Folk Art in Texas Page: 41
203 p. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm.View a full description of this book.
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THE ORANGE SHOW
These reminders are scattered among other snippets
of advice for proper conduct while in the show and
in the course of life generally:
WATCH YOUR STEP
BE ALERT
NO SMOKING
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES
SHOULD NOT THROW STONES
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER
AN OLD OWL SAT IN A TREE. THE MORE HE
SAW THE LESS HE SAID. THE LESS HE SAID
THE MORE HE HEARD. WHY CAN'T WE BE
MORE LIKE THAT WISE OLD OWL?
Placing the Orange Show within the context of folk
art poses problems of categorization. There is no
doubt that the Orange Show is an example of folk
art; however, structures like the Orange Show push
the definition of folk art into new territory. The con-
ventional definition of folk art limits it to individual
objects (quilts, wind vanes, baskets, cooking uten-
sils) or architectural elements (gingerbread porches,
stylized floor plans) which recur within given regions
and reflect well-understood conventions and
utilitarian functions. Folk art represents a commun-
ity's common values which are passed down through
generations with minimal change over long periods
of time.
So in the strictest sense, constructions such as the
Orange Show do not fit the traditional framework
of the term folk art. In the past decade a number
of articles and books have appeared that have
chronicled the existence of this nontraditional folk
art, but there has by no means been an agreement
over the nomenclature of the new genre. Working
definitions have been put into print calling the ob-
jects or constructions such names as naive art, soft
architecture, low-tech architecture, space art, and
visionary art. Part of the problem is that there is a
wide variety of art across the country that really can-
not fit comfortably under the umbrella of one par-
ticular name.
Structures or environments like the Orange Show
and other constructions that dot the country (Watts
Towers, Grandma Prisbey's Bottle Village, Coral
Gardens) tend to be more individualistic in natureand represent the individual efforts of craftsmen to
create personal visions and utopias rather than ex-
pressions stemming from any community's common
conventions. Though certain elements of folk art per-
vade these constructions, they are more properly
termed folk art environments.
Some of the common characteristics of folk art en-
vironments are that the artists that create them tend
to have little or no formal education and do not think
of themselves as artists; their constructions tend to
be in somewhat unlikely or isolated locations and
do not reflect the values of the society surrounding
them; they usually rely on found materials
discarded by society or on traditional materials com-
bined in peculiar ways; they generally start their work
late in life; and the works are executed with little or
no thought given to any commercial use or salable
value.Jeff McKissack's Orange Show fits well within the
boundaries of these characteristics. McKissack was
particularly fond of his success at finding and retriev-
ing many of the materials used in construction. While
showing visitors through the show, he would point
to various building materials and spout off their
origins. During the time he worked as a postman in
downtown Houston he scavenged for materials
discarded at sites where buildings were being
remodeled or demolished: a miniature obelisk once* 41 *
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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.
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Abernethy, Francis Edward. Folk Art in Texas, book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67647/m1/49/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.