John Foster edits one of the best art blogs in the country, Accidental Mysteries. He scours the world and uncovers some of the most unusual, superb and frequently jaw-dropping art being created today as well as similarly beautiful objects from the past. He must have wide open eyes, because the beauty in all manner of form, shape and material he finds is remarkable. I know how hard he works on it, and it shows. Others recognize it as well, he is approaching 1,000 followers on the site. A considerable number of important artists, collectors, writers and fans look forward to his daily discoveries and insight.
John is also well-known for his early work with vernacular photography, his collection and the accompanying catalog (which shares the name of his blog) has been exhibited in many museum shows. Additionally, John is a founder and past-president of ENVISION Folk Art of Missouri, where he also served as editor of the Journal that he produced for ten years. He is a member of the Advisory Board of The Folk Art Society of America. He is also one of the brothers I never had.
In a recent post, Foster himself is directly involved, along with art preservation organization the Kohler Foundation and Missouri State University, to save as many pieces as possible from the sculpture garden created by war hero and eccentric sculptor the late Ralph Lanning. I have cribbed only two pictures of Mr. Lanning's works, more are shown on John's site, and because many of the works were saved, hopefully one day we will be able to see many more.
Foster tells the story far better than I could. Not only were works saved from dispersal, many will be placed permanently in a sculpture garden at the university. I am sure Mr. Lanning and his wife, by John's account splendid folks indeed, would be pleased to see his inspired sculptures challenging young minds. It is a good story told by a good storyteller who excels at both finding and sharing. I suggest you add his site to your list of favorites.
Wow...these sculptures look awesome. It adds to the beauty of the garden. It was nice going through your blog.
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