Spiritual American Trash: Portraits from the Margins of Art and Faith

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Spiritual American Trash: Portraits from the Margins of Art and Faith
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Greg Bottoms
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:208
Dimensions(mm): Height 209,Width 139
Category/GenreReligious subjects depicted in art
ISBN/Barcode 9781619020597
ClassificationsDewey:704.948
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Counterpoint
Imprint Counterpoint
Publication Date 2 April 2013
Publication Country United States

Description

In Spiritual American Trash, Greg Bottoms goes beyond the examination of eight "outsider artists" and inhabits the spirit of their work and stories in engaging vignettes. From the janitor who created a holy throne room out of scraps in a garage, to the lonely wartime mother who filled her home with driftwood replicas of Bible scenes, Bottoms illustrates the peculiar grace in madness. Using facts as scaffolding he constructs intimate narratives around each artist, painting their poor and difficult circumstances on the outskirts of American society and demonstrating struggle's influence on their largely undiscovered art. Both mournful and celebratory, these profiles embrace these compulsive creators with empathy and visceral sensory details. Each sentence reads with the cadence of a preacher who engages the art of the spirit and passion that often strays into obsession. Raised in the working-class South as a devout Christian with a deeply troubled brother, Bottoms understands how these eight outsiders "made art for a higher power and for themselves."

Author Biography

An essayist, memoirist, critic, and story writer, Greg Bottoms is the author of The Colorful Apocalypse and Fight Scenes. He teaches creative writing at the University of Vermont.

Reviews

Praise for Spiritual American Trash "Bottoms makes a sincere attempt to infuse his accounts...with empathy and understanding." --Library Journal