Jim Linderman blog about surface, wear, form and authenticity in self-taught art, outsider art, antique american folk art, antiques and photography.
The Art of Oxymoron. Inside Outhouses at Alabam's RPPC
I had to ask around..."What's is called, you know...when you have, like, Jumbo Shrimp?" Oxymoron. I must be getting old. It might sound like an infomercial laundry product, but it turns out to be a wider phenom than I thought. Below is merely a few of the ones starting with the A. See them all at the HOME of the OXYMORON. Buffalo, Wyoming's once Alabam's "Soup or Service" station. Slogan? Don't go hungry or run short of gas." There must be a name for that too.
A Fine Mess
A just war
A little big
a little pregnant
A new classic
absolutely unsure
abundant poverty
Accidentally on Purpose
accurate estimate
accurate stereotype
Act Naturally
active retirement
actual reenactment
acute dullness
adult children
advanced BASIC
airline schedules
all alone
All natural artificial flavor
alone in a crowd
almost candid
Almost done
American culture
American education
American English
amicable divorce
among the first
Amtrak schedule
Anarchy Rules!
anticipating the unanticipated
Anti-Missile Missile
Auto Pilot
authentic reproduction
Awfully pretty
Alabam's Real Photo Postcard, circa 1955 Collection Jim Linderman
Domke and Da' Dinosaurs Prehistoric Meat-Eaters in Michigan
Pauldra Domke created a half-Bible, half-Dinosaur theme park on the shores of Lake Huron in Ossineke Michigan. He started in the 1930's. Known affectionately as "Uncle Paul" he delighted in painting gruesome drips of blood all over the big fellas, in particular the dropped Dino plopped on the ground as a wild dog-like creature rips his flesh above. I'm really sorry not to have color postcards! Guess what? STILL THERE.
Collection of Domke Dinosaur Real Photo Postcards, circa 1940. Collection Jim Linderman
Loew's Theaters Cover-Up (At the Movies and Meet the Press)
Press Photograph from 1939, a landmark year for the movie industry. Text on reverse, if you can believe it (and you can)..."Loew's Theaters Employes (sic) pasted paper panties on the undraped backs of 10,000 twin babies pictured on billboards throughout the city, after the District Attorney's office decided the posters were "indecent". The Pictures of Undiapered Infants had been displayed as a promotion stunt."
Original Press Photograph, 1939 Collection Jim Linderman
Special Temporary Oscar Post for Jeff Bridges
In hopes one of the most interesting, "normal" in every good way, talented and quietly politically correct genius actors wins tonight, a man who has entertained me from afar for some 40 years, I present Jeff Bridges State of the Art WEBSITE. That he is next playing Rooster Cogburn in a remake of True Grit with the Coen brothers is a gift of manna. Cross your fingers for the Dude.
Bear Rug Saturday Night Lazy Post
A New site worth following: The Home of Folk Art
A very kind and generous profile below from the fairly new site "The Home of Folk Art" which is doing a wonderful job of reporting events and developments in the 20th century folk art field. Sharp, professional, good photos and links...It is nice to have them around. They brought an exhibit of William O. Golding (illustrated above from the exhibition at the Morris Museum of Art) to my attention, he was an exceptional fellow and far under-rated African-American Artist whose work I have always loved. I also learned from the site that the extraordinary environment known as "Margaret's Grocery" is being preserved. Good News! As I don't have time to keep up with these things like I should, it is a pleasure to have a "go-to" place and I suggest you bookmark and follow the site. Christian and Michelle Daniel maintain the site, and Christian has written a book on Visionary artist Minnie Evans, also from his state of North Carolina. Another splendid artist one can't say enough about...I'm looking forward to the book. Take the time to check them out. They were, I believe, the first to report the death of one of my heroes Howard Campbell, which I knew about but still lament. They are accepting adverisers...and with the unfortunate demise of Folk Art Magazine, this could be an opportunity for you gallery owners out there.
check them out HERE
Jim Linderman Profile on The Home of Folk Art
The Art of Collecting, One Man’s Vintage Take On It
04 March 2010
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.
Stretched Out
Deception of the Innocent! Cheap-ass Comic Characters by Charleton
The landmark congressional hearings on the obscenity of children's comic books in the 1950s lead to Fredric Wertham's famous book "Seduction of the Innocent." Well, how about Deception of the Innocent? Examples of knock-off imitations all produced by cheapskates Carelton Comics here give an indication of the lengths companies will go to infringe on successful characters without incurring copyright violations. I give you Timmy the Timid Ghost (Not Caspar) Goofy Rabbit (Not Bugs) and Atom the Cat (Not Sylvester) All from ONE ISSUE! In a brilliant preemptive legal maneuver, they prominently placed the letter "T" on Timmy's pale chest lest there be no mistaking him for any other well-established cute flying ghosts.
