1978 which was held at the St. John Missionary Baptist Church in and drew attention from one of the staff doctors, who introduced Alcoa, was attended by hundreds her artwork to Randall Morris of friends and relatives who and Shari Cavin of the Cavincaught the "spirit" and celebrated with a gospel choir, instrumental Morris Gallery. She was represented in New York exclusively accompaniment, and dancing.

Survivors include a companby this gallery for several years.

Shari Cavin, who spoke to the ion, Carl Henry, six daughters, artist just prior to her death, com- four sons, 34 grandchildren, six mented that "Harvey had tremengreat-grandchildren, and many dous reserve, even though she other relatives and friends. was in terrible health. She strug—Lee Kogan gled with a sense of faith in God and love through her nondoctrinal Baptist faith and...felt that

From a selection of quilts by

Sarah Mary Taylor

Sarah Mary Taylor, born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1916, and raised by her mother - who taught her how to quilt- on the plantations and cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, is known for her distinctive nine panel colourful and highly graphic quilts and coverlets. Widely collected, her work has been included in several publications and exhibited by numerous museums, including the Huntington Museum, West Virginia and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Exceptional works by the following artists also available: F.B. Archuleta, Leroy Archuleta, Larry Bissonnette, Georgia Blizzard, Jerry Coker, Rev. Herman Hayes, Ralph Auf der Heide, Albert Louden, B.F. Perkins, Max Romain, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Purvis Young and many others.

MAR!ON HARR!S WOODHAVEN,SIMSBURY, CONN.06070 203 - 658 - 9333

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 23

BOOK

REVIEWS

Hawkins Bolden

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Blind Sculptor

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R.I.P.: Memorial Wall Art Martha Cooper and Joseph Sciorra Henry Holt and Company, New York 1994 96 pages, color illustrations $19.95 paperback

The artist with mixed media construction.

John W.Banks Hector Alonzo Benavides Cyril Billiot Carl Block Hawkins Bolden Richard Burnside Rhinestone Cowboy Burgess Dulaney Baltimore Glassman Homer Green Mark Greene Rev. J.L. Hunter James Harold Jennings M.C. 5¢ Jones Ivan Laycock S. L. Jones Joe Light R.A. Miller

Carl Nash Ernestene Polk Royal Robertson Sultan Rogers Xmeah ShaElaRe'EL 011ie Smith David Strickland Jimmie Lee Sudduth Rev.Johnnie Swearingen Rev. L.T. Thomas Son Thomas Texas Kid Watson Derek Webster Willie White George White Artist Chuckle Williams George Williams Onis Woodard

Webb Gallery 107 North Rogers Waxahachie,Texas 75165 (214)938-8085

24 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Chico, Dragon,Puppet, Per, and Kazo are some of the professional and semiprofessional artists who paint murals on the edifices of city blocks and the protective metal gates of storefronts in New York City. Many of these airbrushed and hand-painted artworks pay tribute to individuals who have died or are dying from AIDS or as a result of such societal ills as street violence and drug use.

Memorial murals are commissioned by the friends and family of the deceased and often appear on or near the death site, the individual's home,or the corner where he or she used to hang out with friends.

Photographer Martha Cooper and urban folklorist Joseph Sciorra first noticed the memorial walls in the summer of 1988. Sciorra notes that graffiti artists were looking for new outlets of expression since they had been driven from the subway system by city officials. Chico was a leader in making the transition from subway graffiti artist to "muralist for hire." He offered his services to local businesses, and soon he was providing customized lettering and cartoon characters advertising their products. Today, Chico and Per have contracts with major corporations such as Coca Cola and McDonald's to promote their merchandise. Both artists, however, continue to provide their services, often at a lesser fee, to New York City communities by memorializing those who died tragically.

R.J.P. is Cooper's second portrait gallery of photographic images taken from the streets of

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New York (the first was the successful Subway Art, created with Henry Chalfant and published by Holt in 1984). Her photographs of the memorial walls found in urban Latino and African-American communities are beautifully rendered.

This exciting book consists of a thoughtful introduction by Sciorra and five thematic sections: Imagery, Words,Portraits, Violence, and Remembering. The introduction offers an overview of an emerging vernacular art form created by trained artists; each section contains a short introduction and a collection of color photographs. The images are accompanied by brief passages providing the location of the mural and insight into the work's creation. At times, Sciorra lingers a little too long on discussions of the troubling violence that has given birth to memorial wall art; his strength lies in his discussions of the paintings themselves, the artists who made the work, and their stylistic and iconographic choices for each image.

This book offers a fine introduction to the burgeoning art form known as memorial wall art murals. Anyone interested in vernacular art will find this a fascinating avenue of study and will look forward to future books on the subject. —Kerry McCarthy Kerry McCarthy, a student in the New York University/Museum of American Folk Art Master's Program in Folk Art Studies, recently curated an exhibition on puppet theaterfor the New York Public Libraryfor the Performing Arts.

OUTSTANDING OUTSIDER ART! Revelations: Alabama's Visionary Folk Artists Kathy Kemp, with photographs

by Keith Boyer and an introduction by Gail Trechsel Crane Hill Publishers, Birmingham, Alabama 1994 224 pages,color and black-andwhite illustrations $60.00 hardcover Revelations: Alabama's Visionary Folk Artists, by Kathy Kemp, a columnist for the Birmingham Post-Herald, and Keith Boyer, a freelance photographer who also worked for the Post-Herald, is a handsome book focusing on thirty-one contemporary selftaught Alabama artists. The volume, with an introductory essay

by Gail Trechsel, assistant to the director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama, is presented in an attractive format with short artist profiles, excellent black-andwhite photographs of each artist, and 125 color reproductions, including several photographs of each artist's work.

Featured are a variety of cited works encompassing many media—paintings, sculpture, environments, textiles—and a rich diversity of subject matter related to the natural and visionary worlds. Cultural heritage, religion, patriotism, and popular culture connect these and other folk artists and provide a common ground for the many artists featured, each of whom display a distinct expressive vocabulary.

Choosing an egalitarian format, Kemp presents the artists alphabetically, interweaving the acknowledged masters with others of the area. Among the most celebrated are Thornton Dial, Sr., Lonnie Holley, Charlie Lucas, Mose Tolliver, and Bill Traylor. Regional favorites also

include Reverend Ben Perkins, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, and Woodie Long. Some of the newer discoveries, including Willie Leroy Elliot, Jr., Myrtice West, and Mary Whitfield, also appear.

Because of the project's parameters—selecting artists who were born in Alabama or who had lived a "significant portion of their lives" there—there are several surprising choices for inclusion. For instance, Howard Finster lives and has created a strong art presence in Georgia, Sister

From a selection of works by

Albert Louden

Gertrude Morgan's artwork is associated with her religious experiences and commitments in Louisiana, and William Dawson spent most of his artmaking years in Illinois.

The authors should acknowledge that Revelations is the second publication to focus on Alabama's contemporary folk artists. The first was a 1991 catalog, Outsider Artists in Alabama, accompanying an exhibition that highlighted twenty-two of Alabama's self-taught visual artists.

In preparation for Revelations, the authors traveled around the state for a year and a half, interviewing and photographing each artist. Kemp writes in a lively, readable style, maintaining strong human interest and at the same

Albert Louden's graphic and enigmatic paintings, featured in numerous private and public collections in both America and Europe was included in the first major Outsider Art Show "Outsiders" in London in 1979.

Referenced in several publications, and the frontspiece for the catalogue of the landmark show "Portraits from the Outside" in New York in 1990, Albert Louden's work is represented in Collection L'Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland and Collection L'Aracine in France among other museums. A book on the life and work of Albert Louden, by Bill Hopkins, is currently in progress.

Exceptional works by the following artists also available: F.B. Archuleta, Leroy Archuleta, Larry Bissonnette, Georgia Blizzard, Jerry Coker, Rev. Herman Hayes, Ralph Auf der Heide, B.F. Perkins, Max Romain, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Sarah Mary Taylor, Purvis Young and many others.

MAR!ON HARR!S fe01110111~0.0101008WPatagirt"..

(continued on page 32)

.

WOODHAVEN,SIMSBURY, CONN.06070 12 203-658-9333

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 25

Three soldie

stood by a big Yellow sign rtre of Uncle Sam saying I soldiers stood on the gray t near Their Rifles A gorilthe Big Yellow sign With Coat on and Rifle and ARTIST: ROBERT E. SMITH Reading I'm in The Army trgent Held a drum. A Big 3 on Walked down the gray -I. front of a Red and Blue mall Snake stuck its head ow Blowing a Horn To The

4

0 go Rolling Along. ear wore a nice Tan Army , Boots and carried a sign ut On The Double. A Big

DOUBLE lk GALLERY III AMERICAN FOLK ART /VINTAGE DESIGN•

up Behind. One soldier shouted Present Arms. A big Turtle crawled under Yellow Road sign. Two Big Prehistoric Birds flew in the sky.. rest lumice Box 41 45 saying Fly Away Armya,AGicialik]2Liii w'90041 -0645 Plane flew in the sky. Smoke and fir, it on Top of the moillytApjaftiment Only. 310.652.5990

Ginger Young Southern Outsider Art By appointment 919.932.6003 Works by more than four dozen artists, including: Minnie Black • Rudy Bostic Tubby Brown • Richard Burnside Henry Ray Clark • Patrick Davis • Brian Dowdall Howard Finster • Lonnie Holley • James Harold Jennings • Anderson Johnson Chris Lewallen • Woodie Long • Jake McCord R.A. Miller • Frank Pickle • Sarah Rakes • Harold Rittenberry Royal Robertson Marie Rogers • Jimmie Lee Sudduth Mose Tolliver Fred Webster • Knox Wilkinson Jr. Call or write for a free video catalogue or a complete price list Ginger Young, 5802 Brisbane Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Phone/Fax 919.932.6003

Peaceable Kingdom by Myrtice West Oil on canvas,32"x 42", 1994

26

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Photo: Ben Alles

RATTO RIZZOLI HASTY

Photo: Ben Ailes

John Ratio, Untitled(JR48), 1993, acrylic on paper, 22 I/2" x 35"

Lela Hasty Untitled(LH/EB07), 1993, mixed media on paper,91/2"x 173/4"

/IRGINIA

GINGE.RBRED BABE

TTE

I LAM ME

ANGELHAP.T PL41/YEATOR

A.G Rizzoli, Virginia Gingerbred(P-43), 1944, colored inks on paper, 6"x 5"

THE

AMES GALLERY 1411M

Outsider Aft Fair [self-taught, visionary, intuitive, outsider, art brut,folk] January 28 & 29, Preview January 27th, The Puck Building, New York, NY

11SAft San Francisco's Annual Art Exposition February 3,4 & 5, Preview February 2nd, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

Dealers in exceptional self-taught, visionary, naive, and outsider art.

• Bonnie Grossman, Director • 2661 Cedar Street, Berkeley, California, USA 94708 510/845-4949

Gaferie Bonheur Laurie Carmody Since 1980

InternationalForkArt 9243 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO 63124

By Appointment 314-993-9851 Faer 314-993-4790 1-800-763-6105 Ralph Auf der Heide Milton Bond CISCO, Paraguay Jeannette Carballo, Costa Rica Mamie Deschillie Brian Dowdall Esperanza Espinoza, Nicaragua Amos Ferguson, Bahamas Katarzyna Gawlowa, Poland Sybil Gibson Dora Gonzalez, Costa Rica Haitian Art & Masters Boscoe Holder, Trinidad Edwin A. Johnson Georges Liautaud, Haiti Woodie Long Mexican Artifacts

R.A. Miller Justin McCarthy Rafael Mona, Dominican Rep. Janet Munro NIKIFOR, Poland Antoine Oleyant, Haiti B.F. Perkins Jack Savitsky Lorenzo Scott Jose Antonio da Silva, Brazil Thury, Hungary Horacio Valdez Voodoo Flags & Bottles, Haiti Fred Webster L. Wiecek, Poland Malcah Zeldis (and, many others)

"Flower Market"

by Esperanza Espinoza, Nicaragua 16 X 22

* See us at the "Outsider Art Fair" in N.Y. with exciting self-taught artists from Eastern Europe and Central America

ANTON HAARDT GALLERY 1220 SOUTH HULL STREET•MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104•(205) 263-5494•ANNEX NEW ORLEANS(504)897-1172

Sybil Gibscrrt.

FROM THE DEEP SOUTH 28 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

SOUTHERN FOLK POTTERY COLLECTORS SOCIETY Proudly Presents

Nationally Publicized Highly Important Private North Carolina Pottery Collection Of Gracious Southern Couple

Mr. & Mrs. Ron and Gwen Griffin

Bidding Begins March 1, 1995

Sale Event at Absentee Auction

Bidding Ends April 8, 1995 at 5:00 p.m.

Important example of Webster Family pieces in this collection.

18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century pieces combine with thirty-five years of collecting experience to celebrate this prestigious offering. Numerous pieces have been exhibited and illustrated in such publications as Country Living and Southern Accents. Rare and important marks are available throughout this entire collection. Also included are a small number of Shenandoah Valley pieces including a hand sculpted wall-pocket with a pair of infants.

A fully-illustrated extensive biographical catalogue with a 4-color cover will be available prior to the beginning of the sale event. Catalogue Price $25.00, includes mailing costs.

Piedmont N.C. examples

Western N.C. examples

Southern Folk Pottery Collectors Society 1828 N. Howard Mill Road Robbins, NC 27325 Shop (910) 464-3961 Fax (910) 464-2530 N.C. Auction Firm Licence #5902

MARTHAJACKSON Specializing in 19th and Early 20th Century Quilts Exhibiting In White Plains Antiques Show January 6-8, 1995 and Convent of the Sacred Heart 1 East 91st Street, New York City January 20-22, 1995 Formerly of Riverside, CT and Main Street Cellar, New Canaan, CT Vermont in-house showroom

By Appointment P.O. Box 430 Middlebury, Vermont 05753 (802)462-3152

Kentucky Clay Sculpture of

Arnold "Sparkplug" Sparks Part of the Permanent Collection now on display at the Huntington Museum of Art

and featured at loch lea antiques

30 WINTER I994/95 FOLK ART

Lyn Layton Kentucky Folk Art 410 Main Street Paris, KY 40361 (606)987-7070

Rangingfrom 4/ 1 2 " to /4" in height.

Woodie Long: "New York City I & II acrylic on paper 9 5/8" x 26" each

Visit us in New York

Outsider / Contemporary Folk Art Exhibition January 27 - February 5, 1995 Art 54 Gallery

54 Greene Street, Soho

(corner of Broome Street & Greene Street) Every day from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and by appointment (212) 226 -1605 during exhibition Reception for Artists on January 28, 7- 10 p.m.

..

4.0.00.stsoposeverstow..

Marcia Weber/Art Objects, Inc. 3218 Lexington Road Montgomery, Alabama 36106 (205) 262-5349

IDEOU

IL

GALLERY

South Salem, New York 10590 (914) 533-2738

B

0

0

K

REVIEWS

Continuedfrom page 25 time touching on subjects and issues intended to enhance understanding of the featured artists and their artwork.

The title Revelations is an appropriate one for a book that identifies several artists—Howard Finster, Annie Lucas, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Myrtice West—whose artwork was specifically inspired by the Book of Revelation. More generally, the title recognizes religion as an important focus of many Southern artists, specifically the Alabamians Lonnie Holley, Reverend Ben Perkins, W.C. Rice, Bernice Sims, Yvonne Wells, and Fred Webster.

Revelations may also be understood in a more secular way—it can be associated with discovery and disclosure, for the artist, the authors, and finally, the readers.

In both Kemp's preface and Trechsel's introduction, the author writes of her own discovery of artists and their creativity as revelatory experiences, the former in reference to her 1984 visit to Lonnie Holley's environment, the latter to her first meeting with Jimmy Lee Sudduth in 1977.

Kemp,in recalling her first meeting with Holley, describes the visit as a "revelation—of both talent and humanity. In a three hour visit, by simply being himself, he was able to change my ideas about art and people." Trechsel, too, obviously appreciated her early visits with Sudduth, as well as those with Mose Tolliver and Lonnie Holley, commenting on their "refreshingly original" artwork as well as "the environment that produced and nourished their distinctive personal visions."

The book's strength—its chatty style peppered with quotations

32 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

from the artists—is also a weakness in that it leaves the reader wishing for more. While there have been a plethora of catalogs featuring contemporary folk artist biographies, it is time to look at artworks from an art-historical perspective and discuss them within the larger sphere of contemporary American art. The authenticity brought about by the incorporation of artist quotes raises another sensitive issue. Individually, direct quotations lend authenticity to the short biographical sketches, but as a whole they point up the socioeconomic and educational deprivation of many of the artists, which, probably unintentionally, causes a divisiveness and classism, in effect separating artist and reader.

In the essay on Thornton Dial, Sr., it is stated that Ronald Lockett is Dial's nephew; this is untrue. Lockett's father and Dial were raised by Sarah Dial Lockett, a relative who still maintains close ties to the family. Furthermore, the incorporation of found objects is a central characteristic of Dial's work, and has been all his life, since long before he met collector William Arnett. Dial asserts that he alone selects his subject matter and media, and denies that Arnett "encouraged him to paint and to incorporate found objects into his paintings," as is stated in this essay.

