"The Temptation: Edgar Tolson And The Genesis Of Twentieth Century Folk Art" by Julia S. Ardery

Rarely, if ever, have I seen a book which is so meticulously researched, documented, and written. This book by Julia S. Ardery is a masterpiece and one of the most important books in the field of Appalachian Folk Art. The only potential negative in the book is the fact that it is so well written that it can become a bit pedantic at times. But if one chooses to read books written by a potential pedant, this is the book to read. It is based on the well justified premise that Campton, Kentucky, folk artist Edgar Tolson was largely responsible for the popularity of Appalachian Folk Art and, in some ways, the increased popularity of American Folk Art in general. It is also fascinating that the book was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1998 more than 22 years after the death of the author. That fact is a clear indicator that it must have been preserved in manuscript form by her son Major General Phillip P. Ardery who was her sole surviving child at the time the book was published. Julia Ardery was also the editor of another book, "Welcome The Traveler Home" which is the memoir of Jim Garland, a career union organizer. That book was also published after the death of Julia Ardery by the University of Kentucky Press. Edgar Tolson was an enigmatic, garrulous, and sometimes abrasive man whose eventual fame might not have been foreseen in a person who fluctuated between periods of preaching and excessive drinking. He is even credited with once having blown up the little church he preached in with dynamite. But he gained many supporters, promoters, and fans as he moved from a life of itinerant labor to become the premier wood carver in America in his lifetime. He was obviously well respected by Ardery who spent a vast amount of time and resources to compile this book which is sourced with numerous interviews by the author with more than 60 people other than her primary subject. She also did an excellent piece of work in detailing the lengthy relationship between Edgar Tolson and Scuptor and educator Michael D. Hall who promoted Edgar Tolson's work tirelessly, collected large numbers of his carvings, and eventually was able to sell his entire folk art collection to the Milwaukee Art Museum which has an entire wall in one room which is dedicated to Edgar Tolson's carvings of the biblical story of Adam, Eve, and their sons, Cain and Able. Ardery goes to extensive and well justified lengths to discuss how Edgar Tolson's growing popularity in the world of "real art" enabled many other folk artists, both Appalachian and American, to sell their works, gain credibility in the art world, and in some cases to actually make a living from what had previously been known more often as "whittling", "fooling around", or "wasting time". This is a truly beautiful piece of work with numerous photograpns of Edgar Tolson, his art works, his family, and others. The research for this book is some of the best I have ever seen on any topic. If you are a person who enjoys reading a well written, extensivley researched, and flawlessly documented work, this is the book for you whether or not you are already an admirer of good folk art. It is actually capable of inducing you to become another of the aforementioned admirers and collectors of folk art. The book is widely available on most used book websites and well worth reading.

"Michael Hall: Three Installations", by Michael Hall

Michael Hall is an American Sculptor who previously taught at the University of Kentucky and left that position to take up a residency at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. This book is an exhibition catalogue for three major outdoor installations which he created in 1977. They were titled Brahma, Stockton, and Drifter. The catalogue is only 38 pages but contains a large assortmenf of photographs of the three installations, Hall, and one piece by Appalachian Wood Carver Edgar Tolson. My interest in Hall came about because of my major interest in Appalachian Folk Art and my extensive connection to Edgar Tolson's son Donny Tolson who was also a major Appalachian Wood Carve in his own right. But Hall's work is fascinating and worthy of attention from any lover of good art, especially large sculptural works. The book also contains essays written by Michael Hall; Frederick J. Cummings, Director of The Detroit Institute of Arts in 1977 when the installations were created; John Hallmark Neff, Curator of Modern Art at the Detroit Institute in 1977; Mary Jane Jacob, Assistant Curator of Modern Art at the Detroit Institute; Robert Pincus-Witten who was an American Art Critic, Curator, and Historian at the time. I have never seen the installations discussed in the catalogue, and honestly do not know at this time if they are still extant. Such large pieces of sculpture are often victims of urban renewal projects, industrial or housing developments, or even highway construction at times. Hall was a well respected scuptor and art educator and his work was popular among supporters of Modern American Art. If I find myself in the Detroit or Bloomfield Hills environs, I can assure you that I will seek out the full story of these three works. But my major interest in Michael Hall will always be his work in support of Appalachian Folk Art and Folk Artists, especially Edgarand Donny Tolson. Hall, during his tenure at the Univerity of Kentucky became an afficianado, collector, and major supporter of Appalachian Folk Art. His and his wife's collection of Appalachian Folk Art now resides in the Milwaukee Art Museum, and I am proud to say that I have seen those pieces from the Hall collection which are on display there including several pieces by Edgar Tolson. They are well worth seeing for any supporter of Appalachian Folk Art, American Folk Art, or simply the greater world of art in general.

