Art Knowledge News
Krannert Art Museum to Present the Works of Reverend Howard Finster |
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| Written by Dana Burchfield |
| Thursday, 10 December 2009 02:11 |
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In 1976, however, this focus shifted slightly. As he was using his hands to apply paint to a refurbished bicycle, Finster noticed that the paint smudge on his finger had created a perfect human face. A voice spoke to him, saying, “paint sacred art.” In response, Finster churned out thousands of sermon-laden artworks with subjects ranging from historical characters and popular culture icons like Elvis Presley to evangelistic fantasy landscapes and futuristic cities. Most works are meticulously covered in Finster’s own hand-lettered words and biblical verse, recording visionary prophesies and providing glimpses of a celestial outer space world that Finster believed God had revealed to him.  Finster’s preaching experience and showman-like personality helped shape
his public persona and ever-increasing celebrity. To spread his vision beyond
Paradise Garden, Finster designed record album covers for rock groups such as
R.E.M. and Talking Heads. Interviews, films, and his famous appearance on The
Tonight Show with Johnny Carson further advanced his evangelical message.
The industry of promotion and production that surrounded Finster’s name ended up defining his final years. Though he continued to create many fine works, some critics felt that the quality of his work suffered. However, Finster's intentions remained true to his inner voice—to make sacred art. Well-known and misunderstood, his position remains polarized, suspended somewhere between awe for his tireless, faith driven creativity and reluctance by the art community to accept his place in the pantheon of contemporary art. After its highly anticipated debut at Krannert Art Museum, Stranger in Paradise will travel to four additional venues: Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL (July 24 through September 26, 2010); Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University, Auburn, AL (December 11, 2010 through March 12, 2011); Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL (April 22 through August 28, 2011); and Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, TN (November 10, 2011 through January 15, 2012). Krannert Art Museum, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a unit within the College of Fine and Applied Arts, opened its doors in 1961, establishing a permanent home for the University's existing collection of fine art. In 1988 a new wing was dedicated, the Kinkead Pavilion, nearly doubling the building's size to 48,000 square feet and making Krannert Art Museum the second largest art museum in the state of Illinois. A significant part of the Museum's permanent collection of 9,000 works of art is displayed in ten galleries, ranging from ancient Egyptian art to contemporary photographs. Visit : http://www.kam.illinois.edu/ Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~ |
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