Trechsel's introductory essay outlines once more the difficulties encountered in attempts to categorize and define the terms associated with self-taught/folk artists. Raising another issue, in what seems a sincere effort to pinpoint problems arising from commodification, Trechsel oversimplifies and comes to conclusions that she is unable to support."As the distance between the artist and the market nar-

rows," as the art "becomes more of a commodity, its spirituality is weakened." While there may be some truth to this statement, the market and public recognition have stimulated the creativity of many artists, among them Thornton Dial, Sr., Lonnie Holley, and Jimmy Lee Sudduth. As these artists have continued to develop artistically and have been recognized by collectors, dealers, and museum professionals, their energies have been strengthened.

However, references to prices within many of the artist profiles seem to diminish the seriousness of this book as an art book, and it seems crass to discuss the dollar amounts that some of these artists—including Dial, Elliot, Webster, Long, Joseph Hardin, Finster, and Sybil Gibson—have received for their work.

Responsible, respectful, and ethical approaches to artists and their artwork on the part of patrons and dealers must remain a constant goal. And artists must also share in maintaining ethical responsibility. In a harmonious environment, folk artists will continue to enrich their lives and ours and to provide, as Trechsel points out,"our tickets to our blue highways." Art has served this function for many centuries and will, we hope,continue to do so.

—Lee Kogan Lee Kogan is Director ofthe Museum's Folk Art Institute and Adjunct Assistant Professor ofArt and Art Education ofNew York University.

She coauthored the recently published Treasures of Folk Art/Museum of American Folk Art with Barbara Cate and is afrequent contributor to this magazine.

Of Special Interest: Each year during the holiday season, Santas, Nativity scenes, and colorful lights unite with a variety of household objects in cleverly rigged displays to decorate homes and lawns in what has become a ritual of excess. Merry Christmas America: A Front Yard View of the Holidays(Thomasson-Grant, Inc., Charlottesville, Va., 112 pages, full-color illustrations, $16.95), a new book by photographer Christina Patoski, is a tribute to the Yuletide artists who emerge each December to produce this festive cultural phenomenon, which is peculiar to the United States.

Patoski has been photographing these conspicuous tableaux from coast to coast since 1973.

Many assemblages are fleeting and make the most of a modest string of lights, while others become spectacular annual tourist attractions, some charging admission for tours and congesting neighborhoods with traffic.

Kitsch enthusiasts will appreciate the juxtaposing of commercially available religious and holiday icons with an assortment of unexpected novelties culled from basements and garages, all of which combine to render the sacred imagery decidedly secular.

This book is a fun souvenir to take home for the holidays.

Available at the Museum of American Folk Art's Book and Gift Shops or by mail. To order, call Beverly McCarthy at 212/977-7170.

Spinning in a Lonely

nig Work of Drossos R Skyllas JENIFER P. BORUM

SELF-PORTRAIT N.D. Oil on canvas 24'4,

18"

Courtesy Phyllis Kind Gallery

T

oday it is clear that the link

connecting the vast GREEK BISHOP c.1967

number of artists who have come to be known as

Oil on canvas 65

411/2"

Collection of Robert

"self-taught" isn't an identifiable style, a unified

M. Greenberg

agenda, a shared psychological condition, a unique cultural outlook, or a common social class.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 33

34 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Self-taught artists, if they are to be recognized as a group at "Transmitters," Michael Hall wrote: "Skyllas isn't easy to all, can at best be viewed as a loosely designated confeder- place because so much about him is not known and also acy of aesthetic mavericks representing a plurality of styles, because the obvious art awareness in his painting puts it at agendas, states of mind, cultures, and classes. The condi- odds with almost all other Isolate art." Agreeing with and A SUNDAY AFTERNOON tion of being self-taught is primarily one of aesthetic differ- embellishing upon this point, Julie Hall wrote: "At first N.D. ence—difference from what our society has imagined to be glance Skyllas seems frighteningly capable technically. He Oil on canvas a cultural-artistic mainstream. A spate of recent exhibitions was a fastidious painter, but his unconventional methods of 46 36" presenting the work of self-taught artists has only con- painting are obviously self-taught, and the idiosyncratic Private collection firmed that a blueprint for aesthetic difference cannot possi- images which he produced subtly signal that their creator bly be said to exist; to speak of a distinct style or even was an authentic Isolate."2 Combined, these keen observacategory of self-taught artists is in essence like speaking of tions offer the central kernel of insight that lies at the heart a parliament of anarchists. Yet we continue to categorize, of the Skyllas phenomenon, a kernel in the form of a parato quantify, to designate, to try and make sense of it all. dox: on the one hand, because he appears art-historically To say that an artist is a maverick in the context of a aware, Skyllas doesn't fit in with the maverick confederacy confederacy of mavericks is quite a claim. But few would of self-taughts; on the other hand, because he is essentially disagree that Drossos P. Skyllas (1912-1973) is such an self-taught in both method and image, he is clearly a mavartist. A Greek immigrant who lived most of his adult life erick without a chance of fitting into the master narrative of in Chicago, Skyllas was a self-taught painter who has been art history. If the work were not so compelling, so accomvirtually overlooked in the recent rush to recognize and plished, so oddly appealing, such a puzzle might not seem exploit the cultural margins. There have been a few notable worth the effort to solve. But because his oeuvre is all of exceptions. Dealer Phyllis Kind was the first in the self- these things, it calls for serious attention sooner rather than taught art establishment to formally acknowledge Skyllas, later. For ultimately, the paradoxical nature of Skyllas's representing his work, after his death, since the early seven- work embodies the very mainstream/margins dialectic that ties. Collector-curators Michael and Julie Hall, ever on the has become our field's primary focus as we approach the cutting edge, included him in their groundbreaking exhibi- century's end.3 tion "Transmitters: The Isolate Artist in America"(1981) Born on the island of Kalymnos, Greece, Skyllas and again more recently in their show "Common Ground / expressed an early interest in studying art, but his father Uncommon Vision: The Michael and Julie Hall Collection firmly opposed this wish. Instead, the young Skyllas was of American Folk Art" (1993). Skyllas has also been educated to become an accountant, and was eventually included in the field's two leading encyclopedias: Museum employed in his father's tobacco company. Skyllas continof American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century ued to live in Greece until the end of World War II, at American Folk Art and Artists, by Chuck and Jan Rosenak which time he and his wife, Iola, emigrated to the United (Abbeville, 1990), and 20th Century American Folk, Self- States, settling in Chicago.

Taught, and Outsider Art, by Betty-Carol Sellen with CynLife in America offered Skyllas the freedom to finalthia J. Johanson(Neal-Schuman Publishers, Ltd., 1993). ly pursue his longtime goal of becoming an artist. Away Yet these kudos are indeed limited, compared to the from his father's influence, he took steps toward becoming reception of other self-taught artists—Bill Traylor and the painter he had always wanted to be. It was Iola who Howard Finster, to name only two—who have been fea- supported him, both financially and emotionally; she went to work so that he didn't have to, Skyllas has not been admitted to any canon of maverick masters, nor has he ever been casually lumped enabling him to devote himself cominto a general subgroup. He has always been, and remains, an Other among Others. pletely to painting, an arrangement that was to last for the rest of his life. tured in both group and solo exhibitions, and who have Although he never pursued a formal art education, he been the sole subject of books. Ironically, self-taught nevertheless educated himself by making frequent visits to "canons" have emerged within the past decade: the "Out- the Art Institute of Chicago, and perhaps in other ways of sider Masters," including Adolf Wolfli, Martin Ramirez, which we are not aware. The Skyllases' small apartment, Madge Gill, and Henry Darger; the "Southern Masters," filled with caged tropical birds, became his unlikely atelier. including Traylor, Finster, Minnie Evans, Sam Doyle, To be sure, he did not imagine himself as a Sunday painter, Mose Tolliver, and Jimmy Lee Sudduth. To date, Drossos a dabbler, nor did he identify with other marginalized P. Skyllas has not been admitted to any canon of maverick artists. From what little is known of his life, it is clear that masters, nor has he ever been casually lumped into a gener- he was dead serious about being taken seriously, a fact al subgroup. He has always been, and remains, an Other manifested not only by the high prices he consistently among Others. Why is this? asked for commissions and in his written statements, but The answer, perhaps, is simpler than one might especially in his self-portrait, in which he presents himself expect. Skyllas, the tireless easel painter of classicizing as the consummate professional. nudes, staid portraits, bucolic landscapes, tantalizing still In the United States, the prosperous, postwar years lifes, and mesmerizing religious icons, has always made the saw the rise of Abstract Expressionism. In New York, Jackself-taught art audience—diverse as it is—profoundly son Pollock, Willem DeKooning, Mark Rothko, and others uneasy for the simple reason that his paintings appear to be stood on the cutting edge of modern art. Their counterparts the work of an academically trained hand. In the catalog for in Chicago—Leon Golub, George Cohen, Cosmo Compoli,

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Joseph Gato, and Ray Fink, collectively referred to as the "Monster Roster"—were purveyors of a figurative, expresTHOMAS MANN: sionistic style.4 But Skyllas's notion of significant painting THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN had little to do with the work of his avant-garde contempoC. 1960 raries and more to do with a photographic realism inspired Oil on canvas by the classic moments of illusionistic painting in art his18 x 241/2" tory. He wrote: "I love very much to do only pure, realistic Collection of Estelle E. paintings to such an extent that my works look %100 like Friedman photographs"; his ideal, however, was not simply photography, but also the combined accomplishments of "...the old masters."5 Above all, his self-image as an artist was marked by an arrow-straight work ethic that set him apart from the hard-drinking, bohemian, avant-garde painters of the time, as evidenced in a written promise of excellence addressed to a potential patron:"When there is a good painting, thank God, I never lose my patience and I apply the last touches only when I and my customers are fully satisfied.. "6 Ironically, although such a conservative aesthetic stance—selftaught or not—might have been perceived at the time as traditional, even "mainstream," compared to the thenadventurous explorations of the postwar avant-garde, today fickle history has anchored the latter squarely at the cultural center, only to launch a self-professed traditional painter like SkyIlas into his own lonely orbit of marginality. Then and now, SkyIlas was ultimately alone in his quest for the perfect picture, and while he looked to the premodern canon of Western painting for his inspiration and his ideal, he nevertheless made up his own rules along the way.

From the late forties until his death in 1973, SkyIlas produced a total of thirty-eight paintings, ranging in size from approximately two feet by four feet to about six feet by eight feet.7 His chosen medium was oil on canvas; he would typically begin with a pencil sketch of his subject, then transfer the sketch onto canvas to serve as a guide for the finished painting. This is a common enough practice, but the similarity between SkyIlas and many other painters ends here. For although he painted in virtual isolation, the relatively limited number of works that survive attest to his truly unique process of realizing images on canvas. By meticulously layering systems of very small brushstrokes, he was able to create a surface marked on the one hand by firm modeling of figures and objects and a clearly delineated sense of illusionistic space, and on the other hand by a decorative surface that is invariably dazzling to behold. In his attempt to create a photographic realism elevated by a canonical ideal of beauty, Skyllas ...and behind the subtle amusement shared by many— including artists—who admire and collect SkyIlas, there devised an antiexpressive style perhaps lurks an uneasy jealousy, of paint application, one that would not draw attention to itself. But because artists' intentions do not always match their results, the effect of Skyllas's ultra-tiny brushstrokes is something of an optical paradox—a subtly flawed, but hyper-clear illusionism that inevitably boomerangs into a flat, decorative surface mosaic the longer one focuses on the particulars of each painting. It is known that when SkyIlas could not find adequately fine brushes in supply stores, he crafted them himself. His paintings of nudes, portraits of great men, landscapes, still lifes, and religious

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icons, many of them graced by ornate frames supplied by much in the same way Skyllas later came to seek a very LITTLE PEARL Iola, resonate with the mesmerizing appeal of Byzantine similar ideal, crystallized as it was into a cliché by the time C. 1965 011 on canvas mosaics (a key source for this Greek artist), of medieval he was active. Rousseau was a favorite of Picasso and his 60 x 42" tapestries, and of multifaceted jewels. It is an effect that is circle, and although Skyllas's work was not embraced by Collection of Yosi both intriguing and unsettling. the Chicago avant-garde until years after his death, both Barzilai Skyllas never enjoyed a lifestyle of gallery exhibi- Rousseau and Skyllas have come to be viewed in a similar tions, patronage, celebratory toasts at opening receptions, light—part unmistakable genius, but also part unwitting or critical acclaim. One factor that ensured his isolation was naïf quite laughably striving for an outdated notion of artisROSES AND the artist's insistence on charging exorbitant prices— tic excellence and in the process accidentally stumbling EMERALDS $25,000 for a portrait commission (plus $5,000 for a land- upon a unique style. Just as Henri "le douanier" Rousseau c. 1955 Oil on canvas scape in the background) and between $250,000 and was immensely enjoyed by Picasso's avant-garde circle 24/ 1 2 x 18" $300,000 for already completed works.8 It is not surprising, with admiration mingled with a knowing chuckle, so SkylCollection of the then, that there exists no evidence that he ever executed a las is often referred to with a mixture of amazement and no Chase Manhattan commission or made a sale while he was alive. While these small measure of amusement. But this is an inherently conBank, N.A. high prices certainly hampered his recognition, it is hard descending position to take, and as Randall Morris has not to admire Skyllas's stubborn demand for respect as a written, condescension is never very far from its countertechnically capable, hardworking artist. part, misrepresentation.rn Like Rousseau before him, SkylAn important exception to Skyllas's isolated circum- las indeed strove for one thing but accomplished something stances was his participation in the popular group show quite different, but this is the case with most artists, trained "Chicago,and Vicinity," held biannually at the Art Institute and untrained alike. In Morris's words: "No great art is of Chicago to showcase area talent that might otherwise go accidental: it never happens in spite of the artist." I would unnoticed. He was included in this show in 1967, 1969, and suggest that behind the amiable chuckles Picasso and his 1973. Although no career-cinching connections were circle held for Rousseau, and behind the subtle amusement immediately made as a result of this exposure, it neverthe- shared by many—including artists—who admire and colless brought his work to the attention of one man in particu- lect Skyllas, there perhaps lurks an uneasy jealousy. lar—William Bengston, who would later play an important But what, after all, is the appeal of Skyllas's work? role in garnering Skyllas significant posthumous attention.

If we reject the temptation to understand his paintings as a One day in 1974, the year after Skyllas's death, fluke, an accident, and choose instead to take them seriousBengston, employed at the Phyllis Kind Gallery in Chicago, ly, then how can his achievement be characterized? In his was riding his bicycle to work and he happened to lose his essay "The Uncanny," Sigmund Freud proposes that our wallet. It was retrieved by police, who contacted Bengston at sense of the uncanny, or unheimlich, always begins with work later the same day. When Bengston reported to the sta- something that was once familiar, or heimlich. Freud elucition to claim his wallet, he chatted with a policeman named dates this effect by discussing a hypothetical fiction writer SUNSET AND PIER John Leith. According to Bengston, when Leith noticed that who creates in his reader the effect of the uncanny: "...he N.D. Bengston was employed at an art gallery, he said: "Hey, I deceives us by promising to give us the sober truth, and Oil on canvas got a painter friend who died by the name of Skyllas."9 then after all overstepping it."12 The uncanny, then, is a 24 x 18" Bengston followed through on this lead and met the artist's sense of uneasiness caused when that which we know well Private collection widow, who showed him Skyllas's work. Already familiar is rendered strange to us, however subtly. with the work through "Chicago and Vicinity," he was I believe that Freud's theory is helpful in understandimpressed enough to begin representing it, on consignment, ing the ambivalent appeal of Skyllas's paintings. But what through the Phyllis Kind Gallery, where it was eventually exactly did Skyllas render unfamiliar? Certainly, reality as featured in a solo show. As Bengston recalls, Skyllas was we know it is reinvented in his imagery, but the same might certainly not an overnight success; it took some time for the be said of almost any painter. I propose that the familiar entisubtle appeal of his canvases to shine through what was at ty that is coming back to us in a distilled and thus unfamiliar first perceived to be their conservative thrust. Yet over the manner in Skyllas's work is not reality itself, but rather the years, the paintings of Drossos P. Skyllas have become scope of premodern Western art history itself—that wellvalued additions to some of the most important collections of self-taught Little Pearl is ... possessed of both the timeless perfection of a classical sculpture and art, and indeed of art in general. the somewhat dated, unthreatening domesticity of Donna Reed.

In the catalog for "Transmitters," Michael Hall aptly characterized Skyllas as "a sort of protected narrative recounting the collective march toward American Rousseau." The comparison is more than a casu- idealized illusionism and figuration that begins in ancient al reference; it establishes a useful art-historical precedent Greece, loses ground momentarily in medieval Europe and for understanding Skyllas's unique condition of marginali- the Byzantine East, picks up steam in the High Renaissance, ty. Henri Rousseau, the beloved self-taught mascot of the continues apace in the idealized visions of Romanticism, and early twentieth-century Parisian avant-garde, wished for culminates with the academic tableaux of Bouguerreau, nothing else but to become a salon painter. He had no spinning splintered into this century through popular photogavant-garde aspirations to usurp the tradition of academic raphy, television, and movies, as well as other recent realism that was the officially sanctioned style through the "realisms" that include book illustration, contemporary relilate nineteenth century, but rather emulated that tradition, gious imagery, and of course, Hallmark greeting cards.