Minnie Adkins Exhibition, "Story Carvings", Huntington Museum Of Art, Friday, July 28, 2023

 

                                                       Photo By Huntington Museum of Art 

On Friday, July 28, 2023, my wife Candice & I traveled to the Huntington Museum of Art in Huntington, West Virginia, to see the fairly recent exhibition of the work of famed Kentucky folk artist Minnie Adkins which the museum has titled "Story Carvings".  The exhibition is composed of several hundred small, painted carvings which Minnie created to illustrate several books which she produced with writer Mike Norris.   The books involved were called "Sonny the Monkey", "Bright Blue Rooster", "Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountain" and "Ring Around the Moon: Mommy Goose Rhymes". The muse um website states:  "This collection of carvings is a seamless blend of wood and words reflecting Appalachian culture and covering an enormous range of subjects—from humor to anger, coal mining to creativity, bullying to the might of words."  

                                                Roger Hicks & Minnie Adkins July 15, 2023
 

 I have known Minnie is a superficial way for several years and have written about her and her work on this blog most recently after attending the annual "Minnie Adkins Day" in her hometown of Sandy Hook, Kentucky, on July 15, 2023.  I have a great deal of respect for Minnie and her work, especially those larger pieces which are often seen in museum collections or the homes of well funded collectors.  But this exhibit is composed almost entirely of pieces which are less than 6" and were intended to be utilized in photographic tableaux for the books mentioned above.  They are wonderful work and, if  you know Minnie and her work, they are easily recognized as coming from her hands, paint brush, and pocket knife.  Minnie is now just past her 90th birthday but still going strong as she demonstrated at the recent Minnie Adkins Day.  I suspected that she might not be keeping the same heated pace she did in her earlier years but she still had a great deal of works on display for sale at that Minnie Adkins Day, still posed for photographs with every admirer who asked, and took time to speak to every person who came seeking a little of her time.  I regret that I was not present at the grand opening of this exhibition to see her in her natural element holding court in a museum in front of a crowd of art loving admirers.  

The museum also has a sizeable collection of American Folk Art in their permanent collection and much of it is also currently on display at this time in an adjoining gallery under the title Folk Art: Eclectic Expressions from the Collection.   The museum in their description of the general folk art exhibit quotes their Senior Curator/Exhibition Designer John Farley about that exhibition in this manner: “This exhibition reminds us that living creatively and expressively is not reserved for those with specialized artistic training or academic education, Making things with our hands, our hearts, and our minds is the province of all people." "It is an excellent exhibition, especially if the viewer is one seeking an overview of American Folk Art or folk art of the Southeastern United States.  The first piece most likely to catch a visitor's eye entering the gallery is a wonderful quilt of about 20 individual squares made by Minnie Adkins about 30 years ago.  The top corner squares on each side are of Minnie and her late husband Garland Adkins.  The remaining squares are fabric reproductions of many of Minnie's familar carvings of local animals, both domestic and feral.  Another remarkable piece in that exhibition is by Howard Finster, who was arguably one of the best known of all American Folk artists.  For me personally, a favorite piece and one I had never seen in person despite having represented the artist, Donny Tolson, for a time is called "Dan'l Boone Kilt A Bar".    

It is a phenomenal carving of several separate pieces which have been fitted together to create a composite on a large, rounded wooden base of Daniel Boone in buckskins, knife in hand, in mortal combat with a large upright bear in a small grove of trees.  One of those trees even contains a small carved squirrel spectator.  The entire piece is about 2' x 12" x 16" roughly.  It is masterpiece of the woodcarver's art.  There are also numerous other pieces in this exhibition both of carvings and paintings.  This overall collection is well worth seeing any time you are in the area of Huntington, West Virginia.  The Minnie Adkins exhibition will be available until November 5, 2023.  The overall folk art exhibition will close on September 24, 2023.