Lost In The Library, Installment 6, Howard Finster: Stranger From Another World

I first became acquainted with Georgian Howard Finster, Baptist preacher turned artist, during my teen years while watching a PBS special dealing with folk artists in Georgia. I loved the undisciplined sincerity of his paintings and sculptures often created with objects from his surroundings, works so opposed to the rules often associated with formal art practices and the confines we are taught regarding artistic merit. Here was a man who captured all the wonderful, but quickly changing, aspects of rural life in Georgia including religion, family, and community life in his own unique way. A trip to the High Museum cemented my love of Howard Finster's art after viewing pieces of his work kept on permanent display. I'm always on the lookout for more Howard Finster sources so the discovery of Howard Finster: Stranger From Another World in the CFL was a welcome find.

The book contains a wealth of photos displaying various paintings and sculptures from Howard Finster's entire life. The accompanying text includes Howard Finster's observations concerning his art, religion, and the world as he saw it. Oftentimes art collections are accompanied by a critic's voice describing an artist's intentions and influences, this collection allows the reader to hear Howard Finster describe his work in a way only someone this unique could. An inscription from Howard Finster's painting number "1000 and 48" is appropriately placed before the title page of this collection. The inscription reads, "I am Howard Finster a stranger from another world. My father and my mother, my sisters and brothers, my wife, my children, my grandchildren have really never figured me out for my kingdom is not of this world. Only my father in heaven knows me on this planet and that's why I have been strong and happy. When my work is finished I will go back to my other world." Howard Finster truly was from a world all his own, a world presented fully by Howard Finster: Stranger From Another World.

In addition to a number of well researched and representative sites listed below, the CFL contains an excellent collection of books detailing outsider and folk art.

- Christopher Bishop

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:
Flying Free: Twentieth-Century Self-Taught Art From The Collection of Ellin and Baron Gordon
Ellin Gordon
709.73 GORDON

Passionate Visions of the American South: Self-Taught Artists From 1940 To The Present
Alice Rae Yelen
709.75 YELEN

Raw Creation: Outsider Art and Beyond
John Maizels
709.04 MAIZELS

Souls Grown Deep: African American Vernacular Art of the South.
Paul Arnett
Ref. 709.73 SOULS v.1

Websites of Interest:

The Official Homepage of Howard Finster

Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens Park and Museum
"The mission of Paradise Gardens is to restore and preserve the work of folk artist Howard Finster; perpetuating his legacy - promoting education in the arts and providing expansive communityinvolvement, and enrichment through its unique spirit, setting, and message."

The David Leonardis Gallery
"The DLG houses one of the finest collections of Howard Finster pieces in the world, including concrete, shelf pieces, wood cutouts, paintings and prints."

The Outsider Art Pages
A collection of works by various outsider artists

Youtube: Howard Finster's Vision House

Lost In The Library, Installment 5, Kites: Sculpting The Sky by Tsutomu Hiroi

Spring is a time for enjoying beautiful weather while spending time outdoors. Since I was young I've always enjoyed flying kites but never really thought about where they originate from or how I might build one. The CFL's copy of Tsutomu Hiroi's Kites: Sculpting The Sky is an excellent resource for kite enthusiasts, especially those interested in Asian and Japanese kite history and construction. The book begins with a concise history dating the first kites to China around two thousand years ago. The first kites were made of wood and cloth until the invention of paper in China around 105 A.D. Many of the early kites were used for military or scientific purposes due to the knowledge needed to build and fly the contraptions. Around 1000 A.D. the kite became a popular recreational pastime among the Chinese. The popularity of the kite in China caused it to spread to the rest of Asia as a scientific and military tool, and as a leisure outlet. In Europe the first instance of a kite is noted by Hiroi as being 230 B.C. The kite followed a similar path to popularity in Europe as it did in China and Asia.

Hiroi's book is translated from Japanese with a heavy emphasis on the kite's cultural history in Japan. Japan even has multiple contemporary and historical kite centers throughout the country. Hiroi uses images and diagrams extensively to give the reader an idea of the artistry and detail present in kite construction and presentation. The photographs are most extensive when exampling the three types of Japanese kites including the northern which migrated directly from the Asian continent and is examples by the Goto Islands baramon, the south pacific derived Nagasaki hata which is triangular, and the indigenous originating solely in Japan and examples by the Managu.