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WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 39

Through his own brand of accelerated, quintessentially post- Magritte and Paul Delveaux intentionally rendered reality modernist eclecticism, Skyllas distilled a kind of greatest- decidedly strange through unlikely juxtapositions, Skyllas hits approach to Western art and its latter-day pop cultural attempted exactly the opposite, seeking to fashion a progeny through self-taught means, subsuming multiple picture-perfect view of a highly idealized reality. Intentions sources—both high and low, hallowed and kitsch, sacred aside, however, Skyllas successfully joins the Surrealists in and profane—through his own visual language, rendering the no-man's-land of the uncanny. An example of Skyllas's our own cultural heritage decidedly unheimlich. rather too-ideal world is found in Sunset, a symmetrical Of all the academically sanctified genres Skyllas seascape that recalls the tradition of the Romantic landchose to tackle, it was the female nude that inspired what are scape even as it improves upon the sunny-skies sensibility likely his most compelling works. Carefully modeled to of the modern tourist brochure. It is a subject few artists effect a near-sculptural palpability, these ideal figures are today would tackle with any seriousness, but because Skylequal parts Venus de Milo and 1950s pinup (Playboy was a las did so quite seriously, without a trace of irony, this key source for Skyllas). They are also usually red-headed, vision resonates like an otherworldly icon. and it is thought that both the model and the muse for many In Skyllas's still lifes, nature meets culture halfway of these nudes was Iola Skyllas. Pictured in the foreground in both rich images of cut flower arrangements and of eerily symmetrical landscapes that recall a Raphaelesque tableaux of generously laden tables. Recalling the volupsense of compositional perfection, or within what is clearly tuous clarity of the Baroque nature morte, yet marked by a Skyllas's apartment-studio, the figures sit or stand, simply modernity that evokes a Better Homes and Gardens ideal, but voluptuously, as if offered to the viewer both as an a work such as Thomas Mann: The Magic Mountain is an object for visual consumption and as an archetype of femi- impressive example of this genre. Michael and Julie Hall nine beauty. Little Pearl is one such nude; she stands at the have convincingly proposed that the artist sought to porcenter of a plush, red interior, with carefully coifed hair and tray a rich symbolism through the various objects adorneyes cast downward, possessed of both the timeless perfec- ing this table: the apple, the cup of coffee, the playing tion of a classical sculpture and the somewhat dated, cards, and Mann's book. Attesting to the calculated nature unthreatening domesticity of Donna Reed. Oddly enchant- of Skyllas's aesthetic vision, Michael Hall wrote: "...I ing, Skyllas's unique layering of time-tested, if anachronistic believe Skyllas knew Mann's Magic Mountain well and ideals seems, after all, a logical conclusion to the trajectory was even inspired to seek the crystal luminosity in his of centuries' worth of experimenting with figural perfection. painting in response to Mann's perceptions of the sharpAlthough it was not the lucrative industry he might focusing of experience."3 have hoped for, Skyllas clearly enjoyed painting portraits, Another very important genre to which Skyllas was both of individuals and of small groups. Even in his por- dedicated was religious imagery. It is important to note that traits, he consistently cast women as objects of beauty— while he was a religious man, he was not a visionary artist, just as Little Pearl's glimmering skin and firm modeling but approached this area with the same considered, historiare unified with her background through the artist's subtly cally aware strategy that marks his secular canvases. Quite sensuous use of paint, so are his other portraits of women well known is his Greek Bishop," which is perhaps one of often set in lush pastoral scenes. But, as manifested in his his most impressive paintings. This work attests, in both Self-Portrait, Skyllas's approach to men was quite differ- form and content, to the importance Eastern iconography ent. As his portraits of American presidents attest, Skyllas held for Skyllas. Distilled from the thousand-year tradition portrayed men (often great men)quite traditionally, not for of Byzantine mosaics, and also from contemporary Greek their beauty but for their character, accomplishments, and Orthodox imagery, this iconic figure shimmers with numerstation in life. Painted in three-quarter profile, an historical- ous applications of paint that reinvent on canvas the effect ly sanctioned convention often reserved for portraits of men of an actual mosaic. of state, Skyllas's meticulously painted presidents—includAs influential as Skyllas's Greek heritage was in ing Eisenhower, Johnson, and Kennedy—are most clearly determining his style and choice of subjects, there is evimannered after the kind of official photographic portraits dence that he was aware of a much wider range of religious that adorn FBI offices. In John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president is Skyllas's unique eclecticism is less a self-conscious critique of culture than a systematic seated at his desk, flanked by the reclaiming of it, certainly not as a political project, but as an act of love.

American flag, facing forward in a manner that recalls a public television address. By so care- imagery. His Madonna and Child evokes the ethereal grace fully transforming an essentially photographic image onto of medieval manuscript illumination, enlarged as it is by a canvas, Skyllas has inserted a quintessential pop-cultural Hollywood sense of clarity and scale. However, Skyllas's icon into the art-historical portrait hall of fame. The result most ambitious project—which, quite unfortunately, was underscores the eerie, frozen stillness that is perhaps the never realized in his lifetime—came in the form of a grand defining element of his oeuvre. nod to the uncontested genius of Leonardo da Vinci. Before The same eclectic idealism that marks Skyllas's his death, Skyllas made detailed plans for a monumental nudes and portraits can be found in his visions of nature, painting of the Last Supper; these plans included a written based in an hallucinatory, more-perfect-than-reality ethos proposal and a number of detailed and measured sketches. that has commonly been referred to as surreal. Yet it is In his proposal, Skyllas addressed a hypothetical patron important to clarify that while Surrealists like Rene concerning the details necessary to the execution of what

40 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

her intended subversion, effectively warning of lurking ironies, Skyllas never felt the need to drop clues, but instead simply reinvented his sources as he saw fit—without irony—instilling in his viewers, more often than not, a pervasive sense of cultural déjà vu. As a self-taught artist who was deeply engaged with the world of images, Skyllas forces us to recognize the limited thinking behind our categories. As Michael Hall once put it, Skyllas's work "knocked on a lot of doors, assaulted a lot of assumptions, challenged a lot of stereotypes in folk and fine art—it built and burned bridges at the same time."7 But artists like Skyllas do more than simply challenge limited categories; like undetected computer viruses, they hover in our seemingly fail-safe systems, patiently waiting to dissolve our false sense of order.* Jenzfer P. Borum is currently a Ph.D. candidate in art history at the City University ofNew York's Graduate Center. She has contributed to the recently published Folk Erotica, by Milton Simpson, has writtenfor Raw Vision, the New Art Examiner, and this publication, and is a regular contributor to Artforum magazine.

JOHN F. KENNEDY c. 1960s Oil on canvas 301 / 4 24/ 1 4" Courtesy Phyllis Kind Gallery

was to be his greatest masterwork:"My sweetest dream in this life is to do a large painting of the Last Supper for the American people.... Unfortunately, this dream has not come any closer to realization."15 A number of pencil sketches exist, drawn on the kind of long paper scrolls commonly used for architectural plans, providing a very clear idea of what the painting might have looked like, had it ever been completed. Two complete sketches—one measuring eight feet by twelve feet, the other sixteen by thirtytwo—as well as several others used to work out the details of the architectural setting confirm that the prototype for this painting was indeed Da Vinci's fresco in Milan.

Painstakingly detailed measurements indicate the immense scale—at least double the size of the sketches, but variable, depending on the patron's wishes—that this painting might have achieved. Combining a number of genres—still life, portrait, landscape, and religious—this last Supper would have been a grand summary of Skyllas's artistic career.

Recognizing Skyllas not as a bumbling naïf but as a postmodern artist in his own right—autodidactic or not— demands a collective leap of faith for fans of self-taught art.

After all, postmodernism has been designated as the enemy of the alleged tabula rasa of the contemporary self-taught artist, usually by those who fear or do not care to understand it. But this condescending, nostalgic notion held by those Tom Patterson has called the field's "Bandwagon Reactionaries"6 has little bearing on reality—consider Eddie Arning's cigarette ads, William Hawkins's clever pop-cultural collages, Bessie Harvey's alchemical elevation of decorative kitsch baubles to the sublime, and Thornton Dial's sophisticated cultural commentary. Postmodernism as a cultural attitude is not simply the province of theorywise M.F.A.s, nor does it necessarily entail the nihilistic, critique-cum-ritual murder of art-historical greats it has unrealistically become associated with. Skyllas's unique eclecticism is less a self-conscious critique of culture than a systematic reclaiming of it, certainly not as a political project, but as an act of love. And whereas the critical postmodernist appropriator always clues the viewer in to his or

NOTES 1 Michael and Julie Hall,"Transmitters: A Dialogue on the Isolate Artist in America," in Transmitters: The Isolate Artist in America (Philadelphia: Philadelphia College of Art, 1981), p. 50.

2 Ibid.

3 Attesting to the significant role Skyllas has played in the evolution of the Hall Collection, Michael Hall has claimed that the work speaks to the "connections emerging between the world of folk art and the contemporary fine art world." Quoted in Russell Bowman,"An Interview with Michael D. Hall," in Common Ground/Uncommon Vision: The Michael and Julie Hall Collection ofAmerican Folk Art(Milwaukee: Milwaukee Art Museum, 1993), p. 32.

4 Russell Bowman,"Looking to the Outside: Art in Chicago, 1945-75," in Parallel Visions: Modern Artists and Outsider Art (Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Princeton University Press, 1992), p. 151.

5 Drossos P. Skyllas,"The Last Supper"(typed statement courtesy of the Phyllis Kind Gallery).

6 Ibid.

7 William Bengston, director, Phyllis Kind Gallery, Chicago, telephone interview with author, summer 1994. This number differs from the popularly cited estimate of thirty-five.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 Randall Morris,"Regarding Culture: Self-Taught Ethics," New Art Examiner, vol. 22, no. 1 (September 1994): 16-21.

11 Ibid., p. 19.

12 Sigmund Freud,"The Uncanny," in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works ofSigmund Freud, trans. and ed. James Strachey, vol. XVII(London: Hogarth Press, 19171919), p. 250.

13 Michael and Julie Hall,"Transmitters," p. 52.

14 This painting is reproduced in Chuck and Jan Rosenak, Museum ofAmerican Folk Art Encyclopedia of TwentiethCentury American Folk Art and Artists(New York: Abbeville Press, 1990), pp. 280-281.

15 Skyllas,"The Last Supper."

16 Tom Patterson,"Bandwagon Reactionaries and Barricade Defenders: Impediments to the Evolution of a Much Contested Field," New Art Examiner, vol. 22, no. 1 (September 1994): 22-26.

17 Bowman,"An Interview with Michael D. Hall," p. 32.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 41

The / Search for Emeline Barker

"...for without the quiltmaker, the history of quilts could not exist."

DEBORAH LYTTLE ASH

ucked away in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York since 1944 was a spectacular Mariner's Compass quilt.

A bequest of Marian Place Hildreth, great-niece of the quiltmaker, this quilt is signed "Emeline Barker #7" in one corner. The staff at the museum knew only that Emeline was born in 1820, died in 1906, and lived in New York City with her sister Harriet at 127 East Twenty-sixth Street. All of this sparked in my mind a series of questions about both the quiltmaker and the quilt itself.

T

THE QUILTMAKER

In the New York City Census of 1860, Emeline Barker is listed as living in Manhattan's tenth ward with her widowed mother, Hannah; two sisters, Harriet and Amanda (not just Harriet, as was indicated in the information available from the Museum of the City of New York); and one servant. This family's entry on the census was preceded by one for Ferris and Gertrude Barker, their son, Charles, and one servant. Thinking that these folks might be Emeline's brother and his family, I consulted the New York City Directory for 1860, in which Hannah Barker, widow of Nathaniel, was listed as residing at 81 Eldridge Street and Ferris Barker at 79 Eldridge. The proximity of these two Barker families

42 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

made a relationship seem more than likely. Checking through earlier directories, I traced the Barker family back to 1820, when they lived at 74 Mott Street, where Nathaniel was listed as "shoemaker & bootmaker." Further research revealed that in 1854 the family moved to 81 Eldridge, where Nathaniel died in 1855. At a later date I learned that Nathaniel had built and owned the three houses—the one on Mott Street and the two on Eldridge.

The Barker women lived at 81 Eldridge until 1868, when they moved to a new brownstone at 127 East Twenty-sixth Street. I checked this address and was delighted to find the building in a row of brownstones nestled among a number of high-rise buildings between Park and Lexington avenues. A quick trip to the New York City Department of Buildings at 60 Hudson Street gave proof that the building was indeed the home of Emeline Barker, and had been built in 1867. Hannah and her three daughters transfered their membership from Forsyth Street Methodist Church, downtown,to St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Fourth Avenue and Twenty-second Street.

Emeline, Harriet, and Amanda followed the church when it moved up to Eighty-sixth Street and West End Avenue in 1897—a fair journey for the three elderly sisters. The church, now St. Paul and St. Andrew Methodist, still stands at that address.

Since the 1900 census showed that none of the Barker sisters living together on Twenty-sixth Street had ever married, I was curious to learn more about Marian Place Hildreth, the great-niece who had left the quilt to the museum. Checking her death

MARINER'S COMPASS QUILT Emeline Barker (1820-1906) New York City Date unknown Pieced and appliqued cotton 98

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WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 43

Detail of Emeline Barker's quilt

certificate, I learned that she was the daughter of Barker Place, who certainly had an intriguing name, but whose relationship to Emeline was unclear.

In reading the wills of Hannah, Emeline, Harriet, and Amanda Barker, which are stored in the surrogate court archives at 31 Chambers Street, I learned that Hannah had died in 1880 at the age of ninety, leaving each daughter a "nominal amount," with the remainder of her estate—$4,000— divided among her four grandchildren.

Her son, Ferris, died in 1875, leaving a son, Charles. Her daughter Susan Angevine Place died in 1869 at the age of fifty-three, leaving three children: Isabel, Emeline, and Barker Place—Marian's father.

All of the death certificates for the Barkers listed Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn as the family's resting place. I went to Greenwood, where I found not only the monument and markers for the Barker family, but also, adjacent to them, the monument and markers for the Place family. Of course I brought a bouquet of flowers for Emeline's grave—feeling by now that she was almost like a distant relative of mine. I knew by this time that each of the Barker sisters had left a "nominal amount" to the surviving sister or sisters when she died (Harriet in 1906 at eighty-three, Emeline in 1906 at eighty-five, and Amanda in 1919 at eighty-six). I knew also that Amanda had lived her last years with her nephew Barker's widow, Grace Fuller Place, and had left Grace all her personal effects, including her sister Emeline's magnificent quilt.

I now knew a fair number of facts about Emeline, but not enough to have a good sense of who she was or what she was really like. I remained unsatisfied. My research showed that none of the Barker women had ever worked—consistently noted in the occupation column on the census was the word "income"—and that they always had a servant living with them at home, indicating that they were financially independent. I then decided to follow up on Hannah's maiden name, Angevine, which had been passed on to Susan as a middle name.

The next—and best—stop was the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYGBS), where I

44 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

0 a

found full genealogies on both the Angevines and the Barkers. The Angevines were French Huguenots who first came to America in 1702 to farm in New Rochelle and, later, in Scarsdale, New York. The Barkers were traceable to Cow's Neck, Long Island, as early as 1680, having emigrated from England sometime before.

They too were farmers who worked first in White Plains, then in Scarsdale. Members of both families had fought in the Revolutionary War. Uncovered in the family file was a 1919 letter from Amanda to her great-niece Florence, in which she wrote: "Susan A. Barker was married to James K. Place, May 27, 1840 in the Mott Street House. Their wedding trip was to Niagara Falls. Emeline was bridesmaid. Their dresses were exactly alike and Emeline went with them on the trip."

In studying the genealogies further, I noticed that Emeline's greatnephew Leonard Sullivan Sr. had been the president of the NYGBS in 1955.

There followed a chat with Mr. Harry Macy Jr., associate editor and director of information for the NYGBS,to see if he might know whether Emeline Barker had any living descendants.

Sure enough, he called the next day with the names of a great-great-niece and a great-great-nephew. I could hardly wait to contact them. When I reached Leonard Sullivan Jr., Emeline's great-great-nephew, he expressed genuine interest in the quilt story. He said he would try to get back to me with some family history, but it would surely not be within twentyfour hours. To my surprise, in only two hours the phone rang and I listened as Mr. Sullivan read from an unpublished chronicle of his aunt Florence Sullivan, Emeline's great-niece: Hannah and her daughters built the house on 26th St. where they lived for 50 years. All the nieces and nephews loved to visit. When you stepped into it you stepped into a very early period of New York home.

They lived a fine and comfortable life. The aunts inherited great skill with their needles from their French ancestors.

They made beautiful quilts, a

46 WINTER I994/95 FOLK ART

wedding veil, and hair wreaths.

They were all very small, well rounded and plain. Emeline had a rosy appearance, reddish hair and was the humorous one.2 After months of searching, a sense of Emeline Barker—a rosy, humorous woman and a wonderful quiltmaker— had finally emerged.

THE QUILT

Two short visits to the Museum of the City of New York allowed me to view only small sections of Emeline Barker's Mariner's Compass quilt at a time, as we hadn't the space to open it entirely. However, I was able to find the inscription "Emeline Barker #7" written in fabric-safe ink at an angle in one corner of the quilt. The number remains a mystery. Perhaps it indicates that this is one of a series of Mariner's Compass quilts made by Emeline or one of a variety of quilts she made during her lifetime. It could also be a laundry mark.

The quilt measures ninety-eight inches square. It is composed of nine pieced circular "compass" motifs, each of which are thirty inches in diameter. The intermediate spaces are appliquéd with a flower motif resembling a stylized fleur-de-lis. This same fleur-de-lis pattern appears twice inside each border in half-motif, and a single floweret from this pattern in appliquéd in each corner.

