A backwoods Baptist preacher inspired by the Gospel, visitations from the dead, and visions of extraterrestrial life, the Reverend Howard Finster is an unlikely candidate for art celebrity. But in this collection of 150 of the artist's paintings, fans can make the pilgrimage to Finster's Paradise Garden in Pennville, Georgia. “120 illustrations in full color.

"This catalogue accompanies the exhibition 'Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster', organized by Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, January 29 through March 28, 2010."--Colophon.

A truly remarkable pictorial homage to Howard Finster's spiritual and artistic "garden" outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Finster has been busy for the last 25 years creating a kind of mystical Disney World populated by "found" sculpture, paintings, and writings. It would be easy to dismiss Finster as a "kook," but the contributing photographers ably capture for posterity the man's work with a loving detail that conveys the powerful urgency of his art. The color photographs are accompanied by Finster's own descriptions of how he created the garden, and commentary by fans such as David Byrne. Lacks an index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism examines some of the earliest texts associated with the Daoist tradition (primarily the Daode jing, Zhuangzi, and Huainanzi) from the outlook of the comparative history of religions and finds a kind of thematic and soteriological unity rooted in the mythological symbolism of hundun, the primal chaos being and principle that is foundational for the philosophy and practice of the Dao as creatio continua in cosmic, social, and individual life. Dedicated to the proposition that ancient Chinese texts and traditions are often best understood from a broad interdisciplinary and interpretive perspective, this work when it was written challenged many prevailing conceptions of the Daode jing and Zhuangzi as primarily philosophical texts without any religious significance or affinity with the later sectarian traditions. While controversial and at times playfully provocative, the methodology and findings of this book are still important for the ongoing scholarship about Daoism in China and the world.

The Reverend Howard Finster was twenty feet tall, suspended in darkness. Or so he appeared in the documentary film that introduced a teenaged Greg Bottoms to the renowned outsider artist whose death would help inspire him, fourteen years later, to travel the country. Beginning in Georgia with a trip to Finster's famous Paradise Gardens, his jour...

THE TOM PATTERSON YEARS is the centerpiece and first published installment in an autobiographical trilogy. The protagonist is the author, the city is Atlanta, and the year is 1977. Patterson's arrival coincided with the beginnings of Atlanta's punk-rock and alternative-art scenes, Jimmy Carter's first year as President, and a moment when the national spotlight was on Carter's home state and its capital city. A run-down bungalow Patterson rented with friends in Atlanta's Virginia-Highland neighborhood promptly became a social gathering spot for likeminded contemporaries and the scene of legendary parties. Patterson paints a vivid picture of the city's bohemian scene at a pivotal, energized moment in its history. The narrative follows his trajectory as a regional journalist, small-press publisher, and budding arts writer over seven years, and it details the beginnings of his involvement with outsider art. Anecdotes of a lively personal life form the thread connecting a series of engaging, sometimes hilarious stories about poets, performers, artists, culture mavens, and distinctive characters with whom the author became acquainted. Some of these individuals and groups have remained obscure, while others have attained enduring fame or notoriety (the Sex Pistols, the B-52's, Bruce Hampton, Saint EOM, Howard Finster). Lesser-known in the long run but equally important to the story's cultural timeline are artists Bob Tauber and Mark Smith, publisher/editor Fred Brown, poet Jonathan Williams, writer and arts administrator Laura Lieberman, pioneering art dealer Judith Alexander, and artist/folklorist Fred Fussell. Watch also for cameo appearances by President Jimmy Carter, Ru Paul, and Museum of American Folk Art director Robert Bishop. The book's title was supplied by Bruce Hampton, a key figure in the narrative. The author employs it here with ironic intent, as probably needs to be specified in our own excessively literal-minded era.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The authors in this volume consider the intersection of Daoism and ecology, looking at the theoretical and historical implications associated with a Daoist approach to the environment. They also analyze perspectives found in Daoist religious texts and within the larger Chinese cultural context in order to delineate key issues found in the classical texts.

The Reverend Howard Finster (1916Ð2001) was called the Òbackwoods William BlakeÓ and the ÒAndy Warhol of the South,Ó and he is considered the godfather of contemporary American folk and visionary art. This book is the first interpretive analysis of the intertwined artistic and religious significance of FinsterÕs work within the context of the American Òoutsider artÓ tradition. Finster began preaching as a teenager in the South in the 1930s. But it was not until he received a revelation from God at the age of sixty that he began to make sacred art. A modern-day Noah who saw his art as a religious crusade to save the world before it was too late, Finster worked around the clock, often subsisting on a diet of peanut butter and instant coffee. He spent the last years of his life feverishly creating his environmental artwork called Paradise Garden and what would ultimately number almost fifty thousand works of Òbad and nasty art.Ó This was visionary work that obsessively combined images and text and featured apocalyptic biblical imagery, flying saucers from outer space, and popular cultural icons such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Henry Ford, Mona Lisa, and George Washington. In the 1980s and 90s, he developed cult celebrity status, and he appeared in the Venice Biennale and on the Tonight Show. His work graced the album covers of bands such as R.E.M. and Talking Heads. This book explores the life and religious-artistic significance of Finster and his work from the personal perspective of religion scholar Norman Girardot, friend to Finster and his family during the later years of the artistÕs life. Ê

From the concert stage to the dressing room, from the recording studio to the digital realm, SPIN surveys the modern musical landscape and the culture around it with authoritative reporting, provocative interviews, and a discerning critical ear. With dynamic photography, bold graphic design, and informed irreverence, the pages of SPIN pulsate with the energy of today's most innovative sounds. Whether covering what's new or what's next, SPIN is your monthly VIP pass to all that rocks.