The first extensive treatment of the Hahnville, La.-based artist Lorraine Gendron, whose Mississippi River mud sculptures, painted wood cutouts, acrylic-on-wood paintings, and primitive dolls are treasured by collectors from around the world.
Clementine Hunter (1887--1988) painted every day from the 1930s until several days before her death at age 101. As a cook and domestic servant at Louisiana's Melrose Plantation, she painted on hundreds of objects available around her -- glass snuff bottles, discarded roofing shingles, ironing boards -- as well as on canvas. She produced between five and ten thousand paintings, including her most ambitious work, the African House Murals. Scenes of cotton planting and harvesting, washdays, weddings, baptisms, funerals, Saturday night revelry, and zinnias depict experiences of everyday plantation life along the Cane River. More than a personal record of Hunter's life, her paintings also reflect the social, material, and cultural aspects of the area's larger African American community. Drawing on archival research, interviews, personal files, and a close relationship with the artist, Art Shiver and Tom Whitehead offer the first comprehensive biography of this self-taught painter, who attracted the attention of the world. Shiver and Whitehead trace Hunter's childhood, her encounters at Melrose with artists and writers, such as Alberta Kinsey and Lyle Saxon, and the role played by eccentric François Mignon, who encouraged and promoted her art. The authors include rare paintings and photographs to illustrate Hunter's creative process and discuss the evolution of her style. The book also highlights Hunter's impact on the modern art world and provides insight into a decades-long forgery operation that Tom Whitehead helped uncover. This recent attention reinforced the uniqueness of Hunter's art and confirmed her place in the international art community, which continues to be inspired by the life and work of Clementine Hunter.
Here are more than two hundred oral tales from some of Louisiana's finest storytellers. In this comprehensive volume of great range are transcriptions of narratives in many genres, from diverse voices, and from all regions of the state. Told in settings ranging from the front porch to the festival stage, these tales proclaim the great vitality and variety of Louisiana's oral narrative traditions. Given special focus are Harold Talbert, Lonnie Gray, Bel Abbey, Ben Guiné, and Enola Matthews—whose wealth of imagination, memory, and artistry demonstrates the depth as well as the breadth of the storyteller's craft. For tales told in Cajun and Creole French, Koasati, and Spanish, the editors have supplied both the original language and English translation. To the volume Maida Owens has contributed an overview of Louisiana's folk culture and a survey of folklife studies of various regions of the state. Car Lindahl's introduction and notes discuss the various genres and styles of storytelling common in Louisiana and link them with the worldwide are of the folktale.
A picture book biography of the remarkable folk artist Clementine Hunter. Can you imagine being an artist who isn't allowed into your own show? That's what happened to folk artist Clementine Hunter. Her paintings went from hanging on her clothesline to hanging in museums, yet because of the color of her skin, a friend had to sneak her in when the gallery was closed. With lyrical writing and striking illustrations, this picture book biography introduces kids to a self-taught artist whose paintings captured scenes of backbreaking work and joyous celebrations of southern farm life. They preserve a part of American history we rarely see and prove that art can help keep the spirit alive.
"'Blue dog speaks' is the first book to emphasize Rodrigue's witty and insightful titles alongside his works. Both playful and thought-provoking, this beautifully illustrated gift book will delight Blue Dog fans and introduce newcomers to the pop culture phenomenon that is Blue Dog"--Back cover.
This beautifully illustrated biography of the renowned Southern folk artist includes nearly 100 images, plus commentary from the artist herself. Exuberant colors, bold strokes, and everyday images of rural Southern life typify Clementine Hunter’s folk art. Born in Louisiana in 1887, Hunter spent most of her life working in cotton fields at Melrose Plantation. She only began painting in her fifties, and it was several more years before her talent was recognized. Nearly 100 images of Hunter’s art are presented in this extensive biography, drawn from the many public and private collections of her work. Several paintings are accompanied by Hunter’s own commentary on a variety of subjects, including marriage, baptism, money, and death. François Mignon, her close friend and the librarian of Melrose, was instrumental in the promotion of Hunter’s paintings. Excerpts of his letters to James Register, an art collector and dealer who specialized in Hunter’s works, chronicle her growth and development as a major contemporary artist.
From the "Introduction": I first stood on Louisiana soil in Lafayette during May of 1982. There, I found myself standing at the crossroads of another culture. Shortly after, I heard about a Clifton Chenier gig scheduled for the next day at the Grant Street Dancehall. Clifton was very ill and could not perform that night, so Rockin' Dopsie filled in. That evening someone gave me Ambrose Thibodeaux's name and address written on a paper napkin. This is how it went every trip I took"€"acquiring names of musicians scribbled on little pieces of paper or cardboard beer coasters. . . . . This is my story"€"how I discovered Cajun music and its musicians. Several times I went back; time and again I was surprised by the cultural endurance of this relatively small group of people. Both old and young keep their history alive through a simple bond"€"the culture, the language, and the songs of their ancestors. . . . This is not a historical document about these people and their music, and it is far from complete when it comes to even musicians. These images instead record my journey into a culture that continually captivates me.
Much has changed in the world of self-taught art since the millennium. Many of the recognized "masters" have died and new artists have emerged. Many galleries have closed but few new ones have opened, as artists and dealers increasingly sell through websites and social media. The growth and popularity of auction houses have altered the relationship between artists and collectors. In its third edition, this book provides updated information on artists, galleries, museums, auctions, organizations and publications for both experienced and aspiring collectors of self-taught, outsider and folk art. Gallery and museum entries are organized geographically and alphabetically by state and city.