Overview

Robert Craig Bunch has interviewed sixty current Texas artists, focusing on painters, printmakers, sculptors, and others whose work, broadly speaking, is inspired by dreams, visions, myths, and imagined worlds. Working in the tradition of predecessors such as Bror Utter, Ben Culwell, Maudee Carron, Kelly Fearing, Jim Harter, Valton Tyler, Harry Geffert, and even more distant antecedents such as Hieronymus Bosch, Hildegard of Bingen, and the prehistoric rock artists of the Lower Pecos, these artists are united by the common theme of taking inspiration from an “inner landscape” that includes elements of the fantastic, the mystical, and the surreal. In his introduction to the interviews, Bunch observes, “Art has many purposes. Among the most ancient and persistent have been the depiction of worlds beyond what is perceived in common—mythical pasts and imagined futures; realms supernatural, magical, and fantastic; and interior worlds of dreams, visions, hallucinations, and unfettered imagination.” Through sensitive examination of these artists and their approach to these works, he affords readers a fresh perspective on the creative process, especially its roots in the subconscious and the human fascination with dreams and altered modes of awareness. Ranging from discussions of filmmaker Richard Linklater to conversations with artist and educator Floyd Newsum while also incorporating less familiar artists such as Houston’s Fariba Abedin and El Paso’s Ho Baron, this collection of interviews with working Texas artists includes a representative image, chosen by each interviewee as a representation of their work. The Art of Dreams, Visions, Other Worlds: Interviews with Texas Artists promises to expand readers’ concepts of the boundaries currently being explored by Texas artists.

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9781648432323

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Reviews

""This adventuresome read takes a deep dive into the fascinating minds and creative spirits of an array of Texas artists working today. It doubles as an indispensable resource that offers valuable insight into what makes them tick. It belongs in the hands of every curator and collector affiliated with Texas artists.""--Lynn P. Castle, Executive Director, Art Museum of Southeast Texas--Lynn P. Castle ""The Art of Dreams, Visions, Other Worlds is an indispensable and fascinating guide to the visionary artists of Texas, a state that has long been the proud home and nurturing ground for all manner of unconventional and breathtakingly unique creatives. Bunch gives us an illuminating tour of myriad artistic voices and mediums while respectfully presenting the artists' authentic voices in interviews. Beautifully designed, this book is a significant addition to the field of American outsider art history.""--Susan L. Aberth, Edith C. Blum Professor of Art History and Visual Culture, Bard College--Susan L. Aberth ""Once again, in his second book of interviews, Robert Craig Bunch allows the artists' voices to shine through, revealing the motivations, narratives, and meanings behind their art. Together the two volumes create an unprecedented resource not only for scholars and students, but the casual reader as well. Through Bunch's insightful questions, we can come to know the artists as individuals, in addition to knowing the wonderous objects they make""--Rene Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas --Rene Paul Barilleaux

Author Information

Robert Craig Bunch is also the author of The Art of Found Objects: Interviews with Texas Artists, winner of the Worldwide Books Award for Publications, sponsored by the Art Libraries Society of North America. He recently retired after twenty-six years as a librarian at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio.

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