Also shown here are notable knock-off Charleton characters including the legendary Masked Ranger (not Lone) and Li'l Genius (who isn't a menace named Dennis) and Freddy...basically "Archie" with one girlfriend instead of two, and neither as hot as Betty or Veronica. Want more? Charlton's "Son of Vulcan" was a fake Thor and "Pudgy Pig" who I can only assume was "related" to Porky. I am sure there were more.
I once tried to trick my nephew into eating yogurt by claiming it was ice cream. He was three years old and couldn't even count, but he COULD shout "That's not ice cream, it's YOGURT" I Iearned my lesson. So did Charleton...they went out of business in 1985.
Cheap Imitations by Charleton, all from "Timmy the Timid Ghost" special issue for R & S Shoe Store 1960 Collection Jim Linderman
Skydancers Betty and Benny Stunt
Sleaze Superman Style (!) Shuster's Sadomasochistic Side
Does this look a bit cleaner and more professional than most sleazy girly gags? It should. JOSH is in fact Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman way back in the late 1930s. The story of how he was screwed out of royalties is familiar to most cartoonists and fans, but what was certainly NOT well-known until last year was his work as a fetishistic, sadomasochistic, bondage and sleaze illustrator in later years.
When I came across this drawing in an issue of "Snappy: Perky Pinups and Lively Man's Gags" (Yes, I have an issue of Snappy) from the 1960s I recognized the lines. Earlier in the year I had read Craig Yoe's astounding book "Secret Identity" linked at right and knew the story, but I was familiar only with the notorious Nights of Horror digests he produced. Sure enough, Yoe points out Shuster did some one-off cartoons and this is an example. YOWSA. If you are interested in vintage sleaze or Superman...the book is fascinating and goes to show what an artist can and will do to pay the bills. 35 years after giving away his rights to the billion dollar man of steel, Warner Communications (then parent company of DC Comics) belatedly granted Joe a near poverty level pension of $20,000 a year. "Josh" passed away, nearly blind, in 1992.
(A simultaneous post on my VINTAGE SLEAZE blog)
Real Body Building and Real College Humor
From the incredible magazine insert "Body Odour: The Magazine for all Viral Body Builders" (For Men who want strength, health, and mental effeminancy) a collaborative effort produced by The Cornell Widow from 1949. A masterpiece of classic college humor, and I haven't laughed so hard since the Harvard Lampoon morphed into the National Lampoon, thus providing my generation with a monthly dose of genius. The Cornell Widow never achieved the legendary status of the Harvard Lampoon, which is I believe the longest running humor magazine in history...but based on the issue from 1949 I am reading tonight, they could have given them a run for the Dean's endowment fund. There was, I am sure, a camaraderie among the fellows who put these things together, and I'm not sure uploading a brief film hosing your dorm mate up to You Tube quite matches it.
An Artist in the Family
Crowd Pleasers Photographs by Reno Bush
Mixed up Confusion! The MYTH that Bob Dylan Went Electric
One of the greatest misconceptions and misunderstandings about music in the 20th century is that Bob Dylan "went electric." This concept has become so central to "understanding" his myth and oeuvre that it is basic to rock and roll history. One of those commonly understood notions not questioned at all. Dylan went electric at Newport, someone yelled "Judas" during the tour with the Hawks and the next thing you know howling acid rock has ruined youth from here to Carnaby Street.
Only it is wrong...and like virtually everything we assume to be true, it doesn't hold up.
Want to know who REALLY went electric? Muddy Waters, and he did it when Bob Dylan was a toddler. It wasn't done to startle the establishment (another myth) it wasn't done to "create shockwaves in popular culture" and it certainly wasn't done to piss off Pete Seeger. It was done so Muddy could be HEARD. Chicago wasn't Clarksdale, Mississippi, and Mr. Waters wanted to be noticed in the loud, smoky juke joints of the south side of Chicago. So he plugged in and played, amplification simply being natural to any musician hoping to entertain a dancing crowd.
Know who else went electric? George Jones, the finest country singer alive. Among his earliest recordings were the tunes cut by one "Thumper" Jones. A shameless attempt to cash in on the Rockabilly scene, but again, a decade before Dylan supposedly gave the music world an electric shock to their ass.
And who else went electric? Dylan HIMSELF years before Dylan! Released as the b-side to Corrina, Corrina in 1962, Mixed-Up Confusion is a song written and recorded by Dylan with an electric band on November 14th 1962 during the sessions for his second LP. You can find it...and you can rock out to it, well before Peter, Paul and Mary got rich off Blowin' in the Wind.
In a curious little aside, Dylan's drummer during the 1965 tour was Levon Helm, who quit the tour claiming he was tired of being booed at, but was more likely upset Bob was usurping his role as leader of the Band. Which wasn't the Band yet, but still. There is also speculation Levon didn't get along with Dylan's wicked manager, Albert Grossman. This year Levon snatched "Best Americana" Grammy from fellow nominee Bob Dylan. Revenge is sweet, even if 40 years later.
By the way, the illustration here is a painting by Bob Dylan from around 1967. I guess painting was something he did long before we think too.
Jim Linderman