The colors in this quilt are not subtle; in fact, the tones are surprisingly vivid. According to historian Florence Montgomery, this is indicative of new textile practices that had only recently been developed when the quilt was made."Experiment with mineral colors brought about a new palate of harsh shades, thereby destroying the former harmony of colors created by vegetable dyes. Chemical and mechanical developments in printing led to a proliferation of patterns which can scarcely be documented."3 The design incorporates five calico prints on a plain white cotton background. The sixty-four points of each compass—consisting of two sets of eight, one set of sixteen, and one set of thirty-two—are pieced with thin, pieshaped wedges emanating from four concentric circles. An extraordinarily

skilled hand has taken them to unbelievably sharp and clean points. The longest eight points are pieced in orange-red calico with blue-and-yellow flowers. The next-longest eight are dark green on green vermiculate. The ring of sixteen points is pieced in navy blue with beige and light blue flower-andvine calico. The shortest thirty-two points, which emanate from the outermost ring, are chocolate-brown with beige and light blue flower-and-vine calico. The intermediate and corner motifs are appliquéd with the orangered-flowered and green-and-yellow-figured calicoes, with slight touches of blue used in the fleur-de-lis. The quilt is bordered with a pieced sawtooth design of green, red, blue, and brown calico.

The binding is about a quarter-inch in width, turned from back to front.

The amount of yardage required to piece and appliqué this quilt was considerable, and the materials were carefully chosen. "Particularly appealing to the quiltmaker were the cotton calicoes, washable and soft to the touch, printed in hundreds of different designs. Materials were bought specifically for the purpose of making a quilt."' Since New York City was such an active and vital port, the

A reproduction of the photograph of the Rising Sun quilt featured in Ruth E. Finley's Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them (Grosset & Dunlap, 1929). Finley does not discuss the identity of the quiltmaker, but states that the quilt "is the cherished heirloom of an old Long Island [New York] family. Pieced about one hundred and twenty-five years ago [1804], it measures eight feet square...." The caption under the photo reads, "Courtesy of Mrs. Lott Van de Water, Jr."

choices of textiles were practically never-ending.

The quilting is amazingly fine and even. Diamond shapes are quilted in between each point, and concentric circles surround each compass. Single

sometime during her mature years, and I would set the date of the quilt's creation in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. We must remember, however, that "The truth is that the process of quilt dating is frequently never more than a series of highly educated guesses. Unless a quilt is actually dated, there is rarely any single irrefutable proof of its age or even period, but rather a string of possible clues, all of which must be assessed and balanced against one another."9 RISING SUN AND MARINER'S COMPASS

MARINER'S COMPASS QUILT Quiltmaker unknown Listed as New Jersey C. 1835 Pieced and appliqued cotton 983/4

96"

Collection of the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, gift of Florence Peto

small quilted circles offset the appliquĂŠd design. As Atkins and Tepper said in their book New York Beauties, in which Barker's quilt was featured, "This is probably the finest Mariner's Compass quilt seen by the Quilt Project. Each thin radiating spike comes to a perfect point, and the stitches throughout are tiny and exquisitely placed."5 The quilt is in excellent condition, save for several small mending stitches on the back and a few areas of brownish coloration on the white background. It appears to be a "best" quilt that was lovingly cared for and handed down through the Barker family. "Because Mariner's Compass is not an easy pattern to piece it is often selected for that one special masterpiece quilt which the maker wants to represent her best efforts. Extra attention is usually given to the quilting too so it will match the magnificence of the pieced design."6

Despite the quilt's excellent condition, dating it is no easy task.

The first possible clue to the quilt's age is the use of red calico with blueand-yellow flowers. According to quilt historian Barbara Brackman, "Turkey red calicoes from the midnineteenth century are printed with blue, yellow and green figures. Most, if not all of these multi-colored calicoes are European imports. They are a clue to a general 1840-1900 date with the quilt more likely to be from the first thirty years of the era rather than the last thirty."' And to turn again to Atkins and Tepper:"By the 1860s and 1870s roller printing was being used to create the seemingly endless variety of colorful and cheap cotton calico prints that became a staple fabric for clothing and quilts."' It is evident from the quilt that Emeline was a meticulous and experienced needlewoman. Considering Emeline's life span, I believe that the work was done

The Mariner's Compass motif has a long history in American quilting. In a letter to her father in 1798, Elizabeth Southgate Browne wrote: "Dear Father, you mentioned in your letter about my pieces which you say you imagine are purloined. I am very sorry they are for I set more by them than any of my pieces, one was a pieced geometric and one a mariner's compass."' But the compass design itself has a history that extends far beyond that of American quilting. "A circle with radiating points occurs as a design in most cultures. It represents many things and may be called a star, sunburst, or, on a navigational chart or map where it indicates direction, a compass. Before the magnetic compass came into general use in the thirteenth century, sailors in the Mediterranean used eight predictable winds to navigate. These eight winds were represented on charts or maps by a design called a wind rose."

The name Mariner's Compass was "probably suggested to early quiltmakers living on the east coast of America by sea charts available in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries."12 The design came to be called by other names as the pattern traveled inland and westward. One comes across many names in quilt literature that describe a variety of similar forms: Ship's Wheel, Chips and Whetstones, Rising Sun, Rising Star, Sunburst, Sunflower, Compass, and Mariner's Compass. Examples of Mariner's Compass quilts, sometimes under different names,can be found in almost every quilt book. However, in only two instances did I find quilts with a compass pattern comparable to that used for the Barker quilt.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 47

The first of these is the 1804 Long Island quilt that is featured in Ruth E. Finley's Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them. In the commentary on this quilt, Finley states that "No mere photograph can do a 'Rising Sun' quilt justice. It is a triumph of design and is so difficult of execution that only the most expert quilt-makers attempted it.

A 'Rising Sun' was 'post graduate' work and consequently is one of the rarest and most valuable of quilts."3 On this quilt, the sixty-four compass points are pieced in the same fashion as on the Barker quilt, but in this case appliquéd wreaths of laurel—instead of fleur-de-lis—offset the design.

The second example is the Mariner's Compass quilt featured in Florence Peto's American Quilts and Coverlets, and here the resemblance to the Barker quilt seems extraordinary.

Peto's discussion of this quilt is similar to Finley's comments on the Rising Sun quilt: "Devotees of pieced

BARKER

work will appreciate the dexterity displayed in assembling...the Mariner's Compass.... The long slender patches and the sharp points are post graduate work for any quilter."14 And,she adds, "Mathematical precision and wellchosen colors make this example a work of fine art."5 Happily, I found this second quilt in the collection of the Shelburne Museum. I promptly sent slides of the Barker quilt to that museum's curator, Celia Oliver, for her evaluation and so that she could compare and contrast the two quilts. The following is her response to my inquiry: "The quilt by Emeline Barker is quite wonderful; I am delighted you contacted me. The relationship to our Mariner's Compass is so close, I think we clearly need to do some further research. Electra Webb acquired our quilt from Florence Peto. Peto attributed the maker to New Jersey, but I am not sure why. Unfortunately, the catalogue record has no information regarding the original

THOMAS BARKER

WILLIAM BARKER

(b.1680) Cow's Neck, Long Island, N.Y.

1709-1781 married

source. The catalogue entry also dates the quilt as 1835, but does not indicate where it is marked. So I will examine the quilt for any dates, numbers or signatures and let you know as soon as I can."6 The relationship she refers to can be seen quite clearly. On both quilts, the sixty-four compass points are constructed in exactly the same manner. Between the compass points on the Shelburne quilt, there are quilted triangles; in the same place on the Barker quilt, there are quilted diamonds. And while the Shelburne quilt has connecting diamonds around the compass points, Emeline Barker used connecting circles. The appliquéd motifs also exhibit a distinct similarity, and in both cases the quilting has been executed with an extremely deft hand.

Celia Oliver and I had the opportunity to discuss and compare the two quilts when I visited the Shelburne Museum several months later.

Unfortunately, no identifying marks were found on the Shelburne quilt.

SAMUEL BARKER

1755-1796 JANE FOWLER

1716-1763

married

— NATHANIEL BARKER

1783-1855 MARY SNIFFEN

1757-1834

ANGE VINE

PIERRE ANGEVINE

LOUIS ANGEVINE

(b.1666 in France) emigrated to New Rochelle, N.Y. 1702

1702-1778 married

married

— JAMES JACQUES ANGEVINE

1744-1825 ESTHER SECOR

1702-1748

married SUSAN FERRIS

1749-1816

411 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

— HANNAH ANGEVINE 1789-1880

However, the design, construction, and needlework of the two pieces are so remarkably similar that we may yet uncover a significant historical connection between these two exceptional Mariner's Compass quilts. * Emeline Barker's grave marker

Barker and Place family monuments, Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York

vs.

EMELINE PLACE SUSAN BARKER 1816-1869

FLORENCE SULLIVAN

married J. K. HAYWARD

ARTHUR BULL

married married JAMES K.PLACE 1816-1897

ISABEL PLACE

MARJORIE SULLIVAN

LILY MOTT married ARTHUR SULLIVAN

LEONARD SULLIVAN

FLORENCE SULLIVAN

married MARJORIE DODD

LEONIE SULLIVAN

MARIAN PLACE (bequeathed quilt to Museum of the City of New York) 1873-1944

LEONARD SULLIVAN JR. (telephone conversations with the author)

BARKER PLACE 1848-1921 married

FERRIS BARKER 1818-1875 married

L

GRACE FULLER 1852-1935

married CHARLES BARKER

PERCY S. HILDRETH

GERTRUDE ?

1819-1894

EMELINE 1820-1906 QUILTMAKER

HARRIET 1823-1906

AMANDA 1833-1919

Photographs courtesy of Leonard Sullivan Jr.

Deborah Lyttle Ash graduatedfrom Elmira College with a B.S. in education and did graduate work in the Liberal Studies Program at New York University. She has a certificate in clock repairfrom the American Museum of Watches and Clocks in Columbia, Pennsylvania. She is also a docent at the Museum ofAmerican Folk Art and a matriculated student in the Folk Art Institute Certificate Program.

NOTES 1 Jacqueline M. Atkins and Phyllis A. Tepper, New York Beauties: Quiltsfrom the Empire State(New York: Dutton Studio Books, 1992), P.65.

2 Leonard Sullivan Jr., telephone interviews with author, Washington, D.C., April 1993.

3 Florence M. Montgomery,Printed Textiles: English and American Cottons and Linens 1700-1850(New York: The Viking Press, 1970), p. 287.

4 Patsy and Myron Orlofsky, Quilts in America(New York: Abbeville Press, 1992), p. 75.

5 Atkins and Tepper, op. cit., p. 121.

6 Bonnie Leman,"Mariner's Compass," Quilters Newsletter Magazine, Vol. 11, No. 4(April 1980), p. 20.

7 Barbara Brackman, Clues in the Calico (McLean, Va.: EPM Publications, 1989), p. 63.

8 Atkins and Tepper, op. cit., p. 50.

9 Orlofsky, op. cit., p. 305.

10 Charlotte Robinson, ed., The Artist and the Quilt(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974), p. 21.

11 Judith Mathieson, Mariner's Compass: An American Quilt Classic (Lafayette, Calif.: C&T Publishing, 1987), p. 6.

12 ,"Some Published Sources of Design Inspiration for Quilt Pattern Mariner's Compass: 17th to 20th Century," Uncoyerings 1981 (Mill Valley, Calif.: American Quilt Study Group, 1982), p. 11.

13 Ruth E. Finley, Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them(New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1929), p. 116.

14 Florence Peto, American Quilts & Coverlets(New York: Chanticleer Press, 1949), p. 27.

15 Ibid., plate 3.

16 Celia Oliver, curator, Shelburne Museum,letter to author, April 21, 1993.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 49

Minnie Evans and Nina Howell Starr, June 1972

Minnie Evans & Me NINA HOWELL STARR

Nina Howell Starr is well known for her close association with artist Minnie Evans, whom she represented from 1962 until 1984. Considered largely responsible for bringing Evans's work to the attention of the art world, Starr arranged for the artist's first New York exhibition in 1966.

Starr spent many years photographing Minnie Evans and her work and recording their conversations. In 1975 she was the guest curator of "Minnie Evans," a major solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

In this essay, illustrated with her photographs, Nina Howell Starr gives us a glimpse of a long and tender friendship between two extraordinary women.

— R.G. Minnie Evans, 1962

50 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

UNTITLED Rainbow over blue sky with plumed cap c. 1965 Ink and wax crayon on paper 12 x 9" Collection of Nina Howell Starr

I

I

51

T

he question most often asked about my friendship with Minnie Evans is, "How did you meet her?" So now I undertake to record our meeting, in anticipation of someday telling the full story of my long association with this visionary artist who became such a good friend.

In 1961 I was a graduate student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where my husband, Nathan Starr, was on the faculty. A fellow graduate student, Shirley Schwarz, showed me five crayon drawings by Minnie Evans. Shirley thought I would be interested because of my already well-known and exhibited photographic documentation "Contemporary Roadside Folk Art." Although the drawings did not immediately excite me, I decided to photograph them before returning them to Shirley—the documentarian in me would not be denied. So I carefully recorded them in black and white and in color.

It was while I was in my darkroom printing the black-and-white negatives that the magic of Minnie Evans's images gripped me. Her colors, which I could then describe only as "psychedelic," frankly blinded me at the time. Her images, drawn with crayons—Crayola crayons, she emphasized, because "they are the best"—were packed full of colors. I saw screaming reds and yellows frequently shaded into one another, and fuchsia and bright greens, and intense blues, with occasional small islands of black—deep black. But in my darkroom, printing the black-and-white negatives, I was suddenly surprised and awed by the graphic power of these images.

Late in 1961, I found myself speculating that I might make Minnie Evans the subject of the thesis required for my projected M.F.A. As it turned out, I did not, but the idea interested me greatly. As midyear break was just ahead, not only for me but for my husband, I thought it would be a good time to meet Minnie Evans and see more of her work. I wrote to her that I was coming, bought a tape recorder, and of course packed my cameras and lots of film, both color and black-and-white. That is how and why,early in 1962, we took off in our Ford station wagon for Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, near Wilmington, to a meeting that would change our lives.

It is a long drive from Gainesville to Wrightsville Beach, even though it is close to the South Carolina border, on the coast. We arrived during the afternoon of our second day of traveling, with time enough for a first visit with Mrs. Evans in her home.

And what a visit it was. We made friends quickly. At sixty-nine years old, Minnie Evans had a lot to say about her art and her life, telling me especially about "lawyer Rountree," her "best friend," while showing me many of her pictures. Her very young grandson Gary sang "Jesus Loves Me" for my tape recorder; in fact, it seemed close to a love feast all around. As we left, Mrs. Evans expressed

...we took off in our Ford station wagon for Wrightsville Beach... to a meeting that would change our lives.

52 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

UNTITLED Five faces with

her own full heart with words that still ring in mine,"Thank you, madame, you have added to my life today." Although she was always courtly, this is the only time I recall her addressing me as "madame."

I made my way back to our motel, aglow. But that glow dimmed as I faced a problem. When I had proposed to Minnie Evans that I could better record her work with my camera in, or possibly outside, the motel my husband and I had already settled into, she expressed a guarded reluctance to let me take her work with me. Not wishing to inject difficulty into this blossoming relationship, I had simply let the question hang and left empty-handed, saying, as I remember, that I would visit her the next day at nearby Airlie Gardens, where she told me she would be at her job selling admissions to visitors.

My hopes were somewhat dashed over not being able to photograph the many drawings I was hoping to record, so I cogitated. My mind, reviewing the afternoon with Minnie Evans, zeroed in on the recollection of the

abstract plants 1961 Graphite and wax crayon on paper 12 9" Private collection

One of the first Minnie Evans drawings photographed by Nina Howell Starr.

Detail of untitled drawing of five faces with abstract plants "It was while I was in my darkroom printing the black-and-white negatives that the magic of Minnie Evans's images gripped me." 窶年.H.S.

Detail of untitled drawing of five faces with abstract plants "I was suddenly surprised and awed by the graphic power of these images." 窶年.H.S.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 53

Minnie Evans: Artist January 21-April 2, 1995

T

he Museum of American Folk Art will present "Minnie Evans: Artist," an exhibition of approximately sixty paintings and works on

paper that spans Minnie Evans's productive years(1935 to 1981). Organized by Charles Muir Lovell and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the exhibition premiered on May 14, 1993, at the Wellington B. Gray Gallery, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. It is currently on view at the High Museum of Art Folk Art and Photography Galleries at Georgia-Pacific Center in Atlanta, where it will remain through January 6,1995.

Born in Long Creek,Pender County, North Carolina, Minnie Evans(1892-1987) began her artistic career in 1935 with only a sixth-grade education and no

UNTITLED Female portrait 1962 Gouache, ink, and wax crayon on paper 12 x 9"

formal artistic training. Evans's abstract drawings in

Courtesy Luise Ross Gallery

graphite, ink, and crayon were inspired by visions from her dreams and influenced by the lush vegetation surrounding her at Airlie Gardens, where she worked as gatekeeper.

Her drawings evolved into highly sophisticated, mandala-like paintings, capturing the energy and vitality of her subconscious mind. The words of novelist Alice Walker beautifully describe the feelings evoked by the art of Minnie Evans: "...guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength, in search of my Mother's garden I found my own."

After decades of working in private, Minnie Evans was "discovered" in 1962 by photographer Nina Howell Starr, who in 1966 organized Evans's first New York exhibition. Starr represented Evans for over twenty years and was the guest curator of the solo exhibition "Minnie Evans," which was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1975.

