Green Street Company Folk Art Talk: Getting To Know You, Getting to Know All About You

III.A Relevant Information

& Related Topics

Dear Friends,

One of the first questions people as us when they met us at our arts and crafts shows is, “What kind of painting is this?” While most people recognize our work as folk art they are not sure whether or not to classify it as toll painting, painting in the Grandma Moses tradition, American/Americana folk art, contemporary folk art, or outsider art. We’ve always indentified our work as Americana folk art. But, of course, “art is in the eye of the beholder!” Many people that see our art, especially our early work from the 1980’s, called it toll painting.

An example of a Green Street Company’s early folk art piece c1988. © Sheila Ann Originals

Over the years our art has changed. Even though our current artwork continues to maintain the same simplistic quality of the 1980s there are certain aspects of our work (e.g. our folk people’s facial features, color pallet choice, and design elements) that have become more sophisticated. Today, people more readily indentify our work as American folk art or southern folk art.

An example of a Green Street Company’s Folk Art folk art piece, c 2009. © Sheila Ann Originals

Of course, when talking with our customers or other artisans whether or not they can categorize our artwork is not something we would ever split hairs over! But it is important to note that talking about your style of artwork and knowing more about your craft is a great way to interact with people that are interested in your work. For those of you that are interested in learning more about Americana folk art traditions or viewing folk art that is on display the following links will help you get started. As always the images that are contained in this blog also have direct links to other pertinent websites.

Enjoy!

Michelle Edwards

Green Street Company Artist and Blogger

Americana Folk Art Traditions
Online resources

1. At ArtLex, http://www.artlex.com/, you'll find definitions for more than 3,600 terms used in discussing art / visual culture, along with thousands of supporting images, pronunciation notes, great quotations and cross-references. I provided a few useful definitions on their website.

* Folk art - Art made by people who have had little or no formal schooling in art. Folk artists usually made works of art with traditional techniques and content, in styles handed down through many generations, and often of a particular region. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, metal work, costume, tools, and other everyday objects all may be folk art.
* Outsider art or outsider art and Outsiders or outsiders - Strictly interpreted, outsider art refers to works by those outside of mainstream society. In the United States, outsider art broadly includes folk art and ethnic art as well as by prisoners, the mentally ill and others neither trained in art nor making their works to sell them. In Europe, outsider art is more narrowly interpreted as art by the mentally disturbed. The term naive was once applied to this work, but is no longer considered current. Because fewer and fewer people are sufficiently isolated to be truly outsiders, most are either mentally ill or working far from urban art scenes.
* Tole Painting - Decorative painting on tin objects, traditional in several cultures, including American. Toleware is tinware. Although similar painting is also done on wooden, glass, and plastic objects, it is more appropriate to describe such work simply as decorative painting. Tole is typically a folk craft, with images derived from pattern books. Most tole is done with oil paints, but some is also done with acrylic paints. There are brushes designed specifically for tole, but round and flat red sable brushes of many types are generally recommended.

2. The New York Times has a list of articles about folk art exhibitions at the Museum of American folk Art at: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/m/museum_of_american_folk_art/index.html.

3. To discover the rich and colorful Pennsylvania Dutch Folk art traditions that are still vibrant in Lancaster County visit: http://www.welcome-to-lancaster-county.com/pennsylvania-dutch-folk-art.html

Books and References

1. Encyclopedia of American folk art. GC Wertkin and L. Kogan -2004- American Folk Art Museum.

* This book is the first comprehensive, scholarly study of a most fascinating aspect of American history and culture. Generously illustrated with both black and white and full-color photos, this A-Z encyclopedia covers every aspect of American folk art, encompassing not only painting, but also sculpture, basketry, ceramics, quilts, furniture, toys, beadwork, and more, including both famous and lesser-known genres. Containing more than 600 articles, this unique reference considers individual artists, schools, artistic, ethnic, and religious traditions, and heroes who have inspired folk art. An incomparable resource for general readers, students, and specialists, it will become essential for anyone researching American art, culture, and social history. In addition to profiles of painters, sculptors, carvers, and lithographers, with details on their principal works and where they can be viewed.

2. Pennsylvania Dutch American Folk Art. HJ Kauffman, CG Holme - 1946 - American Studio Books.

* Early Pa. Dutch settlers developed a flavor of their own historical folk art. This book brings together a representative collection of illustrative material (over 270 photos) as a super record of the Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.

3. Artists in aprons: folk art by American women. CK Dewhurst, B MacDowell - 1979 - EP Dutton.

* Focuses on the history, social setting, and unique nature of folk art by American women, providing examples of the various media used and including brief biographies of notable artists.

4. Afro-American folk art and crafts. WR Ferris - 1983 - University Professors of Mississippi.

* Overview of the Afro-American experience expressed through the arts.

5. Stitched from the Soul: Slave Quilts from the Antebellum South. GM Fry, Museum of American Folk Art - 2002 - University of North Carolina Press.

* This richly illustrated book offers a glimpse into the lives and creativity of African American quilters during the era of slavery. Originally published in 1989, Stitched from the Soul was the first book to examine the history of quilting in the enslaved community and to place slave-made quilts into historical and cultural context. It remains a beautiful and moving tribute to an African American tradition.

Museums and Galleries

1. American Folk Art Museum, www.folkartmuseum.org/. Exhibits in New York City feature 18th- and 19th-century paintings, quilts, sculptures, and the work of contemporary self-taught artists.

American Folk Art Museum, New York City, NY

2. Ginger Young Folk Art Gallery, http://www.gingeryoung.com/. - Excellent examples of American folk art. Gives background information on the artists.

3. Southern folk art and crafts, http://www.amerifolk.com/. Features a collection of significant 18th, 19th, and 20th century Americana and contemporary Southern folk art-- paintings, pottery, furniture and more.

4. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/afkp/hd_afkp.htm. The collection of American folk art at the Metropolitan Museum is characterized by pure serendipity. It is highly prized and was acquired almost entirely by gift.

Thanks for reading Green Street Company Folk Art Talk! The next blog (Part III.B) is a continuation of this blog. It is intended to discuss and provide more useful resources for our readers. Until then, keep craftin!