Grassroots art (sometimes referred to as "outsider art") has been variously described as "eccentric," "unschooled," "self-taught," "primitive," and "raw." Such art is characterized by the use of common, unconventional, or castoff materials; hodge-podge styles; ambitious scale; whimsical expression; and a creative impulse concerned more with the artist's own pleasure than with the critical reception of the work itself.
The authors here focus on examples of grassroots art environments--which include sculptures, paintings, and assemblages--in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Oklahoma. They reveal the special character and unexpected delights of works like Samuel P. Dinsmoor's world-famous "Garden of Eden"; Claude Melton's quirky "Nativity Rock Museum"; Ed Galloway's fabulous six-story "Totem Pole" honoring Native Americans; and Dave Woods's idosyncratic creations refashioned from "junk that most people would haul to the dump."
Written by members of the Kansas Grassroots Art Association--the oldest organization in the country dedicated to preserving such sites--Backyard Visionaries describes the authors' personal experiences of the artists and their work as well as the artists' cultural contexts and influences. More than 150 photographs--many in color--capture their unusual creations, and a chapter on preservation tells how we can help maintain them. All in all, this is a fascinating tribute to a group of artists that we are only just beginning to understand and appreciate.
This 7-3/4" x 11" book contains 40 full color and 125 black-and-white photographs.
