THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT FOLK ART THAT HAS BROADWHIMSICAL SCUL
COLORFUL OBJECTS, MOSTLY BY ANONYMOUS, UNTRAINED ARTISTS.
IT TOOK A ROMANIAN OPERA SINGER TO INTRODUCE AMERICAN FOLK ART
TO THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS WTH THIS SIMPLE PREMISE.
>> NOT TELL ME WHO THE PAINTER WILL TELL YOU WHETHER
THE PAINTER IS GOOD.
I DON’T CARE WHO THE PAINTER IS.
>> HE WAS THE FOUNDER OF OUR FOLK ART COLLECTION AT THE MFA.
HE GAVE A LARGE PORTION AND CREATED WHAT THEY MFA HAS BEEN
BUILDING ON FORTHE LAST 60 YEARS.
>> AND A NEW EXHIBITION, THE MFA IS TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT,
ASKING AND ANSWERING THE QUESTION, WHAT IS FOLK ART.
THE CURATOR.
>> FOLK ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.
IT TELLS YOU MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DOING THE DEFINING
THAN IT DOES ABOUT THE ARTIST THEMSELVES, BECAUSE NO ARTIST
EVER CALL THEMSELVES A FOLK ARTIST.
THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY BRING OUT SOME FABULOUS
WORK, SOME OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN ON VIEW AT THE MFA BEFORE.
>> INCLUDING THESE WORKS THAT WERE DISCOVERED WHILE FOLLOWING
THE DEATH OF THE MAN WHO PUT THE ART TOGETHER, HE TOOK A
LITTLE BREAK.
HE DID NOT FIND THAT BREAK BECAUSE HE FOUND THE BERKSHIRE
HILLS ANTIQUE SHOW.
HE DISCOVERED SMALL-SCALE WORKS ON PAPER AND HE FELL IN LOVE.
IT REIGNITED HIS PASSION.
>> FASHION THE MFA WAS SLOW TO SHARE.
>> WHAT A NIGHTMARE.
>> IN TIME, CURATORS CAME AROUND AND WORKS ON PAPER CAME TO
INCLUDE SCULPTURAL OBJECTS, THESE EAGLES, THIS FANCIFUL
WHIRLIGIG, DUCK DECOYS AND A CHOCO WHERE.
>> CHALKWARE CAME WITH GERMAN IMMIGRANTS.
THEY WOULD PAINT THE FINISHED PRODUCT, AND THIS WAS A WAY OF
DEMOCRATIZING ART, BRINGING SCULPTURE TO THE WORKING CLASS.
>> ADMITTEDLY MISSING IN THE COLLECTION IS DIVERSITY.
>> HE DID NOT COLLECT TO WORK BY BLACK ARTISTS, BY LATIN AND
ARTISTS.
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FILL IN ASPECTS OF THAT.
WE DO NOT KNOW IF WE CAN BE FULLY REPRESENTATIONAL, BUT
BEING BETTER.
>> HERE IS A HEAD TURNER, HER NAME, BATTLESHIP KATE.
>> ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN TATTOO ARTISTS OF THE 21ST CENTURY PUT
AN EXISTING TRADE FIGURE AND COVERED IT WITH TATTOOS.
HE USED IT AS AN ADVERTISEMENT IN A SHOP WINDOW.
THIS TRADE FIGURE HAPPENED TO BE IN THE FORM OF THE GREEK SLAVE,
SO AN ICON OF AMERICAN ARTS.
IT IS NOW COVERED IN TATTOOS.
>> THE GOLD STANDARD OF TATTOO FOLK ART SAYS THIS HISTORIAN
DARIAN BRAY.
>> SHE HAS EVERYTHING YOU WOULD WANT AND A PIECE OF ART.
SCULPTURAL, BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED, TATTOO DESIGNS FROM THE
TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY UP FROM THE 1930’S, SO AS A WORK OF ART, SHE
CHECKS EVERY BOX.
>> IT WAS BRAY WHO FIRST SPOTTED HER AT A SKINNER AUCTION.
>> I THINK I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO KNEW EXACTLY
WHO IT WAS, BUT I UNDERBID HER, AND OVER TIME, I WAS ABLE TO
ACQUIRE AND STUDY HER MORE CLOSELY.
YOU REALIZE WITH A PIECE WITH THAT MAGNITUDE AND IMPORTANCE,
IT BELONGS IN AN INSTITUTION.
I
AT THE MUSEUM -- IT LANDED AT THE MUSEUM OF FINE
ART.
IT WAS IN THIS BOOK, LOUD, NAKED, AND IN THREE COLORS, THE
STORY OF SCULLY SQUARE AND THE LIBERTY BOYS.
>> THE PATRIARCH OF THIS FAMILY TRAINS HIS THREE SONS AND BY THE
1940’S, THEY HAVE CORNERED SCULLY SQUARE WHICH WAS A MAJOR
TATTOOING HUB.
MY CO-AUTHOR AND I TRAVELED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY VISITING WITH
THE DESCENDENTS OF TATTOO ARTISTS AND ARTWORK THAT COULD
BE CRUDE ARE VERY RAW, OR EXQUISITE AND BORDERING ON FINE
ART.
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
THESE ARE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF TATTOO FLASH ART.
>> FLASH ARTS, UNDENIABLY, AMERICAN FOLK ART.
>> DARREN BRAY SAYS THESE TATTOO ARTISTS NEVER COULD IMAGINE HOW
POPULAR TATTOOING WOULD HAVE BECOME.
BACK TO THE MFA, THE CURATOR SAYS THAT SHE IS WORKING ON
INTEGRATING FOLK ART WITH THE SO-CALLED FINE ART IN THE
GALLERIES.
STAY TUNED.