a spider skull or skull angel?

this week in outsider art a beautiful bill traylor, an asfao flag and a turkish prison purse as well as a list of must-watch free documentaries

May 19, 2024

THIS WEEK IN OUTSIDER ART

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**ARTIST UNKNOWN** Gravestone of Lucy Ulmer (c. 1796; Southern Maine) // Featuring rustic winged death head resembling a spider (photo credit Ron Romano)

Learn more about Puritan Funerary art and see more New England gravestones in this week’s b-b-bonus newsletter for paid subscribers

**BILL TRAYLOR** Untitled (Turkey with Bug) (ca. 1939–1942) // Poster paint and graphite on cardboard; 14 x 13 inches via *High Museum of Art*

**FANTE ARTIST UNRECORDED** Asafo Flag (19th Century) // Silk brocade and cotton fabric; 62 1/2 × 39 inches (158.8 × 99.1 cm) via *Detroit Institute of Arts Museum*

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**SARAH LEE** The day Mrs. Roach realised Mr. Roach is actually a huge prawn (2022) // Giclee fine art prints on 320gsm cotton rag paper -- *available for purchase via the artist in the FolkArtwork Collective shop*

**ELIJAH PIERCE** Donkey (1972) // Carved and painted wood via *Columbus Museum of Art*

Elijah Pierce (1892–1984) was a self-taught wood carver who began carving at a young age using a pocket knife. He didn’t want to work on his father’s farm in Mississippi, instead wandering around in the woods carving names into tree trunks and carving little animals.

After leaving his home, traveling by freight train, and winding up in Columbus, Ohio, Pierce opened up a barbershop and lived a quiet life with his wife. In the late 1920s, as a gift for his wife, he carved a little elephant out of wood and changed the course of his life. She loved his gift so much that Pierce carved an entire zoo and kept carving every spare minute he had that he wasn’t cutting hair.
See ten animal wood carvings from Elijah Pierce here

**KATARZYNA GAWŁOWA** Black Madonna w/ Child Jesus (1975-1985) // Oil on board; 23 3/4 × 21 1/4 in (60.3 × 54 cm) via ZQ Gallery

**ARTIST UNKNOWN** Turkish Prisoner of War Purse (c. 1918; Ottoman Empire) via *International Military Antiques*

**ANNA MOND** This Way (c. 2024) // Fantastical Beings via *the artist*

beautiful beaded works of art courtesy *Jenna*

**UNIDENTIFIED MAKER** Children's Convenience Chair (1700-1800) // Pine wood; 20 3/8" height, 13" wide, 10" diameter via *New Bedford Whaling Museum*

**JORDAN SULLIVAN** Lottery (2021) // Pencil and Colored Pencil on Found Paper; 6.5 x 8 inches -- *available for purchase via the artist in the FolkArtwork Collective shop*

**ARTIST UNRECORDED** Muerte Mask for Tres Potencias Dance (1965; Guerrero, Mexico) // Wood, paint; 9 7/16 × 6 11/16 × 3 3/4 in. (24 × 17 × 9.5 cm) via *Museum of International Folk Art*

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FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK

**b. ROBERT MOORE** Be Still, Life. (Flowers that never die) (2024) // Acrylic, pastel and velvet panel; painted in tandem with the artist's 80-year-old maternal grandmother via *the artist*

Preview of "In Loving Memory", opening June 21, 2024 at the Des Moines Art Center in Des Moines, Iowa

WATCHING AND READING

Here are a few things I’ve been watching this past week:

Here are a few things I’ve been reading this past week:

My oldest son is six years old, and we’re pretty obsessed with Ancient Egypt. We’ve watched excavation shows on Disney+, we’ve read books on King Tut and the Great Pyramids — so when I recently discovered a really neat painting of the goddess of the sky Nut, I was thoroughly intrigued. I didn’t end up getting the work, but I did discover three small pyramids in a cemetery in Southern Iowa, a cool 90-minute drive from where we live. Finding it impossible to believe there are Egyptian inspired pyramids in Iowa, we are going to check it out later this week. Stay tuned!

OH WORD?

This past week I put together a little video highlighting seven of my full-length favorite outsider art documentaries that are currently free on YouTube. There are many more on YouTube that are not full-length (less than 90 mins) and plenty of good ones on streaming services (stay tuned for more about both!) on a television near you.

With the release of “This World is Not My Own” (now in select theaters!) — I wanted to share them with you here. Enjoy!

“What’s Under Your Hat?” (2006) // Directed by Iñaki Peñafiel, Lola Barrera

A documentry about Judith Scott, an internationally renowned outsider artist, who was born with Down’s Syndrome and diagnosed as “severly mentally retarded” at the age of seven.

“In the Realms of the Unreal” (2004) // Directed by Jessica Yu

A documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.

“Finding Vivian Maier” (2013) // Directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel

This film brings to life the interesting turns and travails of the improbable saga of John Maloof’s discovery of Vivian Maier, unravelling this mysterious tale through her documentary films, photographs, odd collections and personal accounts from the people that knew her.

watch here

“Wesley Willis: The Daddy of Rock ’n’ Roll” (2003) // Directed by Daniel Bitton

Filmmaker Daniel Bitton follows Wesley Willis throughout the Chicago area, riding the bus, talking to friends and strangers alike, selling his CDs to record shops, and going about his day. Willis was memorable to many for being schizophrenic as well as 6’6” and over 300 pounds but was loved by his fans and friends for his quirky, oddball music, artistic talent, and for being a real gentle giant

“The Devil and Daniel Johnston” (2005) // Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig

This documentary film chronicles the life of Daniel Johnston, a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his mental illness and how it manifested itself in demonic self-obsession.

“Turning the Art World Inside Out” (2013) // Directed by Jack Cocker

After the success of recent shows in Venice, London and Paris, interest in `Outsider Art’ has never been higher, but what exactly is it? How do we define it? And who are its gurus and luminaries? Alan Yentob explores this alternative art universe.

“It Started with a Horse” (2023; M.T. Liggett) // Directed by Josh Dubois

It Started with a Horse is a biographical documentary of legendary Western Kansas folk-artist M.T. Liggett. Filmed over the course of 20 years, this documentary is an unfiltered look into the unbelievable and unapologetic life M.T. lived.

For a full list of over 50 art documentaries, check out my list on Letterboxd — “Art Documentaries: The Only Good Art Docs List On Here”.

see full list

FROM THE COLLECTIVE

RENEESHA MCCOY is a self-taught artist who began her artistic practice in 2019, living and working in North Carolina. A principle theme in Reneesha’s work is her celebration of the consequence of life and nature. Primarily in relation to the female body, her work is uniquely abstract. She uses her personal experience to highlight the internal and external effects of childbirth. Particularly the physical changes that occur from breastfeeding.

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