With pen in hand.......

Johannesburg artist, Charles Munro's work is complex and humorous, strange, yet strangely appealing. Judge for yourself.....

The real Mckoy comes to CT......

Karl Mckoy's assemblage faces are filled with elements that grab your attention, and keep it. Strong portraits that stare you in the face and sorta make you want to look away.......and yet you don't. Very artbrut in feel, loaded with texture, sand, paper, wire, grids, photographs, stones, and so on. When the Outsider Art fair was at the Puck Building in New York City, this self-taught artist used to stand, braving the frigid Winter nights, and sell his pieces on the street, to collectors who would save some of their cash each year, to acquire a new example of his work. He had a very loyal following. But then the show moved to another location, which forbids street "vendors", and the collectors had to go without. Well, now his work is available here, and more is on it's way. I am thrilled to have this powerful work at the gallery.

Sew fine.......Carol Es

Carol Es is an artist whose works reflects an ongoing struggle with the past as well as success with the present. She often hid in the bowling alley and created art, instead of attending school. She was later influenced by work she did in a sewing factory, and  often employs fabric, patterns and thread with her newer works. But this earlier piece is 30" x 40", mixed media on paper and is a prime example of her art. It's called "Poor Little Angels" and is $2500. Carol's handmade books have won her national acclaim and are part of permanent museum collections. A multi-talented artist.

Outsider Artist, Daniel Farber

His business was leather, but his love was photography. On his gravestone are the words "Nature is my God" and his camera is carved over the shoulder of the stone, as if resting there a moment. Daniel Farber's works are in the permanent collection of 123 museums world wide, and he had numerous one man shows. Although he was self-taught, his "Reflections" show received rave reviews at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY and his images appeared in American Heritage, Popular Photography, Modern Photography, and Country Beautiful magazines, as well as on many record album covers. Farber was a prodigious photographer whose work is still widely collected. More than 1,400 dye transfer color prints, 34,000 gelatin silver prints, and 14,000 negatives produced by him are in the collections of U.S. museums and institutions. Vintage images and his book, "Reflections of a Trail Taken" are available through this gallery.

Outsider artist, Tom Breen

In honor of the National Black Fine Art Show next weekend in NY, I'm posting this articulated carving of a Black man by New England artist, Tom Breen. Tom is a picker and resells odds and ends of a million different types of items at flea markets in the Northeast. He spends his spare time making these wonderful folk art assemblages. This figure is 20" x 4" and is made from wood, fur, and paint. The arms and legs move and the figure can stand or sit, as desired. Very appealing. $600

Outsider Artist, Maurice Hansen, Jr.

Maurice Hansen was a brilliant artist and friend, living valiantly with schizophrenia. He produced hundreds of painting, drawings, and books, and died way too soon. This painting was created after Maurice read about a homeless man who froze to death on the streets on NY, partly because someone thoughtlessly threw water out a window and soaked him on a frigid December night. The painting is entitled "Death of Lazarus" and has a folk aesthetic in pastel shades, despite the tragic meaning. Hansen's paintings are in major collections in the US and after his discovery, by gallerist Chris Butler, he celebrated his first one man show at the Aetna Galleries in Hartford, CT. Oil on canvas, 36' x 48" $1600.

Outsider Artist, a New Orleans favorite

Roy Ferdinand was a beloved New Orleans artist who had great compassion for the arts and the people in his community. His paintings often portrayed the street life he knew, including the seamy side of the town. In this well composed piece, he depicts a man, taking a moment on his porch for reflection and a beer, watched over by his alert and trusty dog. Last year a presentation of the artist's works were the topic of a lecture at the American Museum of Folk Art in NY. For fans of the late Mr. Ferdinand, this is an easy piece to live with. It's mixed media on paper (26" x 32") in a beautiful maple frame, and very well priced at $700.
Recently released from a private collection.