Max Romain Outsider Artist 1992 Photographs by Jim Linderman

Max Romain Outsider Artist Photographs by Jim Linderman New York 1992

Home Visit from a Burlesque Queen c. 1950 Original Photographs

Home Visit from a Burlesque Queen and her trunk of changes.  Group of original photographs, circa 1950.  Collection Jim Linderman

August Mack makes a Serpent! Giant Folk Art Snake

A giant devil rattlesnake acts up through the power of Satan (and electricity running through the conduit pipe) which brings him life!   It's Augie Mack's giant automaton!  The powerful creation of Mr. Mack weighed 300 pounds. The blog post HERE tells as much of the story as is known. 

April Fools Day Pair of Press Photographs 1937

April Fools Day Pair of Press Photographs 1937.  Embellished by Hand.
Collection Jim Linderman

Occupational Vintage Photo: Whiskey Still, Worker and Fiddle

Occupational Vintage Photo: Whiskey Still, Worker and Fiddle.  Circa 1900.  
Collection Jim Linderman

Best Film Opening Ever? Crime Without Passion

  
THIS is how to open a film.  Above is an original still photograph from the stunning opening of the film Crime Without Passion being produced.  Enjoy this clip...and marvel.  Film making at the highest level, and 85 years ago.  Still 8 x 10 promotional photograph collection Jim Linderman

Folk Art Morton Salt Girl. Early 20th Century Appropriation of Brand Images Outsider Art

Here, Dorothy Hudgens recreates the Morton Salt Girl (invented 1914) in her presumably school age manner. The piece comes from a folder dated 1926.  Dorothy Hudgens lived with two artistic sisters. All were pretty good!  Still I wonder about branding young children. 

Outsider art fans might be interested in this piece by the artist James Castle.  Same time period, same salt?  James Castle piece is taken from the web, I am afraid I don't know who owns the work.
 
Collage c. 1925 Dorothy Hudgens.  Collection Jim Linderman.  
Thanks to Natalie Curley Antiques.

Harry Bentz Cowboy Artist / Western Folk Artist

 Among outsider art enthusiasts, The phrase "real deal" comes up often. Those who have become familiar with the material know what it means.  It could be a certain look to the work. It can also be as much the artist's motivation as skill. Harry Bentz is what once would have been called the work of a Sunday painter or a folk artist.  An amateur. Maybe he was an American primitive.  Maybe not.    

Actually the most accurate label would be Cowboy Artist. Mr. Harry Bentz was the real deal when it came to roping, riding and even mining. A real cowboy who made art. Untrained, but highly motivated to learn and create. 

There are a few brief biographies. My guess is that Bentz found himself some time and started using it to make art. In the 1960s he painted what could be some 200 works. Along the way, he learned that through some primitive xerox (ayup) and a goofy photo stat process of some sort (ayup) he could make editions!  Of a sort. The cowboy took advantage of modern technology available to the common man.  Again speculating, I believe the artist wanted something to sell in a rack alongside his paintings at events.  How many of these could range into the hundreds.

As with many primitive painters, he used found material to paint on. Some were uneven, large boards.  Many of the sketches are on the reverse of used paper from the Bureau of Mines.   

Apparently Bentz was working on a book.  Among his papers are handwritten captions for "Sketches of the West" which would have been 60 pages.

The drawings would not have been shown art fairs, but at western events. In some ways, as far outside of the contemporary art world as one can be.  He fished, hunted, broke horses, played the guitar and took out pack teams as a hunting guide. In 1951 he became a member of the Rodeo Cowboys Association. He began serious painting while working on a ranch near Kennewick, Washington. Reflected in his work is the life he lived.
 
All paintings and drawings collection Jim Linderman.