Visionary Art Collection

************************************************** Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences. The American Visionary Art Museum defines Visionary art as "....art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself". It goes on to say that visionary art is a product an inner process, and may not even be thought of as art by its creator; it also differentiates Visionary art from Folk art. Both trained and self-taught (or outsider) artists have, and continue to create visionary works. Many visionary artists are actively engaged in spiritual practices, and some have drawn inspiration from hallucinogenic intoxication. Walter Schurian, professor at the University of Münster, is quick to point out the difficulties in describing visionary art as if it were a discrete genre, since "it is difficult to know where to start and where to stop. Recognized trends have all had their fantastic component, so demarcation is apt to be fuzzy". Despite this ambiguity, there does seem to be emerging some definition to what constitutes the contemporary visionary art 'scene' and which artists can be considered especially influential. Contemporary visionary artists count Hieronymous Bosch, William Blake, Morris Graves (of the Pacific Northwest School of Visionary Art), Emil Bisttram, and Gustave Moreau amongst their antecedents. Symbolism, Surrealism and Psychedelic art are also direct precursors to contemporary visionary art. ************************************************** *****JOSEPHINE WALL - Visionary Art [9'06] ************************************************** *****MELANIE GENDROM - Visionary Art [8'51] ************************************************** *****FRANCENE HART, MARK GILLILAND, ZOTEC, MARY-MA McChrist, HANNAH OMER, CARMELA TAL-BARON, CHARLES LABDEL & MARYBETH RAPISARDO - Visionary Art [9'41] ************************************************** *****BILL FOSS, MONIQUE FAY, PHOENIX & ARABETH, LINDA VOGEL, ROWENA PATTEE KRYDER, ANDREW FORREST, ANDREW ANNENBERG, PENNY SLINGER, DAVID TODD & BONNIE BELL - Visionary Art [9'13] ************************************************** *****GEORGE SUMMER, ROBERT PITONZO, MARK HENSON, PAUL NICHOLSON, BOB VENOSA, LAHRINDA, GARRET MOORE, DON DAVIS & RON RUSSELL - Visionary Art [9'46] **************************************************