Visionary Art; A Man who Quilts

I loved living in Wadley, Al. Several of my members were quilters, and good ones at that. One of them had her own quilting room that her son built her. She made some of the prettiest quilts. The church I served in Columbus, GA had a quilting group that made their quilts to sell, and their proceeds would go to Missions. I love those women, they would quilt in the room across the hall from me. I loved going in there to see what they were quilting, and what the latest buzz was. They made some nice quilts. Bob's mom was a quilter, and quilted a quilt for each child and grandchild getting married. She was amazing and made some fine quilts. I am not a quilter and don't even remember one of my relatives being one either. I just admire the gift to do one, and one when they are done. Today, I want to introduce you to a man who is a self taught quilter.

Chris Clark has become one of the South's most admired visionary artists. Born in 1958, he began making and painting "story" quilts in 1987. He sews the quilt pieces together and then paints Bible stories and other scenes over the quilt. He says his Grandmother and others that he first showed the quilts to discouraged him from making them. They simply couldn't understand why anyone would want to make a quilt that you hang on a wall instead of using for bed covers. But Chris persisted in his work moving on to painting children at play and other "happy images". He also makes "spirit sticks" from found objects and paints on suitcases and furniture. As a young man, Chris served in the Army then held a variety of factory jobs until he started losing his vision. His eyesight would come and go; he was sure he was dying. Later he was diagnosed with severe diabetes. After treatment and months of recovery, his eyesight began to stabilize. He first sold his quilts in a nearby flea market but soon came to the attention of folk art galleries. He is a regular participant at many art festivals and is a featured artist in the books,. REVELATIONS and SPIRITS OF THE CLOTH.

Chris Clark, started quilting in the late 1980s after a bout with diabetes put him in the hospital. It was a craft at which his grandmother and great grandmother excelled. But rather than simply sew together pieces of fabric, Clark painted pictures on them as well. His grandmother scoffed --but changed her mind when one of his big quilts sold for $1,000. Like many self-taught artists, Clark uses “found’’ objects – discarded furniture, buttons, soda cans, beads, machine parts – to create paintings, pastiches, hats, sculptures and his signature quilts. Many are reflections of dreams and childhood memories. Chris has his own website also: http://www.chrisclarkart.com/

Alabama off Road Folk Art

Cross Garden: Hell's Warning Label

as mentioned in Roadside America.com

I have not been there, nor did I know it existed. But it sounded interesting, and so like Alabama folk art. I guess, I'll have to go see it on one of my beach trips down 65. Sadly in 2004, W. C. Rice, the artist, died. Here's how to get there; On Hwy 82, N of hwy 14. past Country Club, go up hill. On downslope, watch for a paved Autauga County Road 47/Indian Hills Rd on the left. Crosses are just ahead, on both sides of road.
The article says this: "If W.C. Rice's stark Cross Garden doesn't save you, there's no one to blame but yourself. His frightening jumble of white crosses cling to hills on either side of a curving county road next to a trailer park. Rough wooden crosses and peeling hand-lettered signs bearing Bible scripture fragments are nailed to fences, trees, and each other. Everywhere, whitewashed signs explicitly warn -- in blobby black paint -- "You will DIE," and "HELL IS HOT HOT HOT.""

I have included some pictures from the Cross Garden.

There are some other pictures here at this blog post; Best Use of a Junk Car.
She got permission to use those pictures from Cecil Bridges, they are worth the look.
Folk Art can be very interesting. And if you have seen any you know it often has religious images.

Check out LaDonna Witmer's New Cinepoem

LaDonna Witmer has a new cinepoem called Elastine.

You can watch it several places. U Tube My Space Her website or here
It has some beautiful scenes of Paris. Here is what she shays about her poem: Elasticine is a very non-linear kind of girl who's really enamored with a certain French phrase. She talks a lot about seasonal mud pies and haunted shopping carts. And if you ask me what the hell it all means I'll just say, "Well, what does it mean to you?"

Angelina Jolie as the Vrgin Mary

Have you seen the picture of the painting protraying Angelina Jolie as Virgin Mary?

A North Carolina artist Kate Kretz intrigued by the public obsession with celebrity has found herself feeding that obsession with a painting of actress Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary hovering over a Wal-Mart check-out line.

"My intention was to ask a question and get people to think," Kretz said in a telephone interview Friday from Miami. "I had no idea so many people would be asking a question and thinking."

On her blog, Kretz, 43, said the painting addresses "the celebrity worship cycle." She said she chose Jolie for the subject "because of her unavoidable presence in the media, the worldwide anticipation of her child, her 'unattainable' beauty and the good that she is doing in the world through her example, which adds another layer to the already complicated questions surrounding her status."

This photo of the painting "Blessed Art Thou,"provided by Chelsea Galleria The painting will be shown at Art Miami, an arts show. (AP Photo/Chelsea Galleria, Kate Kretz)

What do you think?