Sifting through the mail today and and there was my favorite art mag, Raw Vision was waiting for me to peruse (THE outsider art magazine based out of the UK.) Not only did it feature some of the art of James Harold Jennings from my collection (be sure to check out the great photos the Mike Smith took...oh, and how can we overlook Tom Patterson's engaging narrative?), in the same issue they also reviewed my book. 

What a  good day!

detour art – outsider, folk art and visionary environments coast to coast

art and photographs from the collection of Kelly Ludwig

"A lively and well-designed publication, Detour Art, leads the reader on a journey across the United States, organised into regional areas, to encounter a mixture of over one hundred artists and environments.  After an introduction to the various definitions of the field, the main body of the book provides a single paragraph on each artist — long enough to provide the basic information, but short enough to allow for plenty of the author's colour photographs of the environments, artists, and examples of their work.  The artists featured range from widely recognised creators — Howard Finster, Simon Rodia, Jimmy Lee Sudduth — to not so familiar characters with equally original talents.  The brief biographical details whet the appetite for further exploration, so the Essential Reading list and Additional Resources at the back of the book offer those unfamiliar to the field many great starting points for additional research.  The author's own website (www.detourart.com) goes hand in hand with the book, branching out further to include artists and sites worldwide.  The author's direct and personal style oozes passion, not only for the art, but for the inspired individuals who create it.  Detour Art is a glorious celebration of untutored creativity and the book is a welcome addition to the library of any enthusiast of folk art."  — Julia Elmore

Raw Visions, The World's Leading Journal of Outsider Art • Art Brut • Contemporary Folk Art

RV63

Summer 2008