Folk Art Calendars and Planners, 2016, 2017

Calendars Featuring American Folk Art

In contrast to fine art, folk art is associated with ordinary people, with farmers and peasants. It usually gives an idealized view of life and inspires comfort and nostalgia.

Where fine art strives to be different, to make people step out of their ordinary way of thinking, folk art is simply made for people to enjoy. Well, I don’t know about you, but I rather like enjoying myself :). Seriously, there’s a reason people frown when talking about modern art.

Alright – this is not the place to debate high versus low art. Let’s just enjoy some very pretty calendars, shall we?

Folk art defined by wikipedia

“Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic.

As a phenomenon that can chronicle a move towards civilization yet rapidly diminish with modernity, industrialization, or outside influence, the nature of folk art is specific to its particular culture. The varied geographical and temporal prevalence and diversity of folk art make it difficult to describe as a whole, though some patterns have been demonstrated.”

The article is accompanied by the warning:

“This article needs attention from an expert on the subject.”

A reader says:

Fine art. Folk art. African-American art. Contemporary art. Watercolor. Oil paintings. My husband likes to draw and use markers color exotic birds. My daughter is into manga. My friend likes watercolor painting. I’m 50 something but still like to color with crayons. The distinctions are only needed when somebody’s going pay cash! Otherwise, I suspect if they just enjoy the work of the artist, they don’t care so much what “kind” of art it is. They just like it!!

Honestly, I had to search around a bit before finding folk art that I actually liked. Most stuff that’s sold as folk art is just too sweet for me. Since there is also a lot of fine art that I don’t like, I guess I inherited the intellectual’s critical stance anyhow.

This piece by Mary Beth Baxter has balance though, beautiful color and yet it’s still clearly folk art. I don’t know whether I’d hang it in my home, but it certainly beats Karel Appel for me any day of the week.