Hiroi's kite construction section is the highlight of the book with detailed step by step directions and easy to follow diagrams. After a brief introduction concerning aerodynamics Hiroi moves into needed materials and equipment for kite construction including kite line, paper and decorating, frames and glue, and sketching patterns with additioanal ideas included. The step by step portion shows the construction of a box kite, gunya-gunya kite, and building a bamboo frame. There is also a section of what I would call crazy kites including extremely large and ornate examples. The last section of the book examines kites from other parts of the world along with some construction ideas.

If you have an interest in kite flying and construction come by the library for a look at Kites: Sculpting the Sky.

- Christopher Bishop

Websites of Interest:

Google kite directory
Kite links galore

Japanese Kite Collection
Tons of links and images covering the gamut of kite interests

The Drachen Foundation
An organization dedicated to promoting kite culture with excellent links and a bibliography of kite resources

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:
Wings: A History of Aviation From Kites To The Space Age
Tom D. Crouch
629.13 CROUCH

The Art and Craft of Paper

Faith Shannon

745.54 SHANNON

Lost In The Library, Installment 4, Ventriloquism: Magic With Your Voice by George Schindler

A look through the sports section of the CFL collection uncovered this lost gem, George Schindler's Ventriloquism, a guide many practitioners still hold high regard for despite an original publishing date of 1979. My initial interest in the book originated from the odd depiction of ventriloquist and dummies on the cover, an image surely meant to relate humor, further exploration of the book's content relates a thorough and fascinating understanding of how one can become a ventriloquist for fun and profit (if such a market still exists).

The author begins the book with an explanation of what ventriloquism is, making others believe your voice is emanating from somewhere other than yourself, and how one can begin to develop the skill of throwing your voice. A concise but informative history of the art of ventriloquism relates origins in Egypt with the use of puppets beginning in the 1800s in Europe. Our current understanding of ventriloquism was popularized by the Vaudeville circuit in America, children's show star Charlie McCarthy, and various comedy routines with ventriloquists speaking through puppets.

The majority of Ventriloquism details sound techniques, exercises, and methods for learning to throw your voice. The detail and coaching given by the author is detailed enough for anyone who may need extra help or varying approaches. The extensive substitute sounds section for working with a closed mouth is especially helpful as is the secrets of the trade section. Another chapter explains what to look for when choosing a puppet, how to work a puppet, and alternatives to traditional dummies. The photos and illustrated steps found throughout the book also lend a level of understanding and context needed for those learning the art of ventriloquism.

The last third of the book deals with scripting, booking a show, and writing comedy material for a performance. There are even some scripts ready to perform.

I have to wonder if there is an audience for ventriloquist acts in a time when puppetry in film and television is replaced by computer graphics and comedy has changed so much, but the artistry of watching a person speak through a puppet is still something entertaining to me when done well. Every few years kids pick up on an old trend and make it new again (the yo-yo, origami, scooters, et cetera). Perhaps ventriloquism will undergo a revival with small children obtaining their own portable dummies for neighborhood talent shows? One can only hope!

Websites of Interest:

Center for Puppetry Arts
Atlanta's amazing home for both adult and youngster puppetry shows

Ventriloquism In A Month
An exhaustive ventriloquism how to

Ventriloquist Central
An excellent tribute with lots of great photos

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:

Voice and Speech In The Theatre
784.95 TURNER
J. Clifford Turner

The Human Voice: How This Extraordinary Instrument Reveals Essential Clues About Who We Are
Anne Karpf
808.5 KARPF

Lost In The Library, Installment 3, Japanese Colour Prints

I have always found Japanese water-colours to be a fascinating form of art representing a very distinct style and culture. Thankfully for myself and others who enjoy Asian art in general, and Japanses art specificaly, Westminster''s CFL owns a wonderful collection of Asian art books including J. Hiller's wonderful collection of water-colours entitled Japanese Colour Prints, a concise collection suitable for those wishing to forgo the often overwhelming art collections available detailing Japanese art.

