Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sunday Salon: A Weekend for Exuberant Art!

Cut paper bouquet - Artist Unknown

Artist: Bill Traylor

Marionette People by Clifton Sulser

Luna Park by Vestie Taylor

Great Carved Fish - Artist Unknown

Flying Elephant Whirligig by David Butler

Well, it's raining here, so our exuberance is dampened a little. If any fireworks were planned for tonight they'll probably be postponed for the Official Day tomorrow - unless it rains then as well. It was a gorgeous day yesterday but hey, you can't plan how these things will turn out. Mother Nature will have her say.

Exuberance is key with Jasper Johns' work, at least it is usually what I have in mind when I see his paintings and structures. The cruder aspects of his three dimensional work occasionally remind me of outsider or, perhaps, naive or folk art.Though Johns is far from naive or folksy. But a bit of the 'tone' is there - don't you think?

'Outsider' and/or 'naive' or folk art can be engaging, but also unsettling as well. I've always loved it though I've never had the money to collect any but a few bits here and there and even those were re-sold long ago. Now, of course, the prices are sky-high and none but serious collectors need apply.

Still, I love seeing the work when I stumble across it here and there. One can only hope that the artists still living are benefiting from the sky high market themselves.

Flag-gate - Artist: Unknown

18 comments:

  1. The colorful, creative folk art is beautiful.

    I've always been attracted to folk art. It fascinates me.

    And art around the world, everywhere, going back 100s, 1000s of years. Whatever people could use to make art, they have.

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  2. I'm also a fan of folk art. The whimiscal Luna Park and Rooster are wonderful!

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  3. Kathy: Exactly. Art will not be denied. That's how I look at it. :)

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  4. Pat: Aren't they wonderful? But I also like the sculptural work as well. I'm a fan of this kind of stuff from way back. :)

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  5. Art and music are so basic to the human spirit. Total agreement there.

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  6. Traylor's art look a bit like Egyptian hieroglyphics.

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  7. Where did you find all this lovely folk art?

    I love the birds, as well as all of it.

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  8. Today is July 4th, and it's raining, so a bit of a bummer. But your beautiful post made me feel better! I would give my left arm to have Cut Paper Bouquet, and maybe my left foot to get the Flag gate! Also Luna Park! Just beautiful. Thanks for just a beautiful post to brighten a rather gray day!

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  9. Kathy: No disagreement here. For me, art and music are almost as basic as food. :)

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  10. Peter: Traylor was an artist working in the first half of the 20th century. I believe he died in the 40's sometime. Yes, his work looks like a bit like picture writing. He did some very good and interesting work. Lots of these artists just made art because they had to although they were mostly untaught and even, unschooled. Art of the spirit.

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  11. Kathy: I found it linking from here to there and back again. I have a lot of extraneous stuff stored in my head and when something clicks, I just start looking around.

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  12. Becky: You're more than welcome. We're lucky here today, no rain and some sun - for now.

    Cut paper bouquet is a historical piece, 1848, I believe, or thereabouts. It's probably in a museum. I'd have to double-check.

    Lots of these artists were itinerant moving from place to place and exchanging art for food or a night's lodging. And some were women - primarily the cut paper artists. Mostly the work went unsigned.

    Yeah, that gate. Isn't that something?

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  13. I came back and looked at this post and just love this art, the colors, creativity and more.

    If I can figure out how to do this, I'll send a link to an artist friend, or I'll do the easy thing and send her the website link.

    I must add this although it's off-topic. I never thought I'd like historical fiction, however, I spent much of the last two days avidly reading about Adelia Aguilar. I reluctantly turned the last page -- luckily there are three more books.

    I just love this character and what she thinks.

    So I'm entering what some readers call a post-good-book slump. Switching over to Archie and the gang so quickly is like the bends, too swift a change so can't do that.

    But it got me to thinking of a blog idea for you: Casting who could play Adelia.

    I thought of Rachel Weisz as she's so elegant and stunning. However, Adelia was blond. Does that matter? I couldn't think of anyone else.

    I thought of a young Deborah Kerr, or my teen-age favorite -- Greer Garson in her 30s.

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  14. Well, then, Kathy - why don't you simply continue reading the Aguilar books? There are several of them. Go on a historical binge!

    As for casting, I agree with your choices. I thought of Rachel myself.

    There are very few actresses today who can embody what Deborah Kerr or Greer Garson or women of that strong 'type' did, once upon a time.

    Maybe Meryl Streep, but she can't play everyone and she is now too old for Adelia. Too bad.

    I can't imagine though, why the books haven't been bought for film. Far as I know they haven't.

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  15. I'm rethinking the casting to try to figure out younger women who are good actresses who could play Adelia.

    Maybe Claire Danes, or Kirsten Dunst or Julia Stiles. All are good.

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  16. Oh, Clare Danes. A good one. I think of the three you mentioned, she's the best actress.

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  17. I first heard of Bill Traylor through you. Now it transpires that the Philadelphia Museum of Art has acquired some of his work (No. 14 in the slide show).
    ======================
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    "Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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  18. Peter: Thanks for the link! I enjoyed viewing the preview.

    The Bill Traylor piece is deceptively simple. There's a story there. It's always amazing to me how artistic talent makes itself known. You can't look at this artwork and not be intrigued.

    Loved some of the other work as well.

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