Minnie Evans's work reflects her heritage as a southerner, an African-American, and a female, self-taught artist, and her work is an important contribution to the art of the twentieth century. The Museum has developed a full complement of educational programs for children and adults that will provide a framework for an understanding of Minnie Evans,the person and the artist. A symposium planned for March 1995 will include lectures by Dr. Mitchell Kahan, Director, Akron Art Institute; Dr. Charles Lovell, Curator of Exhibitions, Weatherspoon Gallery, University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Dr. Sharon Patton, associate professor of art history, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and Dr. Robert Farris Thompson, professor of art history, Yale University. The symposium will highlight the artistic contributions of Minnie Evans and her important place in the field of art history.

A beautifully illustrated, seventy-two page catalog is available in conjunction with the exhibition. For information about the exhibition, on view from January 21 through April 2, and related programming, please call the Museum at 212/595-9533.

54 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

lawyer Rountree, her "best friend." I determined to visit him the next morning, before seeing Minnie Evans again.

As I knew nothing about lawyer Rountree except his name, and that he was presumably a lawyer, my first step was to try the Wilmington telephone book. There I found listed "George Rountree, Jr.," a lawyer with an office at 212-214 Princess Street. I did not telephone him, but found Princess Street and, at 212-214, I climbed the stairs to his second-floor office and asked to see him. I do not recall any formality or difficulty. I found him at his desk: a white man, about my own age. I have often tried to imagine his surprise at me and my errand, although outwardly he showed none. There I was, a woman in my late fifties, telling him I was a graduate student who had come to Wilmington to interview Minnie Evans, and was now seeking his validation. I liked him immediately and we became good friends until his death in 1979.

Mr. Rountree quickly asked me if! had a car. I recall clearly his immediate declaration, when I answered yes: "We will go to see Minnie." While I drove him to Airlie Gardens gatehouse, where we expected to find her, Mr. Rountree quizzed me a bit. I told him about myself and my project and that I had come with Nathan, my husband, a professor at the University of Florida.

When we drew up at the gate at Airlie Gardens, Mr. Rountree got out and walked directly toward the little gatehouse. Before he reached it, Minnie had stepped out and was walking toward him. The next thing I saw was a big embrace. Years later I photographed them standing together outside the gatehouse, he standing as he had then, very tall above her short, solid frame.

He spoke only briefly with her, and when he was back in the car and I asked him about it, he just said that he told her to trust me, and mentioned something to her about my eyes. This has to be interesting to anyone familiar with Minnie Evans's work, because of the frequency of eyes—disembodied eyes—in many of her drawings.

But he was not done.

"Now," he said,"we will go see your husband." It had come out in our conversation that Nathan was a Harvard man,and so was George Rountree.

It is now thirty-two years since that meeting, but the recollection that remains in my mind is of the immediate rapport between those two men. And for years, in our correspondence, George Rountree never failed to include a message of warmth to "Nathan The Wise." For the record, our correspondence continued to be between "Mr. Roun-

"This art that I have put out has come from nations I suppose might have been destroyed before the flood...."

Minnie Evans at the Fine Arts Luncheon of the Wilmington Chapter of The Links(a national organization of black women) in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, April 1969

Minnie Evans with her grandson Gary (standing) and her two great-grandsons Gary (left) and Tyrone (right) in Wilmington, North Carolina, 1975

Minnie Evans, 1962

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 55

tree" and "Mrs. Starr" until 1972, when after ten years it imposing hotel that stretches along the shore of Wrightsbecame "Geo"(or George)and "Nina." ville Beach there was already a large gathering of Links Over the years, Mrs. Evans and I became close assembled in the lobby. Minnie was wearing a handsome friends and I gathered many conversations with her on my white-and-gold brocade dress and a smart cloche. She tape recorder, a treasured lode of personal expression and beamed with confidence and pride among the many smartly family history, as well as racial observations. She had dressed ladies. recalled to me,for instance, the riots that tore up WilmingAs the members greeted her, she introduced me with ton in 1898, when she was no more than six years old. "Meet Mrs. Starr, she is president of my pictures in New "They gets that way sometimes," she reflected. She has York." (It was in 1969 that, through the good offices of revealed to me striking evidence, George Rountree, Minnie granted me power of attorney, as innocent of sophistication as it which enabled me to act freely in representing her.) I was is full of confidence, of the not president of anything, but I accepted the introduction as unconscious source of her pic- a good description of my role in her life. I would guess that tures. "I have no imagination. I there were about fifty ladies present as we took our places never plan a drawing," she said, in the dining room. I was seated at the head table with Min"They just happen." And, "In a nie, Martha, and the presiding officer. It seemed to me that dream it was shown to me what I not much time had passed before lunch was over, and folhave to do, of paintings," she lowing her introduction and the awarding of the Fine Art said in 1962. 'The whole entire Plaque, Minnie made her acceptance speech. She was horizon all the way across the splendid, completely self-possessed, and handsomely and whole earth was put together like appropriately articulate. this with pictures. All over my I had arranged for her to come to my hotel room the yard, all up the side of trees and next day to review with me several of her pictures that I everywhere were pictures." had brought from New York, and I was confident that she There is an inscrutable would repeat, or sketch out for me on the tape recorder, aspect of Minnie Evans's heredity, related to the mystery of what she had said to the assembled Links. But no, the muse the unaccountable persistence of Caribbean, East Indian, who had served her so well at the luncheon deserted her; Chinese, and Western aboriginal elements in her imagery she told me she could not remember anything she had said. and color. She traces her ancestry to her great-grandmoth- She was seventy-seven years old at the time and living with er's great-grandmother Moni, who was brought as a slave her son George and his family and her ninety-one-year-old from Trinidad. Mrs. Evans's great-grandmother Rachel told mother, Ella Jones. Our conference slowed; Minnie was her about Moni. Minnie Evans had not been to Trinidad tired and told me she wanted to "get back to Mama." and said that she had never seen pictures of it.

My friendship with Minnie Evans deepened over Her own explanation of much of her work was: the twenty-five years that I knew her. During those years I "This art that I have put out has come from nations I sup- was able to bring her work to the world through essays, pose might have been destroyed before the flood.... No one articles, and exhibitions. Minnie Evans died in December knows anything about them, but God has given it to me to 1987 in Wilmington. She was a faithful correspondent and bring them back into the world." I recall with warmth one a loving friend.* time when I flew to Wilmington to visit her; there had been bad storms reported, and she told me after I reached her at Editor's note: Portions of this essay home how she had prayed: "I said Lord don't let no clouds were adapted from "The Lost World of and wind tangle up in that plane Ms. Starr's on. It's safe I Minnie Evans," by Nina Howell Starr, want her please. I kept watching, watching every car come originally published in The Bennington in and you didn't come. Then when I went in Gary told me Review, Vol. III, No. 2, Summer 1969. you had called."

And I came to know, as our acquaintance ripened, Nina Howell Starr was born in New that she was a natural speaker with a distinctive style. She Jersey in 1903. She received her B.A. told me that she often spoke at other churches when she from Barnard College in 1926. After and members of her church visited them. Then, in April leaving Barnard, she pursued her inter1969, I heard her myself, at what I think must have been est in art, architecture, and photograher best. It was at the Blockade Runner Hotel in Wrights- phy. In 1963, at the age ofsixty, she ville Beach, and the occasion was a proud one for Minnie: received an M.F.A. with a concentrathe Fine Arts Luncheon of the Wilmington Chapter tion in photographyfrom the University of The Links, where she was awarded their Fine Arts ofFlorida. In addition to her close association with Minnie Evans, Nina Plaque. The Links is a national organization of black Howell Starr is well knownfor her docwomen with wide interests. As I learned from the program, umentation ofcontemporary roadside each member is "a Link." folk art. Her photographs have been When I received an invitation, I was determined to exhibited nationally and her writings be present for this proud occasion. When Minnie, her have been widely published. daughter-in-law Martha Evans, and I reached the large and

As the members greeted her, she introduced me with "Meet Mrs. Starr, she is president of my pictures in New York."

56 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

UNTITLED Pink centaur 1967 Crayon, tempera, pencil, and

gold paint (lightly

varnished) on paper 12 9" Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Miller

Minnie Evans, March 31, 1977

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 57

.

43

The first definitive book of Alabama's visionary folk art REVELATIONS

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10021

at212.249.0067 9ax(241a.)212.744.2079 9ax 212.249.0069 Alabama's Visionary Folk Artists Text by Kathy Kemp • Photographs by Keith Boyer Introduction by Gail Trechsel

Featuring: Thornton Dial•Lonnie Holley•Bill Traylor• Mose Tolliver•Fred Webster•Myrtice West•Howard Finster• Jimmy Lee Sudduth•Woodie Long...and more

labama is increasingly viewed as an active center of visionary folk art (also known as outsider or self-taught art), producing a high volume of exceptional artists and works.

Revelations, the first definitive volume covering Alabama's key visionary folk artists, presents these exciting works and their creators in a beautiful full-color hardbound edition worthy of the finest collection.

1 2"x 10'/ 224 pages / hardcover / full color gloss varnish jacket •10 /

A

• Over 100 full-color reproductions of Alabama's most important works of visionary folk art • Profiles of each artist with quality black-and-white portrait photos • Introduction by Gail Trechsel of the Birmingham Museum of Art • Also available in bookstores, galleries, and museum shops To order, simply fill out the order form below and mail with your payment or credit card number.

ORDER FORM

T14/inttt90t4C4Et e-Wczknd &a

•

tftz.Sun." 23 0,2,ttatton 04

In.ant..1 to .Staittg <Stnaunin and ci144aX 7.-rda

FOLK ART BY MAIL We offer a wide range of folk and decorative art for purchase by mail. Specializing in older American pieces. We usually have some contemporary and outsider works.

INCLUDING: Paintings, Carvings, Whirligigs, Quilts, Tramp & Obsessive art, and interesting items made from found objects.

copies of Revelations at $60 plus $4.50 shipping and handling per Please send me book. Alabama residents add $2.80 sales tax.

Name Address City

State

Zip

Phone

(If no street address is available for UPS delivery, please add $2,o your shipping and handling charge to ensure parcel post delivery.)

0Check or money order enclosed, payable to Crane Hill Publishers CI MasterCard CI VISA account# authorized signature expiration date Mail to: Crane Hill Publishers 2923 Crescent Ave. Birmingham AL 35209

(800)841-2682

58 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

RT. 1, BOX 20-C, MENTONE, AL 35984 (205)634-4037 Free lists will be sent to you on request. Photos lent.

Please specify your areas of interest.

Albert Louden Visit us at The New York Outsider Art Fair, Puck Building, New York. January 27-29, 1995

Untitled 38"x24" Oil on canvas

(1945- )

Collection includes: J.B. Murray, Howard Finster, David Butler, Sam Doyle, Nellie Mae Rowe, Mary T. Smith, Clementine Hunter, Jimmy Sudduth, James "Son"Thomas, Royal Robertson, James Harold Jennings, Mose Tolliver, Lonnie Holley, B.F. Perkins, Luster Willis, Raymond Coins, Charlie Lucas, Junior Lewis, Wiliam Dawson, LeRoy Almon, Sr., M.C. 50 Jones, "Artist Chuckie" Williams, Ike Morgan, Herbert Singleton, Burgess Dulaney, Dwight Mackintosh, Sarah Rakes, S.L. Jones, Rhinestone Cowboy, Scottie Wilson, and others.

GILLEY8

CALLEQY A

8750 Florida Blvd.

Baton Rouge, LA 70815 (504)922-9225

MEXICAN DEVOTIONAL

RETABLOS FROM THE PETERS COLLECTION

MEXICAN DEVOTIONAL

RETABLOS --FROM DIE PETERS COLLECTION UNIVERSITY' SAINT IOSIEWS

Pim ADELINHA

A catalogue of The Peters Collection at Saint Joseph's University, this book has color plates and detailed explanation of the iconography of all the works in this permanent exhibition. It also includes essays on how and why this particular collection came together, on stylistic and technical aspects of the retablos in The Peters Collection, and on neglected literary and artistic sources for many devotional retablo subjects, such as the Blessed Trinity, St. Joseph, and the Holy Family.

181 pages/12"x 9"/48 color plates/57 black and white plates, available for $45 in paperback or $75 in hardback plus postage and handling($5.00 first class or $2.50 book rate).

Saint Joseph's University Press 5600 City Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131-1395 610-660-2619

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 59

Summer

MAHVASH

In

December Columbus Avenue

the Museum of American Folk Art's Christmas Trees Will Be on View from December 6 through January 8.

he branches of the Museum of American Folk Art's Christmas trees will shimmer and flutter with butterflies and flowers throughout the holiday season, offering a bit of summer at the onset of winter. The display will be on view from December 6 through January 8 at the Museum's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery on Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th streets.

Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. Admission is free.

For the second consecutive year, the Historical Society of Early American Decoration (HSEAD)has donated handmade ornaments for the Christmas trees at the Museum of American Folk Art. Each year, one of the seventeen chapters of the Society is responsible for creating and donating approximately 150 ornaments to the Museum for display during the holiday season.

This year, the theme of the handmade ornaments is "butterfly and flower motifs" from painted trays made in the Welsh areas of Pontypool and Usk and the Midlands of England, primarily Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Bilston. Most of

T UNTIL HE CAME TO THE BALCONY TO CALL ME UP

Oil on Canvas 34" x 44"

Living in a miniature doll house, I play house as I paint my own sweet reality of a woman, a man, and two cats I am only a traveler passing through

MAHVASH STUDIO 68 Canyon Ridge â&#x20AC;˘ Irvine, CA 92715 Telephone (714) 854-0747 Call for Studio Appointment or Artist Catalog

Photography by Shirley S. Baer

60 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

these trays were painted between 1790 and the early 1900s.

HSEAD's Old Colony Chapter of Massachusetts is responsible for this year's contributions.

Maryjane Clark, who was instrumental in starting the Old Colony Chapter and is the well-known author of the Illustrated Glossary ofDecorated Antiques(Norwell, Mass.: Scrabble Arts and the Historical Society of Early American Decoration, Inc., 1990), chaired the committee to make the decorations.

Examples of motifs found on trays from the Midlands, Pontypool, and Usk include butterflies, morning glories, dahlias, and roses.

Freehand bronze trays made of papiermâchÊ and sheet iron were decorated mostly in Birmingham. Gold-leaf butterflies were first found on frays from Pontypool, then on those from other areas. Included in this year's ornaments are examples of Pontypool painting, gold leafing, and silver leafing. The butterfly ornaments are decorated with transparent paints over silver- or goldleaf backgrounds.

Shirley Baer,former president of HSEAD and a member of its Old Colony Chapter and Board of Trustees, stated that she is enthusiastic about the growing relationship between the Museum and the Society,"which was so perceptively envisioned by Gerard Wertkin and the late Robert Bishop. The Historical Society of Early American Decoration is pleased to be affiliated with the Museum of American Folk Art and looks forward to working with the Museum in fulfilling the mission of the Society to perpetuate the art form of early American decoration." *

CLIebrated Folk Artist

DON CADORET JACOB KNIGHT Famous Folk, Charieton City Ma (508) 248-6856

Celebrated Folk Artist

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 61

"Preening Canada Goose," a carving by Kirby Kautz

Gallerg Americana 3941 San Felipe Houston,Texas77027 (713)622-6225

*o1144/ear, aswid4wiieai MOSE T WOODIE LONG HOWARD FINSTER JAMES HAROLD JENNINGS REVEREND BENJAMIN PERKINS JIMMY LEE SUDDUTH ANNIE T SARAH RAKES

Eight outstanding folk artists of rural America have licenced FOLKWEAR. This line of high quality activewear is dedicated to the creative spirit of America's contemporary folk artists.

Thirty t-shirt designs to choose from!

For more information and a brochure call 1-800-289-8744 or 205-758-0678 or write to Campus Collection P.O. Box 2904 Tuscaloosa, AL 35403 Not sold individually.

Sold only to retail outlets at wholesale prices

62 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

â&#x20AC;˘

FOX HILL

WORKS

OP

Send a Card Today! or generations quilts have comforted, warmed and inspired people from around the world. Now you can send these feelings to friends and family for just pennies! Fox Hill Workshop has created forty-eight exclusive cards portraying images from internationally renowned artists. Perfect for a gift or for yourself, our cards are handsomely housed by the dozen in a brass-hinged keepsake box.

F

Each box contains: 12 recycled cards and envelopes

Available at Quilt, Fabric, Gift, and Bookstores or call C&T Publishing at 1-800-284-1114 or 510-370-9600 for ordering information and to receive our free color catalogue.

411v â&#x20AC;˘ OM PUBLISHING

ALICE J. HOFFMAN AND MARYANN WARAKOMSKI James River Corporation, Creative Expressions Group

MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART COLLECTION' Home Furnishings and Decorative Accessories Representing over 300 years ofAmerican design,from the late 1600s to the present, the Museum ofAmerican Folk Art CollectionTM brings Remington Apparel Co., Inc.

within reach ofthe public the very best ofthe past—to be enjoyedfor generations to come.

New Directions The Museum welcomes three new licensees: It's time to redecorate.

Imperial Wallcoverings,Inc., a major manufacturer in the wallcoverings industry, will be introducing wallcoverings and borders adapted from Museum designs.

Good things come in small packages. Concord Miniatures, a leading manufacturer of miniatures, will be introducing the first in a series of reproductions based on furniture and decorative accessories from the Museum.

Dynasty Dolls, a well-known manufacturer of collectible dolls, will create a series of dolls, "Stepping Out of the Frame," based on paintings in the Museum's collection. Each doll will be produced in a limited edition of 500 and will be crafted of the finest porcelain and dressed in period clothes.

News from Museum Licensees * Dakotah,Inc., previewed a new selection of pillows and throws and introduced cloth table linens based on Pennsylvania folk art at the Fall Home Textiles Show. The new patterns are Bucks County, Lancaster Bird in Hand, Rosmaling, Candlewick, and Four Corners. * James River Corporation, Creative Expressions Group designed a baby shower ensemble of eleven party goods inspired by

841. WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Dianne Hire's winning entry, "...As I Fall Asleep," from the Museum's Great American Quilt Festival 2"Memories of Childhood" international quilt contest.

Hire's work reminds us of those childhood memories we all hold dear—a perfect sentiment for welcoming a new baby. This ensemble, called Baby Quilt, is now available. * The Lane Company introduced 35 new pieces of furniture for the America CollectionTM at the Fall International Home Furnishings Market. Authentic reproductions and approved adaptations of pieces from the Classical Revival Period and in the William and Mary Style were unveiled to a standing ovation from both the press and furniture dealers. *Perfect Fit Industries added two new quilt designs, Museum Fan and Whig Rose,to the Museum of American Folk Art series of machine-made in America printed bedcoverings and coordinated accessories during the Fall Home Textiles Market. *Remington Apparel Co.,Inc., previewed 32 unique tie designs based on a series of four Museum design groups—"Views of America,""American Comfort," "Expressions of a New Spirit," and "The Art of Embellishment"— at the Fall men's apparel show in Las Vegas. * Tyndale,Inc. introduced 25 new table and floor lamps at the Fall International Home Furnishings Market. Banner vanes, quilts,

birdhouses, and circus banners provided the inspiration for these newest additions to the Museum of American Folk Art Collection.TM Special Events Fall International Home Furnishings Market, High Point, N.C. Gerard C. Werticin, Museum director, and Rachel Newman,editor of Country Living magazine, were featured guest speakers at the gala breakfast "Salute to America," hosted by The Lane Company. Addressing more than 200 attendees, Mr. Wertkin spoke of the Museum's commitment to and the success of its licensing program.

Dear Customer

Your purchase of Museumlicensed products directly benefits the cultural and educational programs of the Museum. Thank you for participating in the Museum's continuing efforts to celebrate the style and tradition of American folk art. If you have any questions or comments regarding the Museum of American Folk Art Collection,Th' please contact us at 212/977-7170.

Family of Licensees Abbeville Press(212/888-1969)gift wrap, book/gift tags, quilt note cube.* Artwear,Inc. (800/551-9945) activewear, T-shirts.* Concord Miniatures(800/888-0936) 1"- scale furniture and accessories.* Dakotah,Inc. (800/325-6824) decorative pillows, table linens, woven throws, chair pads. Danforth Pewterers, Ltd.(800/222-3142) pewter jewelry and accessories, buttons, ornaments, keyrings.* Dynasty Dolls(800/888-0936)collectible porcelain dolls.* Galison Books (212/354-8840) note cards, address book, puzzle, holiday cards.* Imperial Wallcoverings, Inc.(216/464-3700) wallcoverings, borders.

James River Corporation, Creative Expressions Groups(800/843-6818) patty goods.

The Lane Company,Inc., including Venture Furniture Company, Lane Upholstery, and Clyde Pearson (800/447-4700)furniture (case goods, wicker, and upholstered furniture).

Perfect Fit Industries (704/289-1531) machine-made in America printed bedcovers and coordinated bedroom products. Remington Apparel Co.,Inc.(203/821-3004) men's and women's ties.* Rose Art Industries (800/CRAYONS)jigsaw puzzles, hobby kits.* Rowe Pottery Works(608/764-5435)Pennsylvania redware and salt-glazed stoneware (microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe).* Takashimaya Company,Ltd.(212/3500550) home furnishings accessories and furniture (available only in Japan). Tyndale,Inc. (312/384-0800)lighting and lampshades. *Available at the Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shops. For mail-order information, contact Beverly McCarthy at 212/977-7170.

TRUSTEES/DONORS

MUSEUM

OF

AMERICAN

FOLK

AR

T

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Executive Committee Ralph 0. Esmerian President Frances Sirota Martinson, Esq. Executive Vice President and Chairman, Executive Committee Lucy C. Danziger Executive Vice President Bonnie Strauss Vice President Joan M. Johnson Vice President Peter M.Ciccone Treasurer George F. Shaskan,Jr. Secretary Judith A.Jedlicka Susan Klein

MAJOR

DONORS

Members Edward Lee Cave Joyce Cowin David L. Davies Raymond C. Egan T. Marshall Hahn,Jr. Barbara Johnson, Esq. George H. Meyer, Esq. Cyril I. Nelson Cynthia V. A.Schaffner Maureen Taylor David C. Walentas Robert N. Wilson

TO

American Folk Art Society Amiens Foundation William Arnett Asahi Shimbun Mr.& Mrs. Arthur L. Barrett Ben & Jerry's Homemade,Inc. Estate of Abraham P. Bersohn Dr. Robert Bishop Edward Vermont Blanchard & M. Anne Hill Mr.& Mrs. Edwin C. Braman Marilyn & Milton Brechner Mr.& Mrs. Edward J. Brown Iris Carmel Morris B. and Edith S. Cartin Family Foundation Tracy & Barbara Cate Edward Lee Cave Chinon,Ltd. Estate of Thomas M.Conway David L. Davies Mr.& Mrs. Donald DeWitt Gerald & Marie DiManno The Marion & Ben Duffy Foundation Mr.& Mrs. Alvin Einbender Ellin F. Ente Ross & Glady A. Faires Daniel & Jessie Lie Farber Mrs. Eva Feld Estate of Morris Feld Susan & Eugene Flamm Walter and Josephine Ford Fund

RECENT

MAJOR

LINCOLN

Honorary Trustee Eva Feld Trustees Emeriti Cordelia Hamilton Herbert W.Hemphill, Jr. Margery G. Kahn Alice M. Kaplan Jean Lipman

SQUARE

Jacqueline Fowler Selma & Sam Goldwitz Irene & Bob Goodlcind Mr.& Mrs. Baron Gordon Doris Stack Green Cordelia Hamilton Taiji Harada William Randolph Hearst Foundation Terry & Simca Heled Alice & Ronald Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. David S. Howe Mr. & Mrs. Albert L•Hunecke, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Yee Roy Jear Barbara Johnson, Esq. Joan & Victor L. Johnson Isobel & Harvey Kahn Louise & George Kaminow Janey Fire & John Kalymnios Shirley & Theodore L. Kesselman Mr. and Mrs. Robert Klein Kodansha,Ltd. Lee & Ed Kogan Wendy & Mel Levitt James & Frances Lieu Howard & Jean Lipman Foundation Robert & Betty Marcus Foundation, Inc. C.F. Martin IV Frances Sirota Martinson, Esq. Masco Corporation Christopher & Linda Mayer

ENDOWMENT

FUND

Marjorie W. McConnell Michael & Marilyn Mennello Benson Motechin Johleen Nester, John Nester II, and Jeffrey Nester Kathleen S. Nester NYNEX Corporation Paul Oppenheimer Dorothy & Leo Rablcin Cathy Rasmussen Ann-Marie Reilly Willa & Joseph Rosenberg Betsey Schaeffer The William P. and Gertrude Schweitzer Foundation, Inc. Mr.& Mrs. Richard Sears Mr. & Mrs. George F. Shaskan, Jr. Mrs. Louise A. Simone Patricia Lynch Smith & Sanford L. Smith Mr.& Mrs. Richard L. Solar Mr.& Mrs. Austin Super Mr.& Mrs. Stanley Tananbaum Phyllis & Irving Tepper Two Lincoln Square Associates Anne Utescher Elizabeth & Irwin Warren Mrs. Dixon Wecter Gerard C. Wertkin Robert N.& Anne Wright Wilson Mr.& Mrs. John H. Winkler

DONORS

The Museum of American Folk Art greatly appreciates the generous support of the following friends:

850,000—$99,999 Anonymous Joseph Martinson Memorial Fund The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc.

$100,000 and above Anonymous Estate of Daniel Cowin Ford Motor Company The J.M. Kaplan Fund,Inc. David & Jane Walentas

$20,000—$49,999 Mr.& Mrs. Leon Black Mr.& Mrs. Frederick M. Danziger Joan & Victor L. Johnson National Endowment for the Arts Restaurant Associates Industries, Inc. Barbara & Thomas W.Strauss Fund

$10,000—$19,999 The Beacon Group Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Country Living Joyce Cowin David L. Davies and Jack Weeden Dietrich American Foundation & H. Richard Dietrich William B. Dietrich Foundation Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver,& Jacobson Estate of Aniel T. Hubbell (continued on page 68)

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 65

PURVIS YOUNG

THE

MODERN PRIMITIVE GALLERY

1402-4 NORTH HIGHLAND AVENUE ATLANTA, GA 30306 (404)892-0556

JIM LINDERMAN FOLK AND OUTSIDER ART SELF-TAUGHT ARTISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY ANDREA BADAMI WILLIAM DAWSON HOWARD FINSTER VICTOR GATTO DILMUS HALL S.L. JONES CHARLEY KINNEY JUSTIN McCARTHY OLD IRONSIDES PRY POPEYE REED MAX ROMAIN JACK SAVITSKY MARY T. SMITH HENRY SPELLER LUSTER WILLIS AND MANY OTHERS

WA 'TRESSES W A ir

FoF,714EIR, TIP

BY APPOINTMENT 530 WEST 46 STREET NEW YORK, NY 10036 (212)307-0914

JUSTIN McCARTHY (1892-1977) "New Names For Girls" Ink and Watercolor 14 x 22 c.1930

CHELO AMEZCUA WILLIE LEROY ELLIOTT JR. HOWARD FINSTER KEITH GOODHART BESSIE HARVEY JOHN HARVEY JUSTIN MCCARTHY CHRISTIAN MICHEL ANTHONY J. SALVATORE KEVIN SAMPSON JON SERL MATTHEW SMITH GREGORY VAN MAANEN JAMES WATKINSON ANNA ZEMANKOVA SELF-TAUGHT ARTISTS FROM HAITI, JAMAICA AND AUSTRALIA

Cavin-Morris Inc. 560 Broadway, Suite 205 New York, NY 10012 Tel:(212) 226-3768 Fax:(212) 226-0155

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 67

RECENT

MAJOR

DONORS

Continuedfrom page 65

Johnson & Johnson Howard and Jean Lipman Foundation Vincent Mai & AEA Investors Inc. Merrill Lynch George H. Meyer, Esq. NYNEX Corporation The Olsten Corporation Mr.& Mrs. George F. Shaskan, Jr. Schlumberger Foundation Inc. Patricia Lynch Smith & Sanford L. Smith $4,000-89,999 Anficus Foundation The Blackstone Group Joan Bull John R.& Dorothy D. Caples Fund Christie's Delta Queen Steamboat Company Inc. Department of Cultural Affairs, City of New York Ernst & Young LLP Mr.& Mrs. Raymond C. Egan Georgia Pacific Corporation Goldman,Sachs,& Co. T. Marshall Hahn,Jr. IBM Corporation Shirley & Theodore L. Kesselman Mr.& Mrs. Robert E. Klein MBNA America, N.A. Constance Milstein New York State Council on the Arts Olympia & York Companies(U.S.A.) Philip Morris Companies,Inc. Dorothy & Leo Rabkin Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher,& Flom Herbert and Nell Singer Philanthropic Fund Mr.& Mrs. Robert C. Stempel Time Warner Inc. Robert N.& Anne Wright Wilson $2,000—83,999 American Folk Art Society Anne Hill and Monty Blanchard Mr.& Mrs. James A. Block Capital Cities/ABC Steven D. Cochran Mr.& Mrs. Edgar M.Cullman Mr. & Mrs. Richard Danziger Donaldson,Lufkin & Jenrette The Richard C. and Susan B. Ernst Foundation Stephen Hill Mr.& Mrs. Robert Meltzer Marsh & McLennan Companies,Inc. Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. Project Find Ricco/Maresca Gallery The Rockefeller Group Mr.& Mrs. Daniel Rose Joseph E. Seagram & Sons,Inc. Alan Sullivan, Canadian Consulate General Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Taylor Washington Heights Mental Health Council Inc. $i,000—$1,999 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Michael G. Allen Mr.& Mrs. Thomas Block Marilyn & Milton Brechner Lois P. Broder William F. Brook, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Thatcher M.Brown

Liz Claiborne Foundation Joseph Cohen Conde Nast Publications Inc. Consolidated Edison Company of New York Mr. and Mrs. Stephen H. Cooper The Cowles Charitable Trust Mr.& Mrs. Joseph F. Cullman III Susan R. Cullman Aaron Daniels Allen & Kendra Daniel Gary Davenport Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Deutsch Mr.& Mrs. Arnold Dunn The Echo Design Group Inc. Margot & John Ernst Helaine & Burton Fendelman Mrs. Walter B. Ford, II Evelyn W.Frank in honor of Myra & George F. Shaskan, Jr. Robert M.Frank Alexander E. Fisher Jacqueline Fowler Jay Furman Howard Gillman Foundation Kurt Gitter & Alice Yellen Mr.& Mrs. Eric J. Gleacher Mr.& Mrs. David Greene Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Greenberg Todd Hensley, C & T Publishing Mr.& Mrs. David S. Howe Fern & Robert J. Hurst Mr.& Mrs. Alistair Johnson Barbara Johnson, Esq. Kaye Insurance Associates, L.P. Mr.& Mrs. Michael Kellen Mr.& Mrs. Steven Kellogg Barbara Klinger Mr.& Mrs. Ronald Lauder Susan & Jerry Lauren Mark Leavitt Fred Leighton Mr.& Mrs. John Levin Mr.& Mrs. Morris Levinson Nadine & Peter Levy Mimi & Richard Livingston Dan Lufkin Sylvia & Leonard Marx Mr.& Mrs. Christopher Mayer Mrs. Myron Mayer McGraw-Hill Foundation,Inc. Mr.& Mrs. Jeremy N. Murphy Mr.& Mrs. Samuel M.Palley Random House Inc. Dorothy Hyman Roberts Mr.& Mrs. Jon W.Rotenstreich Mr.& Mrs. Michael Schulhof Jean S. & Frederic A. Shad Mr.& Mrs. Herbert M.Singer Peter J. Solomon Sotheby's Mr. & Mrs. David Stein Sterling Winthrop Mr.& Mrs. Stanley Tananbaum David Teiger Tiffany & Company Peter Tishman Mr. and Mrs. Raymond C. Troubh Sue & George Viener Mr.& Mrs. Irwin Warren Mr.& Mrs. Bennett Weinstock

Wertheim Schroder & Co. Inc. G. Marc Whitehead Dr. & Mrs. L. John Wilkerson $1500-8999 Alconda-Owsley Foundation Amy Cohen Arkin Bettina Bancroft Margaret A. Barnard June & Frank Barsalona Mr.& Mrs. Robert A. Bernhard Mr.& Mrs. Peter Bienstock Mr.& Mrs. Peter Bing Mr.& Mrs. Leonard Block Tina & Jeffrey Bolton Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Booth, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Joseph Boyle Mr.& Mrs. Edward J. Brown Gale M.Brudner Michael Bzdak Marcia Carsey Edward Lee Cave Marjorie F. Chester Peter M. Ciccone Harry W.Clark Mr.& Mrs. Marshall Cogan Gerald Cohen & Karen Callen Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Culman, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Lewis Culman Carolyn & Robert Denham Charles Diker Charlotte Dinger Richard Dumin Mr.& Mrs. James A. Edmonds, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Lewis Eisenberg Sharon & Theodore Eisenstat Frederick Elghanayan Mr.& Mrs. Anthony B. Evnin Mr.& Mrs. Howard P. Fertig Richard Fischbein Daniel Gantt Ronald J. Gard Mr.& Mrs. Bruce Geismar Mr. & Mrs. William Gladstone Grey Advertising Mr.& Mrs. Henry Guettel Sue Ellen & Warren Haber Cordelia Hamilton John Hays R. F. Hemphill, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. George B. Henry Mr.& Mrs. Richard Herbst Anne & John A. Herrmann Mr. & Mrs. Walter W. Hess, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Leonard Hochman Maridean Hutton Mr.& Mrs. Thomas C.Israel Dr. & Mrs. Josef Jelinek Guy Johnson Gerald P. Kaminsky & Jaclyn Kaminsky Cathy M. Kaplan Dr. & Mrs. Arthur B. Kern Mary Kettaneh Mr.& Mrs. Jonathan King Sharon & Ivan Koota Mr.& Mrs. Ted Kosloff Barbara & Dave Krashes Robert Landau The Lane Company,Inc. Mr.& Mrs. Leonard A. Lauder (continued on page 76)

68 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

American Folk Art Sidney Gecker

Little Girl with a Cup of Cherries Attributed to Henry Walton New York Circa 1840 Oil on Canvas

28 x 24 inches

She wears a white dress with a red belt and sits within an oval garland ofred roses.

226 West21st Street, New York, N.Y. 10011 (212)929-8769 Appointment Suggested

MAIN STREET ANTIQUES and ART Colleen and Louis Picek Folk Art and Country Americana (319)643-2065 110 West Main, Box 340 West Branch, Iowa 52358 On Interstate 80

Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for our monthly Folk-Art and Americana price list

Contemporary Folk Sculpture by Don Slaughter and a unique cast iron theater seat side.

