Extraordinary Interpretations : Florida's Self-Taught Artists

About the book

Fresh and exciting, the unorthodox work of the self-taught artist confounds our understanding of contemporary art. Presented in colour, this collection of examples from Florida artists attests to an intensely personal yet universal desire for self-expression. From sculpture in wood and tin to paintings on canvas, grocery bags, and old pizza boxes, the pieces display a raw emotion and independent spirit that typically disregard artistic rules, training and traditions. Gary Monroe examines the distinctive features of each artist's work and places it in the context of the national dialogue about folk art. He also summarizes the debate about terminology - labels such as naive, outsider, visionary, vernacular and folk all have been used to describe these mavericks - in a discussion that challenges presumptions about aesthetic criticism. The text explores each artist's creative process, revealing lives fuelled by inner inspiration and generally isolated from the art market, from institutional support, and from mainstream culture. It also includes dramatic photographic portraits of the artists - some with international reputations and others known mainly in Florida or entirely unknown to the public - as well as information about their background, current work, and location in the state.

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"Conveys a passionate enthusiasm for the unexpected and even the wacky, proving that the unconventional and peculiar still flourish amidst the increasing homogeneity of twenty-first century America."

Gary Monroe Biography

Gary Monroe, professor of visual art at Daytona Beach Community College, is a documentary photographer with a long-time interest in ""outsider"" and vernacular art. His work has been recognized with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Foundation, and he has been a lecturer for the Florida Humanities Council. His photographs have been published in Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community (UPF, 2000), which he coedited; Life in South Beach (1989); and Florida Dreams (1993). ... Read full biography