04 March 2010
The Home of Folk Art
Jim Linderman is a Folk Art collector who considers his collecting an art form. He is also a man with some unique talents. He’s an artist, an author, a self professed Americana iconoclast, and a pop-culture historian. Combine all that with his passion for collecting historical photos, music, and objects and you start to get the picture. By following these passions over the years and seeking his own unique place in art, music, and collecting – Mr. Linderman has reaped some nice rewards. It has even landed him a Grammy nomination along the way.*
One of the great aspects in Folk Art collecting is to seek out the rare, the unusual, the fun, and the obscure. Linderman is a man taking this aspect of collecting one step further – publishing his findings to share with the rest of his fellow collectors. He recently released a book titled In Situ: American Folk Art in Place. It is a book showcasing his collection of beautiful, curious, and unusual vintage Folk Art photos taken in location across America - spotlighting the ‘history’ of Folk Art from earlier years.
Arguably, this photo collection could be thought of as a more non-traditional approach to what is considered Folk Art collecting. However, it makes perfect sense coming from a historian’s point of view such as Mr. Linderman. The images are ones that may not have survived had someone not taken the time to “collect” them and bring them together. He has saved a piece of American Folk Art history and has made it possible for us all to enjoy his collection. We are thankful that he’s sharing.
*Jim Linderman’s first book (which includes an album) titled Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950 along with record label Dust-to-Digital was given a 2009 Grammy nomination in the Best Historical Album category where Linderman is listed as a compilation engineer.
