by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Reverend Howard Finster, described as an “evangelistic preacher in paint” and a self-proclaimed “Man of Visions,” didn’t dedicate himself to art until the age of 60. That’s when he had the vision to paint sacred art while patching a bicycle.
Originally intending to create 5,000 works of art by the time he died 24 years later, Finster had become probably the most prolific self-taught artist in history with a collection of 46,991 paintings and mixed media works.
About 150 of his creations, “Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster,” are on exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art through Aug. 28
“People sometimes wonder if he was insane. They question his motives because of his obsession, but a lot of artists who produce visionary work are obsessive,” said MOCA Curator Ben Thompson.
Thompson said in addition to Finster’s extensive body of work, he’s also significant because of his Southern roots. Born in Valley Head, Ala., Finster was one of 13 children and attended school as far as the sixth grade.
He said he had his first vision at 3 years old, when he saw his sister, Abbie Rose, who had recently died, descending from the sky wearing a white robe. She told Finster, “Howard, you’re going to be a man of visions.”
One of Finster’s first visions was to move to Trion, Ga., in the late 1940s. There, he began constructing his first garden park museum, where Finster planned to exhibit one of every thing that had ever been invented.
By 1961, he ran out of room and relocated to Pennville, Ga., and bought 4 acres of land for what he called his “Plant Farm Museum.”
Finster said his intent was “to show all the wonderful things of God’s creation, kind of like the Garden of Eden.”
In 1976 he had another vision, this time while repairing a bicycle. Finster rubbed some paint on a patch with his finger and saw a human face on his fingertip.
“Then a warm feeling come over my body and a voice spoke to me and said, ‘paint sacred art,’” said Finster, who then taught himself to paint, often using his fingers in addition to brushes.
The original goal to create 5,000 works was accomplished within nine years, said Thompson. Many of the paintings are tractor enamel on plywood.
“With most visionary outsider artists, the need to paint exceeds the available materials,” said Thompson.
Unlike other “visionary outsiders,” Finster was consistent in creating his body of work, said Thompson.
“One piece led to the next. The visions came to him and they all made sense together,” he said.
In addition to the exhibit, MOCA has scheduled a series of programs to complement the gallery experience.
At 7 p.m. Thursday in the MOCA Theater, Chuck and Jan Rosenak will present a free “Art Matters” lecture on the topic of contemporary folk art and their reasons for collecting it.
They’ll also share stories of their personal experiences working directly with Finster.
Author Gary Monroe is scheduled to present a lecture and sign copies of his book, “Extraordinary Interpretations: Florida’s Self-Taught Artists,” on May 19.
A documentary film, “All Rendered Truth,” about self-taught artists in the rural South, is scheduled for June 16.
On July 21, MOCA plans to host Finster’s daughter, Beverly, who will share personal anecdotes and discuss her father’s work.
“Visions of Paradise: Three Short Films about American Self-Taught Artists, is scheduled to be screened in the theater Aug 18.
All the events are free to MOCA members and included with museum admission for nonmembers.
For more information, visit www.mocajacksonville.org.
356-2466