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART Se

MUSEUM

NEWS

Word and Image in American Folk Art the future, they are historically he Museum began its Fall season with a festive mem- linked in a time-honored tradibers' reception to celebrate tion that will continue as long as artists have something to say." the opening of the exhibition The Museum's director, "Every Picture Tells a Story: Gerard C. Wertkin, addressed Word and Image in American the guests over the gallery's Folk Art." The catered party, held brand-new sound system. In in the Eva and Morris Feld concluding, he thanked Judith Gallery, was well attended by Rothstein, whose successful Museum members, trustees, application for an employee-inilenders to the exhibition, dealers, tiated grant from the McGrawand friends.

Hill Foundation made possible The exhibition, which received extensive coverage from the purchase and installation of the much-needed system. Judith the New York Times, the InternaRothstein is an employee of tional Herald Tribune, Antiques McGraw-Hill,Inc., and has been magazine, and other national an evening docent for the Musemagazines and newspapers, was um since 1989. organized by the Museum's curator, Stacy C. Hollander, and features more than 100 diverse Harvey ShipleyMiller, Joan works. Hollander's selection Johnson, and spans the history of American Stacy C. folk art from early New England Hollander gravestones to paintings by late twentieth-century visionary artists such as Howard Finster. In each object, text and imagery are used in a unique way to convey the artist's message. Through her selection of objects and her annotation, Hollander eloquently makes her point that"whatever forms art and language have taken in the past or will assume in

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Kendra and Allan Daniel with Allan's mother, Elsa Daniel

Michael and Gael Mendelsohn

From left to right: William Hennessey, Nancy Druckman, and Leslie and Peter Warwick

Minor Gimbel and Wendy Carhart

Photography by Matt Hoebermann

70 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

.le.3Cdal

morter

Each month, the Examiner's transmission of local achievement to an international readership is unrivaled.

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Joseph Beuys, Felt Suit, 1970,felt, 67"

•

we're here because not everyone's a critic

Northwest & Beyond Self-taught Artists From the Pacific Northwest and Beyond

512 First Avenue So. Seattle, WA 98104 Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 - 5:30 Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 (206) 467- 8283 • FAX (206) 467 - 1848

OUTSIDER ART FAIR Booth # 23 Puck Building, Soho, New York, NY January 27 - 29 Terry Turrell "TM. Rhino" 1994 15" x 16" x 41/2" wire, wood, to, pigment photo: Roger Schreiber

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 71

MUSEUM

NEWS

We're Connected rances Sirota Martinson, Esq., Executive Vice President of the Museum's Board of Trustees and longtime fan and customer of the Museum's Book and Gift Shops, has made the "ultimate" purchase.

Through the Joseph Martinson Memorial Fund,Frances has generously provided a state-of-the-art computerized inventory and point-of-sale network system for the Museum's shops and administrative offices.

This system, consisting of three computers, three printers, four cash registers, and the system software, will automate the sales process, enabling shop volunteers to record the item pur-

F

chased and the name and address of the customer, and to scan credit information in one easy swipe. The receipts will provide detailed information on each item sold and, more importantly, will enable Marie DiManno,the director of the Book and Gift Shops, to have easy access to inventory information at all timesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which is crucial for reordering during the hectic holiday season.

The Museum Book and Gift Shops,located at 62 West 50th Street(212/247-5611)and Two Lincoln Square, on Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th streets (212/496-2966), are an important source of income for the Museum;the new network system will make the operation of these shops much more efficient and productive. Thanks to Frances Martinson, our shop managers and volunteers can take off their green eyeshades and put down their ledger books. She has graciously taken us out of the Dickensian age and connected us to the twenty-first century.

Frances S. Martinson, October 1994

Van Cortlandt Tour n September 21, 1994, 26 Folk Art Explorers enjoyed an afternoon and evening in northern Westchester County. Their first stop was the home of Museum Trustee Frances S. Martinson and her husband, Paul. The Martinsons accompanied the group to Van Cortlandt Manor for a guided tour of the manor house and an eighteenth-century dinner.

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72 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Prepared from authentic Van Cortlandt family recipes, the meal was cooked over an open hearth. Museum members enjoyed such dishes as beef ragout, butter chicken, mushroom fricassee, salmagundi, and orange pudding. Waiters in eighteenth-century attire and a musician dressed in a gown of the same era and playing period music contributed to the ambiance of a truly beautiful and memorable evening.

UNTITLED

January Museum Openings wo outstanding exhibitions,"The Gift is Small, The Love is Great" and "Minnie Evans: Artist," will open on January 21 at the Museum's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery and remain on view through April 2.

In Pennsylvania-German communities, the hand-written and embellished texts known as frakturs often fulfilled the traditional purpose of documenting births, baptisms, and other milestones in the life of a family.

Less familiar are small "gift" frakturs made as presentation pieces, usually from a teacher to a student."The Gift is Small, The Love is Great," organized by Pastor Frederick Weiser,focuses on this unexplored aspect of fraktur art. A beautifully illustrated, full-color book accompanies the exhibition and is available now from the Museum's Book and Gift Shops for your holiday gift giving. For information, call Beverly McCarthy at 212/977-7170.

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Doubleheaded eagle Probably Montgomery County, Pennsylvania C.1810 7/ 1 2 6/ 1 2" Private collection

"Minnie Evans: Artist" is an in-depth examination of the work of this self-taught North Carolina artist. The exhibition of approximately 60 objects presents her early surrealistic works on paper and their subsequent evolvement into highly sophisticated mandala-like paintings. For more information on Minnie Evans and this exhibition, see "Minnie Evans & Me," by Nina Howell Starr, starting on page 50.

Save The Date he Museum of American Folk Art will hold a Gala Spring Benefit Auction on Tuesday, April 11, at Sotheby's, 1334 York Avenue at 72nd Street. The evening will include a silent auction and a live auction, followed by dinner at 8:30.

Preview days are Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (April 8,9, and 10).

For information on donations and reservations, please contact Jennifer Waters at 212/977-7170.

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OUT I

ART

IR

JANUARY 28-29,1995 SATURDAY 11-7PM • SUNDAY 11-6PM ADMISSION TEN DOLLARS

PREVIEW: JANUARY 27TH, 5:30-8:30PM ($45 INCLUDES CATALOGUE & RE-ADMISSION SATURDAY & SUNDAY)

THE PUCK BUILDING LAFAYETTE & HOUSTON STREETS, NYC

UNCOMMON ARTISTS III: A SERIES OF CAMEO TALKS SATURDAY,JANUARY 28TH ORGANIZED BY THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART INFORMATION: LEE KOGAN (212)977-7170

FAIR INFORMATION SANFORD L. SMITH & ASSOCIATES 68 EAST 7TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10003 (212) 777-5218 • FAX (212) 477-6490

Canute Cafiste. Courtesy Galerie Bonheur

6962 FIRST AVE. • SCOUSDALE, AZ 85251 (602) 946-2910

Portraits In Stone aniel and Jessie Lie Farber, noted scholars on the art and history of American gravestones, lectured to a large, enthusiastic audience at the Museum on Tuesday evening, September 27. Their lively talk included a discussion of individual gravestone carvers, carving traditions, the relationship of the written word to the imagery in gravestone carving, symbolism in gravestone art, and the care and conservation of gravestones.

Over the years, the Farbers have photographed thousands of gravestones in many countries.

According to Lee Kogan, director of the Folk Art Institute and coordinator of the lecture series, "their magnificent photographs represent a long-term commitment to make this body of sculptural forms and aboveground archaeological artifacts more accessible to the public." The Farbers were guest curators of the 1988 exhibition "Portraits in Stone," which was organized and sponsored by the Museum of American Folk Art at Federal Hall National Memorial on Wall

D

ALFRED CHARLIE WILLETO NAVAJO FOLK SCULPTURE NOVEMBER 16 THRU DECEMBER 1994

STEVE ARMSTRONG AUTOMATA

Daniel and Jessie Lie Farber in June 1992, standing behind the Daniel Squire gravestone, dated 1783, Franklin, Connecticut, carved by Josiah Manning.

Street in New York City.

The Farber lecture was part of the extensive programming offered by the Museum in conjunction with the exhibition "Every Picture Tells a Story: Word and Image in American Folk Art." The first ten objects in the exhibition are detailed photographs of early New England gravestones, seven of which were taken by Daniel Farber and given to the Museum by the Farbers.

The eleventh—also a gift from the Farbers—is a 45-inch-high cast-cement replica of an 1803 slate gravestone from Burgess Cemetery in Grafton, Vt.

Curatorial Intern ill Brooks, a second-year student in the New York University/Museum of American Folk Art graduate program in folk art studies, recently completed a stint as a curatorial intern at El Museo del Barrio, on 104th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City. He assisted with the research for El Museo del Barrio's twenty-fifth-anniversary exhibition,"Recovering Popular Culture," which was organized by its director and chief curator, Susana Torruella Leval. Brooks wrote the wall text, catalog essay, and biography on the folk sculptor Gregorio Marzan. The exhibi-

B November 18 - January 15, 1995 Gallery Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10-3 p m and by appointment

HEIKE PICKETT GALLERY 522 West Short Street • Lexington, KY 40507•(606)233-1263

74 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

tion was on view from September 9 through October 30.

Brooks, a former bank executive who has given up the world of management and finance to pursue a full-time career in folk art, was introduced to Marzan's work through Lee Kogan's outsider art course, held last fall at the Folk Art Institute. Through its many outreach programs and its Institute, the Museum contributes directly to the education of scholars and professionals in this rapidly growing field; we encourage and applaud the efforts of people like Bill Brooks.

AMERICAN FOLK ART REFERENCE MATERIAL NINA FLETCHER LITTLE Sotheby's Catalog, January 1994 auction,457 lots described, most $55.00 illustrated in color, hardcover edition, with prices realized.

Folk Fest'94

Georgia

nAugust 19, 20, and 21, Steve and Amy Slotin, first-time show directors, put on an exciting, well-organized, and successful folk art show and sale. Folk Fest'94,featuring mostly Southern folk art and crafts, was held at the North Atlanta Trade Center. The inaugural evening,"Meet the Artist Party and Show Opening," drew a large gathering of artists, including Howard Finster, Charlie and Annie Lucas, and the Meaders family. According to the Slotins, total attendance for the three days was 6,152. Participants were able to visit 85 booths,including a Museum of American Folk Art book booth, which carried a full range of titles on Southern folk art and other aspects of the work of self-taught artists.

The Museum was represented

by Director Gerard C. Wertkin; Lee Kogan, director of the Folk Art Institute; Tanya Heinrich, production editor, Folk Art magazine; and Claudia Andrade, book booth coordinator, and her assistant, Catherine Barreto.

From her vantage point on the show floor, Andrade was able to observe the crowd and "feel the pulse" of the event."A lot of buying was going on," she said, "encompassing a broad range of

O

Howard Finster (seated) in the Finster family booth

quality of works. There were a good number of items being offered at low prices and that was one of the strong points of the show. I do not think Steve [Slotin] had any intention of judging or vetting the material ahead of time and [he] stated that his aim, which he seems to have accomplished, was to offer something for everyone."

Folk Fest'95 is scheduled to be held in the same location from August 18 through August 20, 1995. The exhibition space is expanding from 55,000 to 75,000 square feet, and dealers, buyers, and browsers have already made a note to mark the dates on their 1995 calendars.

Charlie and Annie Lucas at the Meet the Artist Party

Little By Little, 292 pages, describes the collection, philosophy, $125.00 and methodology behind it, out-of-print.

New England on Land and Sea: An Exhibitionfrom the Collection ofBertram K and Nina Fletcher Little, 1970, Peabody Museum, $15.00 Salem, Ma.,24 pages,87 items described plus intro text.

JEAN LIPMAN Young America: A Folk Art History, with Elizabeth Warren, Robert Bishop, accompanied 1986 exhibit, 200 pages, out-of-print. $60.00 The Flowering ofAmerican Folk Art, with Alice Winchester, accompanied the comprehensive, precedent-setting exhibit at $60.00 the Whitney Museum, 1974, 288 pages.

American Folk Painting, 1966, with Mary Black, basic book in $65.00 the field, 244 pages.

American Primitive Painting, 1942,this was one of the first major $95.00 books on folk painting,first edition (dust jacket as-is).

American Folk Art in Wood, Metal and Stone, the first book to $95.00 cover the field of folk sculpture. First edition.

ROBERT BISHOP Folk Painters ofAmerica, 1979, a comprehensive, essential 875.00 reference, 254 pages. softcover $45.00 American Folk Sculpture, 1974,392 pages. hardcover(1985 edition, same contents) $75.00 EXHIBITION CATALOGS American Folk Art: The Art OfThe Common Man, Museum of Modem Art, 1932. The major, groundbreaking exhibit with $95.00 Holger Cahill's 25-page essay defining American folk art.

The Beardsley Limner And Some Contemporaries:Post Revolutionary Portraiture In New England, Christine Sheets Schloss, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection, 1972,48 pages. $35.00 Erastus Salisbury Field: 1805-1900, Mary Black, Museum of Fine $35.00 Arts, Springfield, Ma., 1984, 116 pages.

Between the Rivers: Itinerant Paintersfrom the Connecticut to the Hudson, Colleen Cowles Heslip with Mary Black, Clark Art $35.00 Institute, Williamstown, Ma., 1990,94 pages.

Americanafrom the Daphne Farago Collection, Rhode Island $25.00 School of Design, 1985,96 pages.

PRICED SOTHEBY'S CATALOGS OF MAJOR FOLK ART AUCTIONS Collection ofMr. and Mrs. John Thayer, Oct. 1987.

Collection ofHoward and Catherine Feldman, June 1988.

Selectionsfrom the Collection ofMr. and Mrs. Robert P. Marcus.

Collection ofDaphne Farago, Soldfor the Rhode Island School OfDesign, Feb. 1991.

PRICED CATALOGS ARE $18.00 EACH. Two OR MORE AT $15.00 EACH.

F. RUSSACK ANTIQUES AND BOOKS 20 Beach Plain Road Danville, NH 03819 603-642-7718 ALL ITEMS SHIPPED USPS PRIORITY MAIL,POSTAGE EXTRA CALL WITH YOUR PARTICULAR WANTS

WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 75

RECENT

MAJOR

DONORS

Continuedfrom page 68 Mr.& Mrs. William Pedersen Gregory Pelner Anthony Petullo Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Pike Richard Ravitch Mr.& Mrs. Arthur Riordan Mr.& Mrs. David Ritter Dr. Roger Rose Mr. & Mrs. Derald H. Ruttenberg Mary Frances Saunders Mr.& Mrs. Oscar Schafer Mr.& Mrs. Robert T. Schaffner Mr.& Mrs. Roger Schlaifer Mary Schwartz Robert N. Sellar Rev. 8t. Mrs. Alfred R. Shands ffi Suzanne Shawe Randy Siegel Francisco F. Sierra Susan & Joel Simon Mr.& Mrs. John Smithers Mr.& Mrs. Richard Solar Ellen Sosnow

Wendy & Mel Lavitt Naomi Leff Bryan Lewis Mr.& Mrs. Kenneth Lewis Mr.& Mrs. Stanley Lewis Mr.& Mrs. John Libby Frances Lieu Helen Luchars R.H. Macy & Company,Inc. Mr.& Mrs. James Maher Chris Martin Jim McDonough Grete Meilman Mr.& Mrs. Richard Mellon Gael & Michael Mendelsohn Ms. A. Forsythe Merrick Steve Miller Brook Garber Neidich Cyril I. Nelson Mr.& Mrs. Peterson Nelson David Nichols Paul L. Oppenheimer Dr. Burton W.Pearl

TR

A

V

ELING

EXHIBITIONS

Mark your calendars for the following Museum of American Folk Art exhibitions when they travel to your area during the coming months: October 9—December 31, 1994 Revisiting Ammi Phillips: Fifty Years of American Portraiture Terra Museum of American Art Chicago, Illinois 312/328-3402 October 16, 1994—January 15, 1995 Visiones del Pueblo: The Folk Art of Latin America Toledo Art Museum Toledo, Ohio 419/255-8000 January 14—March 12, 1995 Signs and Symbols: African Images in African-American Quilts from the Rural South Fort Wayne Museum of Art Fort Wayne,Indiana 219/422-6467

January 20—March 12, 1995 Amish Quilts from the Collection of the Museum of American Folk Art Brandywine River Museum and Conservancy Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania 19317 215/388-2700 February 23—April 23, 1995 Visiones del Pueblo: The Folk Art of Latin America Museo de las Americas Old San Juan, Puerto Rico 809/724-5052

For further information, contact Judith Gluck Steinberg, Coordinator of Traveling Exhibitions, Museum of American Folk Art, Administrative Offices, 61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023,212/977-7170.

76 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

MUSEUM

Mr. William W.Stahl, Jr. Rachel & Donald Strauber Mr.& Mrs. Myles Tananbaum Mr.& Mrs. Jeff Tarr Mr.& Mrs. Michael Varet Jeanette & Paul Wagner Clune J. Walsh, Jr. Joan Walsh Herbert Wells Mr.& Mrs. Frank P. Wendt Anne Wesson Victoria Wilson Howard Zipser Mr.& Mrs. Donald Zuckert

The Museum is grateful to the Cochairmen of its Special Events Committee for the significant support received through the Museum's major fund raising event.

Lucy C. Danziger Cynthia V.A. Schaffner

NEWS

Outsider Art Fair and Uncommon Artists ill he Outsider Art Fair will take place on Saturday, January 28, and Sunday, January 29, at the Puck Building (corner of Lafayette and Houston streets) in New York's SoHo district. A special opening night preview will be held on Friday evening, January 27. The symposium "Uncommon Artists III," held in conjunction with the third annual Outsider Art Fair, will be presented jointly by the Museum of American Folk Art and The Newark Museum on Saturday and Sunday.

