Treasures Of Folk Art

Handsome color illustrations of paintings and sculptures as well as useful wares such as trade signs, weather vanes and pottery, and nonutilitarian ones like toys and whirligigs are accompanied by a substantial text which places folk art in its social and historical context. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Celebrating the exuberance and variety of folk art, this Tiny Folio presents the museum's finest examples from colonial times to the present. Created by self-taught artists, the works in this book include paintings, sculpture, weather vanes, decoys, painted furniture, quilts, and more. 340 full-color illustrations.

In his foreword, former New York governor and vice president of the United States Nelson A. Rockefeller remembers his first trip to Mexico in 1933 and his subsequent, life-long fascination with the Mexican people and their popular art. Rockefeller's collection of more than 3,000 pieces of Mexican folk art is widely considered to be the most exceptional in the U.S., and Folk Treasures of Mexico celebrates these icons, created from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, with more than 150 photos of the pieces, many of which are quite rare. This updated edition of the long out-of-print book focusing on this stunning collection of Mexican folk art contains a new foreword by Rockefeller's daughter, Ann Rockefeller Roberts, and a new prologue by Marion Oettinger, Jr., the director of the San Antonio Museum of Art, who wrote the principal text about the collection. Oettinger describes the objects according to function: utilitarian, ceremonial, decorative, or for play. Among the many noteworthy objects are a wooden-carved centurion helmet mask from the eighteenth century depicting a Roman guard, which is one of the few remaining masks of this type in existence, and a nineteenth century ceramic pitcher from Oaxaca that combines many stylistic techniques. Other objects include a variety of children's toys, clothing, and items for eating and drinking. First published in 1990, the book also contains the original preface by Rockefeller's daughter, who was instrumental in finding permanent homes for her father's collection, which can now be found in the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Mexican Museum in San Francisco. Including a glossary, bibliography, and chronology, Folk Treasures of Mexico is a must-read for anyone interested in Latin American art, culture, and history.

Folk art proves that producing utilitarian objects can provide an opportunity for self-expression. From decoys to sea chests, folk art is not only rooted in the useful but in the realities of living. Some folk art makes daily chores more fun, while others, such as mourning art, help people face life's saddest occasions. This volume is an introduction for the novice and a treasure for the collector.