Many examples of the style are familiar to Americans because of the widespread popularity and disemination of water-colour images in Japan and abroad after the country was opened to interaction with the West. The style gained prominence in 17th and 18th century Japan with its own school of art called ukiyo-e, translated as "pictures of the floating world." The rise of the Japanese color-print contrasted greatly with Western traditions which detailed reality and the telling of a story, whereas ukiyo-e placed emphasis on technique involving lines and brushstrokes. In his introduction Hiller notes, "The Japanese genius was for the expressive line, for pattern and design, the representation of natural objects as a means to an end, not an end in itself." Japanese Colour Prints and other books dealing with Japanese art (see below) are available in the CFL. In addition, the websites listed below should offer wonderful collections of images in the ikiyo-e style and tradition.


Websites of Interest:
Viewing Japanese Prints
"Illustrated essays on the artists, designs, and techniques of traditional and modern Japanese woodblock prints."

Connecticut College Japanese Prints
A large collection of Japanese prints from Connecticut College

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:
Hiroshige's Woodblock Prints: A Guide
Edward F. Strange
769.92 STRANGE

Primitive Ukiyo-e From the James A. Michener Collection in the Honolulu Academy of Arts
Howard A. Link
769.952 HONOLULU

- Christopher Bishop

Lost In The Library, Installment 2, India: Art and Culture, 1300-1900

This week's choice for Carlyle Fraser library's hidden treasure was influenced by the recent Indian art exhibit at Emory's Carlos Museum. Previously, I knew little about Indian art but appreciated the rich colors and detail present in many of the works I had seen. After the exhibit I wanted a collection of images representative of the works on display at Emory. I found such a resource in our library's copy of India: Art and Culture, 1300-1900, a collection of images from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art which hosted an extensive exhibition of Indian art in 1986. The book features two hundred ninety-six illustrations in vivid detail along with sectional overviews of various periods In India's art history including "The Great Tradition," "Tribe and Village," "The Muslim Courts," "The Rajput World," and "The British Period." The accompanying text also highlights the historical context of the works with rich detail and a comprehensive bibliography. This collection serves as a rich introduction and overview of one of the most beautiful collections of art found in the world.

Websites of Interest:

Indian Circle
Portals for every aspect of Indian art

Art of India
A rich collection of images from various time periods

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:

Hindu Art and Architecture
George Michell
704.9 MICHELL

Indian Court Painting, 16th-19th Century
Steven Kossak
751.7 KOSSAK

Lost in the Library, Installment 1, Prop Art

And so begins the weekly installment I call, Lost in the Library, wherein overlooked treasures hidden away in the CFL collection are unearthed for all to see. Our first installment focuses on Gary Yanker's fascinating study of political posters, Prop Art, published in 1972 with an introduction by NBC news anchor John Chancellor.

Yanker is first and foremost a collector of posters, a passion he explains as originating from his lack of funds for more conventional, and pricey, works of art. Both left and right wing propaganda posters are represented in an effort to show balance and free the presentation from endorsing any ideological belief system.

The most striking observation I came away with as I read through this twenty-five year old collection, a study of then current propaganda, is the amount of artistic effort and creativity present in the presentation. The posters depicted were ephemeral, serving a cause often completed or lost soon thereafter. Whereas propaganda in the form of posters once served as a viable form of communication for spreading ideas, the internet and television have now supplanted poster, and print in general, as the most widely available sources for propaganda. There is something almost quaint in the amount of faith the poster makers seemed to place in the messages on display.

Yanker's analysis of political poster design begins with the renaissance for the medium during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the 1968 Paris student riots. He also discloses the popularity of posters as a propaganda tool - low cost, freedom from censorship, and the ability to implant ideas. Yanker also looks at how political posters are created with particular audiences in mind. Posters can be emotional or rational in their appeal, abstract or representational in their artistic approach.

The author's lack of judgment regarding the political merits of messages represented in the propaganda posters he so loves is a refreshing break from the often opinionated positions of those presenting the ideas and imagery of far left or right groups. Prop Art is certainly no longer a contemporary study of political posters as was meant when published, but it does present a beautiful collection of images filled with creativity, artistic merit, and conviction.

Websites of Interest:

International Poster Gallery
An excellent collection of propaganda posters from around the world

DPRK
North Korean propaganda art

Stefan Landsberger's Chinese Propaganda Poster Pages

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:

A Concise History of Posters: 1870-1970

Barnicoat, John

769.5 BARNICOA

The Poster: An Illustrated History From 1860

Harold F. Hutchison

Ref. 769.5 HUTCH

Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia, 1500 To The Present

Nicholas J. Cull

Ref. 303.375 CULL

- Christopher Bishop