Neuve Invention

The art category known as 'Neuve Invention' was realized by Jean Dubuffet in the early 1980s.  He saw that there were many creators whose works were similar to the energy and inventiveness of 'Art Brut', but they were in greater contact with society. These artists also tended to have an awareness of their art that kept them from the strict 'Art Brut' category.  Many of the artists were normal working class folks who made art in their spare time.  Others were eccentric untrained artists attempting to make a living with their art.  And, some of the artists had dealings with commercial galleries.  In 1982 the 'Annex Collection' of 'Neuve Invention' was added to the Collection de l'Art Brut at Lausanne.  A few of these artists are, Albert Louden, Gerard Lattier, J.B. Murray, Ody Saban and others. 

Albert Louden


Gerard Lattier

J.B. Murray
 


Ody Saban

Ruby C. Williams

Dos Folkies has some wonderful works by Florida artist, Ruby C. Williams.

The picture above was taken of Ruby Williams at her Annual First Saturday in November BBQ and Art Sale, 2007.  The picnic takes place at her Produce Stand near Bealsville and Plant City, Florida. Just east of Tampa.

 'Bubba Boy' and 'Finn I Loved So All You Did'

For Boston

A couple images of Boston art.

DRUMMER BOY 
artist: William Morris Hunt

BOSTON HARBOR
artist: Thomas Chambers

 

Dos Folkies Drive-In

THE DOS FOLKIES DRIVE-IN

BLACKTOP

Ken Blacktop Gentle

Check out his works at Dos Folkies Gallery

                                                       KICK THE CAN

Art Brut

Art Brut  was the term Jean Dubuffet used in 1945 to describe the type of art that he collected and held in highest regard. Art Brut also means, Raw Art.  It's the official term taken by the Collection de l'Art Brut at Lausanne, in Switzerland.  Per Dubuffet, Art Brut is unadulterated by culture.  The works are direct and spontaneous. Often the creators of these works do not consider themselves artists and usually dwell outside of society. Many of the early artists Dubuffet discovered were in psychiatric hospitals in Europe.  There is a psychic power and a raw energy in many of these creations.  As for the Collection de l'Art Brut at Lausanne, they insist that nothing outside of their collection should be labeled 'Art Brut'. And, they alone have the authority to designate any new works as 'Art Brut'.
Artists of the Art Brut genre would include, Adolf Wolfli, Aloise, Madge Gill, American-Henry Darger, from Mexico- Martin Ramirez, and others.

Henry Darger

 Adolf Wolfli

Madge Gill

Road Warriors '11'

Left to Right. My son Cole, cousin Bobbie Joe, Me(Dave), friend and artist Craig Rogers.

From our stop over in Memphis after Kentuck Festival 2011. We were on our way up to Jonesboro, Illinois to visit my dad.  A couple from Australia offered to snap our photo in front of Sun Studio.

 

It was kind of like folk art. Definitely the primitive roots of American rock n roll culture.

More Bill Traylor

I just came across this cool color photo of Bill Traylor near the end of his life.  I don't know if it is a colorized black and white, but it's one I've never seen before.  dave

Here's the best picture I could find of Charles Shannon.  Member of the New South and the artist who helped equip Bill Traylor with art supplies. Mr Shannon died on April 5th 1996 at the age of 81.  

 

yep, I paint too

This is a painting I did around 2003 or so. It is called RED BOY and is loosely based on my sons friend who was around 18 or 19 at the time.  He was at our house one time and ate a peeled raw red potato. That's what inspired me to create this painting.  It's available at Dos Folkies Gallery too.  Acrylic paint on chip board from one of my home improvement projects. dave

BILL TRAYLOR

BILL TRAYLOR 1854-1949

Bill Traylor photo taken by Charles Shannon around 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama.

Bill Traylor spent most of his life working as a sharecropper on the plantation where he was born into slavery in Benton, Alabama.  Bill left the farm and the only life he had ever known at the age of 82 and made his way to Montgomery.  Before long he took up residence on a stoop near a blacksmith's shop on Monroe Avenue and began creating his drawings.  In 1939 a young painter by the name of Charles Shannon met Mr. Traylor and was immediately taken by his artwork.  Soon after Charles Shannon began supplying Bill with colored pencils, poster paint and artists board.  Bill also created his images on discarded pieces of cardboard he found.  He created around 1,200 works of art in a period of 3 years while in Montgomery.  Bill Traylor died in 1949 before the world recognized his genius. Today Bill Traylor is considered one of America's great artists.  Rightfully so.

My favorite book about Bill Traylor is "Deep Blues", by Josef Helfenstein and Roman Kurzmeyer.  The image above 'Female Drinker' is on the book cover.  

If you love 'outsider' art,(or just art) Bill Traylor is the artist you should study.  He opened the door for all those who followed.  Mose Tolliver, from the one conversation I had with him, told me when he was a young man he remembered seeing Bill drawing from his stoop on Monroe Street. Pretty cool stuff. History brought to life.

Other books about Bill Traylor are:

Bill Traylor, Drawings from the Collections of the High Museum of Art and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

It Jes Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw/  this is an illustrated children's book by Don Tate and R.Gregory Christie.

Bill Traylor: His Art, His Life/ by Frank Maresca

Check these out too while you're at it:

 http://www.billtraylorchasingghosts.com/

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnhAMuCOisw&feature=player_detailpage

There's a lot more out there about him.  And, good luck affording his art.


dave

More Kentuck Adventures

O.L. Samuels modeling one of his masks at Kentuck Fest. 2011