T

After only two years, the Outsider Art Fair has become so popular that there is no doubt that Sanford L. Smith & Associates, the fair's producers, will be expected to present it as an annual event for decades to come. Dealers from the United States and Europe will offer a wide selection of twentieth-century works to an eager public, and the Museum's bookshop booth will carry a full range of titles on selftaught art and artists. Museum members can take advantage of their 10% discount on all purchases made at the booth. For information about the fair, contact the show office at 68 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003, call 212/777-5218,or FAX 212/477-6490.

MUSEUM

NEWS

UNCOMMON ARTISTS ill A symposium presented by the Museum of American Folk Art and The Newark Museum Uncommon Artists III: A Series of Cameo Talks Saturday, January 28, 1995 2:00-4:30 P.M. Cavin-Morris Gallery,560 Broadway, New York City Admission: Museum Members $30.00 Non-Members $35.00 Introductory Remarks Gerard C. Wertkin Director, Museum ofAmerican Folk Art Seraphim!, Louis: A Visionary Artist Roger Cardinal Author, professor of visual studies and literary studies, Canterbury College, England Danielle Jacquis Ann Oppenhimer President, Folk Art Society ofAmerica The World of Achilles G. Rizzoli Bonnie Grossman Ames Gallery William Biayney David Owsley Collector James Hampton: Throne of the Third Heaven Lynda Roscoe Hartigan Curator ofpainting and sculpture, National Museum ofAmerican Art A World of Their Own: Twentieth-Century American Folk Artists Exhibition Tour and Panel Discussion Sunday, January 29, 1995 10:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M. The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark, New Jersey Admission: Museum Members $15.00 Non-Members $18.00

David Butler William A. Fagaly Assistant Director, New Orleans Museum ofArt Purvis Young Cesar Trasobares Artist and Arts Administrator Howard Flrister Norman J. Girardot Professor, Department ofReligion Studies, Lehigh University Respondents: Gerald L. Davis Professor, Africana studies, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Lee Kogan Director, Folk Art Institute, Museum ofAmerican Folk Art Moderator:Joseph Jacobs Curator ofpainting and sculpture, The Newark Museum For information, call Lee Kogan, symposium coordinator, at 212/977-7170.

Inside Outsider Art A Museum of American Folk Art Explorers' Club Day Trip Friday, January 27, 1995 9:30 A.m.-4:00 P.M. Admission: Museum Members $70.00 Non-Members $80.00 Lunch included The trip includes a tour of The Newark Museum's exhibition "A World of Their Own: TwentiethCentury American Folk Artists," a tour of the Museum of American Folk Art's exhibition "Minnie Evans: Artist," and a tour of some of New York City's unique memorial walls.

For reservations for the day trip, call the membership office at 212/977-7170.

K.S. Art self-taught, outsider & folk by appointment 91 Franklin Street # 3 New York, NY 10013 212-219-1489

Aaron Birnbaum Ray Hamilton Freddie Brice Gayleen Aiken Lillian Smith Philip Travers

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WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 77

Folk Fe WOULD LIKJ

THANK Mus Amer. Folk Art Bookstore New York, NY American Primitive Gallery New York, NY M cia Weber/Art Objects, Inc. ontgomery, AL Berman Gallery Atlanta, GA, Bingham and Vance Shaker Heights, OH Timpsontreek Gallery Clayton, GA Dean Jensen Gallery Milwaukee, WI Galerie Bonheur St. Louis, MI Knoke Gantries of Atlanta Atlanta, GA Erich Christopher & Dorn Charleston, SC Cotton Belt Montgomery, AL Leslie Muth Gallery Santa Fe, NM Jim Linderman New York, NY Main Street Gallery Clayton, GA Rising Fawn Folk Art 41111111Chattanooge, TN Shelly Zegart Louisville, KY Art Program for the Homeless New York, NY Modern Primitive Gallery Atlanta, GA The Red Piano Gallery _ Hilton Head, SC Jerry Campbell Conyers, GA Urban Artware Winston-Salem, NC Gilley&gallery Rouge, LA Zak Gallery Coconut Grove, FL Ctbarles Locke Duluth, GA ikeiraPrimitif Atlanta, GA Rbd Piano Too St. Helena Island, SC America* Oh, Yes! St. Iiiinea IslandlLIC war ww.

or

YOU

Robert Reeves At IS Antiques Atlanta, GA I Webb Fplk A Waxahachie, Boone Gallery Folk Art Versailles, KY John Denton Hiawassee, GA Larry Schlachter Summerville, GA E. Register Franklin Springs, GA Pat McArdle Pittplaurgh, PA Connell Gallery Atlanta, GA MikeSmith At Home Gallery 4P11111,1fireensboro, NC re Leathers Gainesville, GA Vandal Arts Greenville, SC Traditional Southern Pottery, Etc. Atlanta, GA LirryAlValler's Southern Folk Art Conyers, GA Robert Koontz Atlanta, GA Mary Anne Bross/Chinese Folk Art New York, NY Weathervane Antiques, Thomson, GA Leslie Neumann Aripeka, FL Molly Jumper Atlanta, GA Toad Hall - Fly Creek, NY Ceopierstown, NY Keeping Room Antiques Charlotte, NC Catawba VqjimPottery LincolntoITTI, C Heike Pickett Gallery Lexington. KY _ Hot Stuff Neelyton, k Howard Finste Summerville; GA Hustontown Ft. Loudon, PA Trader's Focus Doraville, GA High Museum Atlanta, GA

Barrister's Galleries New Orleans, LA Bruce Shelton Nashville, TN Distinctive Collection Buford, GA Ann Jacob Galtery Atlanta, GA Mexican Folk Artists Newileck, NY R Ege AfftiqUes 01-11 St Louis, MO BLUEGRASSROIDTS North Middle Town, KY The Hambidge Center Rabun ewillte Loch Lea Antiques Paris, KY The Pardee Cujlection Iowa City, I Hayes Antiques Black Mtn., SC Folkwear Tuscaloosa, AL Art Cellar Gallery , Banner Elk, NC W. Newtq,p Crouch, Jr.' Griffin, GA Rosehips Galry Cleveland, GA Wanda's Quilts Oldsmar, FL Galerie Politeo Varos CroetwrriEurope Folkarte Gallery Cleveland, OH Clary Sage Gallery Birmingham, AL Trade Folk Art New Orleans, LA Jua uin Venado axaca, Mexico Jim Allen Atlanta, GA Cracker House Tampa, FL David Leonard's Gallery Chicago, IL Southern Folk Pottery Collector's Society Robbins, NC The Antiques & Collectibles Press Greensboro NC

We would also like to thank over 6,000 Visitors attending the World's Greatest Self-Taught Art Show & Sale Special Thanks to all the Artists & Potters who attended Friday Night's Show Opening & Artist Party

2nd

ANNUAL

Folk Pest '95 WORLD'S GREATEST SELF-TAUGHT ART SHOW & SALE SHOP 75,000

VISIT with over

1

80 Galleries and Dealers

Square Feet of Self-taught Art

•

•

EXPERIENCE the

FREE Educational Program throughout the Weekend

Entire Range of Self-taught Art •

•

MEET many

MAKE PLANS NOW! DON'T MISS IT! I BE THERE!

Famous & Newly Discovered Artists at Friday Night's Show Opening

Self-taught • Outsider • Southern Folk Pottery European Naive • Primitive • Visionary • Folk Art

August 18, 19, 20, 1995 North Atlanta Trade Center / Atlanta Georgia For FREE newsletter & more information on Folk Fest'95, call or write: Steve IS, Amy Slotin 2733 Briarcliff Road, #5 Atlanta, GA 30329 (404)633-1730

FoikArt by

"Catfish Man" "Yes" •

20" X 20" PAINT ON USED WOOD

New Discovery of a GEORGIA FOLK ARTIST For information about the

"Catfish Man"call

ERICH CHRISTOPHER AND DORN Gallery of Outsider and Folk Art 428 King Street Charleston, South Carolina (803) 722-3845•(803) 723-1647

"ghe Beaver" "Cats Are Angels Too!"

24" X 24" HOUSE PAINT ON PLYWOOD

A special thank you to Amy & Steve Slotin for the successful "Folk Fest '94" held in Atlanta.

A very special thank you to all those who came by to meet "The Beaver" and to make his show a sell out.

Look for works by

"ghe Beaver"at your favorite Folk Art Gallery.

WANDA'S QUILTS P.O. Box 1764â&#x20AC;˘ Oldsmar, Florida 34677 (813) 855-1521

Rev. Anderson Johnson Prophet Blackmon Son Ford Thomas Alex de Leon Baltimore Glassman

Bertha A. Halozan Mose Tolliver Mary T. Smith Rev. J. L. Hunter F. L Doc Spellmon

}40"'

The Folk Art Gallery 1500 Bolton Street, Baltimore, Maryland •(410)669-3343, 523-1507

WE BUY FOLK & OUTSIDER ART CALL 800-523-0450 PRIVATE COLLECTOR SEEKS OUTSTANDING WORKS BY

Jesse Aaron Eddie Arning Steve Ashby Calvin Black Emile Blanchard David Butler Henry Church James Crane Uncle Jack Dey Sam Doyle William Edmondson

Josephus Farmer J.O.J. Frost Morris Hirschfield S.L. Jones John Kane Gustav Klumpp Olof Krans Lawrence Lebduska George Lothrop Anna Miller Peter Minchell

Sister Gertrude Morgan John Perates Joseph Pickett Elijah Pierce Martin Ramirez Nellie Mae Rowe Ellis Ruley Drossos Skyllas Bill Traylor Joseph Yoakum ...and others

JOSH FELDSTEIN • AMERICAN FOLK ART 4001 NEWBERRY ROAD, SUITE E-3• GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA • 32607 • TEL 904-375-6161

82 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

ROSEHIPS GALLERY South's strongest folk pottery & outsider art

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Richard Burnside Burlon Craig Michael Crocker Mary Greene Billy Henson Hewell Family James Harold Jennings Lanier Meaders Meaders Family R. A. Miller Marie Rogers Jim Suddeth Mose T Annie T Annie Wellborn

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lcinier Malden "Rodney Dongeifield"

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CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN TOR ART & SETHATIGNI ART Mike Smith A At Home Gallery•2304 Sherwood Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27403

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WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART 83

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DES GNER CRAFT iSMFN SNOW AT VALLEY FORGE FEBRUARY10th,11th & 12th, 1995 Park Ridge Hotel, King ofPrussia, Pennsylvania Friday 5pm-9pm (Reception) Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 9am-5pm Banjo Cock by Ediyard H. Stone III Bowie, MI); Blanket Chest by Breeches Box Company, Carlisle, PA. VP I.:

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Showcasing over 60 distinguished artisans!

ADMISSION:$10.00 per person Located only 18 miles from Philadelphia: Take Exit 24 ofthe Pennsylvania Turnpike. Continue 1/2 block to Exit 25 and turn right(North Gulph Road). Go straight 1/4 mile to The Park Ridge Hotel(located on the right).

Produced by Goodrich & Company Promotions,Inc. Callfor more information:(717)245-9011.

Desk by Ilion Company Furniture Makers, Christiana,PA.

WILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL ANSTIQ UvE S

28

MARCH 11 & 12, 1995

"Two Flags and Houses" 18" x 33" Hooked Rug

Saturday 8r Sunday 10 to 5 Admission $8.00 with Ad/Flyer $7.00

Wilton High School Field House Route 7, Wilton, Connecticut

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Early Buying and Continental Breakfast Saturday 8:30 - 10:00 am Admission $25.00

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This distinguished and comprehensive event features American country and period formal furniture of the 18th and 19th centuries shown by some of America's finest dealers.

In addition, it offers appropriate period accessories, with an emphasis on American, English and Continental ceramics, Chinese porcelains, textiles, fine art, a strong representation of folk art; also clocks, native American artifacts, rare maps, early glass, antique jewelry as well as silver and furniture of the American Arts & Crafts Movement.

One of the most highly regarded shows in New England, it offers quality and variety at a range of prices. It is planned to appeal to both the advanced collector and novices in the field. It is easy to reach and offers ample parking and food service.

Wilton High School is 5.5 miles north of Exit 396, on the Merritt Parkway, 8 miles north of Exit 15 of 1-95 and 12 miles south of 1-84, 50 miles from New York City and within walking distance of Cannondale station on the Metro North rail line.

For additional information about the show or overnight accommodation, call the Wilton Historical Society at 203 762-7257.

MANAGED BY MARILYN GOULD

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P.O. Box 11601 Milwaukee, WI 53211

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(414)354-6255

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STENCILS Il

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Neo l I Complement your antiques with historically accurate wall I . 4C.. and floor stenciling. Our three catalogues feature 190 a patterns c. 1740-1840 from New England homes and inns. .V • • 0Floor Patterns of New England the Esther Stevens Brazer Collection, at the Museum of American Folk Art, and others.

0 Vermont Wall Border Stencils it. I If l -II. Includes the complete Dutton House collection ( iS 4/1 of the helburne Museum, and more.

0The Moses Eaton Wall Stencil Collection 61leti • Features the "all over" patterns of Moses Eaton, i I Moses Eaton, Jr. and followers.

• i Each catalue is $4, or all three for $10, refunded with lic. i • •I 11 4P) ' •I your first order.

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,.4.A'. PO Box 880 /.;: ,j Department FA Norwich, VT 05055 ,,•-,,,\7-0" Tel: 802-649-1790 "-•i'/ ...7-:•." Fax: 802-649-1791 Pay Forcier,, Member HSEAD

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86 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

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IN ATLANTA

_Atittitg of Atlmttn ESIABLISFIED 1973

SpEciAliziNg IN QuAlity 1 9ilf ANd 2011-1 CENTURy AMERICAN

ART

FEATURiNq iMpORTANT WORI6

by SoudiERN CONTEMPORARY

Folk ARTisTs ANd TRAdiTioNAl SOUTFIERN Folk POTTERS

"Morning Glories" by Mattie Lou O'Kelley, Oil on Canvas 24"x30"

5325 ROSWELL ROAD, N.E. ATLANTA,GEORGIA 30342 (404) 252-0485• FAX (404)252-0359

THE ECLECTIC COLLECTOR

The Strongest Folk Art Representation in New York's Westchester County Featuring work by Linville Barker • Benny Carter • Michael Finster James Harold Jennings • Sam McMillian Jack Savitsky • Malcah Zeldis Folk Art Dolls Southern Folk Pottery Face Jugs by Lanier Meaders & Burlon Craig 215 Katonah Avenue Katonah, New York 10536 914-232-8700

WINTER 11994/95 FOLK ART 87

HORSE AND SULKY WEATHERVANE CIRCA 1880 36" LONG

INDEX

TO

ADVERTISERS

America Hurrah 12 American Antiques, Inc. 2 American Primitive Gallery 20 The Ames Gallery 27 Artisans 58 At Home Gallery 83 C & T Publishing 63 The Caldwell Gallery 15 Campus Collection 62 Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery 16 Cavin-Morris Inc. 67 Christie's 14 Inside Back Cover Country Living 58 Crane Hill Publishers Double K Gallery 26 87 The Eclectic Collector Epstein/Powell 18 Erich Christopher and Dorn 80 61 Famous Folk 82 Josh Feldstein Laura Fisher 22 Janet Fleisher Gallery 7 82 The Folk Art Gallery Galerie Bonheur 28

88 WINTER 1994/95 FOLK ART

Photograph by Dirk Bakker

62 Gallery Americana 69 Sidney Gecker Giampietro Back Cover Gilley's Gallery 59 Goodrich & Company Promotions,Inc. 84, 85 Anton Haardt Gallery 28 17 Carl Hammer Gallery Marion Harris 19, 21, 23,25 74 John C. Hill 88 Hill Gallery 83 Holman Gallery Martha Jackson 30 K.S. Art 77 Knoke Galleries 87 Jim Linderman 67 30 Loch Lea Antiques 86 MB Historic Decor Mahvash Studio 60 Main Street Antiques and Art 69 Mia Gallery 71 Inside Front Cover Frank J. Miele Gallery 1 Steve Miller The Modern Primitive Gallery 66

Leslie Muth Gallery 6 New Art Examiner 71 3 Nichols Antiques 74 Heike Pickett Gallery Roger Ricco/Frank Maresca 9 83 Rosehips Gallery 11 Luise Ross Gallery 75 F. Russack Antiques and Books 59 Saint Joseph's University Press Jack Savitt Gallery 77 Suzanne Shawe,Inc. 58 Steve & Amy Slotin/Folk Fest 78,79 73 Sanford L. Smith & Associates Sotheby's 10 Southern Folk Pottery Collectors Society 29 Peggy Teich Hand Hooked Rugs 86 81 Wanda's Quilts 24 Webb Gallery 31 Marcia Weber/Hideout Hill Gallery 17 David Wheatcroft Wilton Historical Society 86 4 Thos. K. Woodard Ginger Young 26

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COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE AMERICA'S SOURCE FOR FOLK ART AND ANTIQUES

A PUBLICATION OF HEARST MAGAZINES. A DIVISION OF THE HEARST CORPORATION.

CAV Portrait of a Young Girl by George Hartwell

When in Manhaffan, please visit our Gall 50 East 78th Street, New York City, 10021 Open most Thursdays, or by chance or appt.

Telephone. 212-861-8571 • Send $18 for our current full color catalog • IN CONNECTICUT: • 153 1/2 Bradley Street • New Haven, CT 06511 • Telephone: 203-787-3851'