New at Reason

Tim Cavanaugh | October 5, 2004

Jesse Walker dives into American Visionary Art Museum's Holy H2O: Fluid Universe.

Comments

|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/~[e-mail]/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.