MLBob Furia
Well-known member
In recent years, I have been submitting some of my "After the Hunt" themed carving tableaus to Juried Art Exhibits and gallery shows, hoping to bridge that gap where "folk" and "sporting art" creeps into fine art circles.
While the pieces I'm submitting to galleries certainly lean more toward the artistic and decorative elements that much of folk art gets valued for in the art world, they have often opened the door for opportunities to keep alive people's awareness of the decoy and the role played by waterfowling in conservation. Most people at these gallery shows have an appreciation of artistic elements and aesthetic qualities but are clueless when it comes to an appreciation of the cultural traditions that they evolved from or the rich history of waterfowl hunting. It's always fun when the discussion of a 'gallery piece" leads to increasing someone's awareness of the evolution of an object that at its core was created by everyday people for a practical purpose and to meet a need.
I guess us old duck hunters & decoy makers see ourselves as custodians of a changed, if not vanished part of American history and the natural world.
Coming up in May, this carving (Titled: " The King and the Court Jester") will be part of Cincinnati's Evendale Arts Exhibit juried show:
While the pieces I'm submitting to galleries certainly lean more toward the artistic and decorative elements that much of folk art gets valued for in the art world, they have often opened the door for opportunities to keep alive people's awareness of the decoy and the role played by waterfowling in conservation. Most people at these gallery shows have an appreciation of artistic elements and aesthetic qualities but are clueless when it comes to an appreciation of the cultural traditions that they evolved from or the rich history of waterfowl hunting. It's always fun when the discussion of a 'gallery piece" leads to increasing someone's awareness of the evolution of an object that at its core was created by everyday people for a practical purpose and to meet a need.
I guess us old duck hunters & decoy makers see ourselves as custodians of a changed, if not vanished part of American history and the natural world.
Coming up in May, this carving (Titled: " The King and the Court Jester") will be part of Cincinnati's Evendale Arts Exhibit juried show:
