Folk Art in Texas Page: 15
203 p. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
FOLK ART IN GENERAL, YARD ART IN PARTICULAR
asked Da Vinci if he could draw, the artist took a
piece of charcoal from the fireplace and drew a
perfect circle on the papal wall. When Dante
described God, he pictured Him as three concentric
circles. The medieval universe consisted of concen-
tric circles with the earth as the center. Fortune, to
Boethius and other medievals, was a great wheel im-
mutably turning. Ezekiel's great vision of the ultimate
truth was a wheel within a wheel up in the middle
of the air. And what was good enough for Dante,
Boethius, and Ezekiel in their magnificent contempla-
tions of the universe is certainly good enough for
your casual folk artist who merely wishes to per-
sonalize his yard, mark his territory, and get some
attention from neighbors and passing motorists.
Yard art does not qualify as folk art with some
critics because in its hodge-podge individuality it is
w;- -"not in the respected parade of tradition (like quilting
patterns or painted Pennsylvania hex signs). But if
we accept the definition of the folk as the common
denominator of a culture and of art as the aesthetic
arrangement of color and form, we have in yard art
the two side by side, even if they are not wedded.
These artists are as much folk decorating their yards
as they are when they're stitching the Lone Star on
a quilt cover. And they are arranging their culture's
colors and all sorts of traditional forms to satisfy an
aesthetic expectation. So, stretched though the defini-
tion might be, these are the type of folk who put a
red-and-green turning plow on a stump in the mid-
dle of the front yard and are mightily pleased by the
looks of it-that is, until someone decides the whole
yardscape would look better if the plow were flanked
and balanced by two silver cultivator wheels.IV ~ i d: , .,I, i f-
;'' ': ? " 1* 15 *
Sft ss / !"X-.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current book.
Folk Art in Texas (Book)
This book describes popular folk art of Texas, including basket weaving, hat-making, yard art, sculptures, murals, cemetery art, quilt-making, tattoo art, and other miscellaneous folk art. The index begins on page 198.
Relationship to this item: (Has Format)
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Abernethy, Francis Edward. Folk Art in Texas, book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67647/m1/23/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.