Jesse Walker dives into American Visionary Art Museum's Holy H2O: Fluid Universe.
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|10.5.04 @ 3:33PM|#
Nice article Jesse. For the first time since leaving Maryland in 1991, I wish I was there.
Speaking of which, one of the museums in DC, I don't remember which, had an exhibit in the entrance of a sort of huge shrine made by some weirdo and only discovered in his house after his death. Have you seen it? I'd like to know more about it.
Jesse Walker|10.5.04 @ 3:39PM|#
Was the shrine covered in foil?
If so, I think I saw it in D.C. back around '98 or so, but I can't remember where. Does D.C. have a folk art museum?
|10.5.04 @ 4:16PM|#
Might you be thinking of Henry Darger? Apparently the Museum of American Art in DC is exhibiting some pieces by him --
http://www.acer-access.com/~darger@acer-access.com/where.htm
His life's work, discovered after his death, was "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, as caused by the Child Slave Rebellion". At 15,000 single-space typed pages, it's been called the largest single English prose work in history. The illustrations, including murals measuring 4' x 10', are a bonus.
Apparently there's a movie due out on the subject soon:
http://www.realmsoftheunreal.com/
Jesse Walker|10.5.04 @ 4:25PM|#
The Museum of American Art might be where I saw that shrine. Can't remember if it was by Darger, though.
Chuck Freund wrote an "Artifact" article on Darger a few years ago. There's a link to it somewhere in my column today; or you can just click here.
|10.5.04 @ 6:18PM|#
That's the one, Jesse. I saw it in '88 or '89. But I'm pretty sure it's not by Darger. As far as I know he just did drawings and paintings. I'm also pretty sure this guy was black.
Anyways, it was really cool.
|10.5.04 @ 8:00PM|#
http://www.fredweaver.com/throne/thronebody.html
James Hampton's
Throne Of The Third Heaven Of The Nations Millenium General Assembly
I worked in the YWCA building across 9th street from the Museum of American Art in '91, and I used to go to there several times a week. The picture really doesn't do justice to the majesty of the work.
|10.6.04 @ 9:21AM|#
I remember The Throne from an article about it in Smithsonian magazine a few years back. It's quite impressive, even if its back story isn't as fascinatingly twisted as "Realms of the Unreal"...
As far as we know.
|10.6.04 @ 11:29AM|#
Thanks McCleary! That's it...wow, what strange stuff.