Folk artists, unschooled and unaffected by exposure to art movements, express basic human passions and emotions in a raw and blatant manner. Their work contains treasures of ethnic and regional folk art and visions of a utopian world.
Five half hour films, each portraying the life and work of an American folk artist.
These magical and entertaining films, full of humor, tragedy and wisdom, capture the wonder and excitement of folk art. They celebrate the human obsession to create in the face of adverse circumstances and lack of formal schooling. Filmed on location where the artists live and work-in California, New York, North Carolina and the Nevada desert-each film captures the artist in the moment of creation, shows the art in its environment and depicts events which shaped each artist's work. The film series is an exploration of human creativity and the creative process. The artists are different in ethnic background and artistic style, yet have much in common. All are self taught and began pursuing their art late in life. After working for years in obscurity, they have achieved national recognition, even prominence. They are mature artists whose works, rich in content, reveal their lives, ideas and dreams. These visionaries, linked by a common belief in the "American Dream," have created Visions of Paradise. The films are available for sale from the filmmakers. Details on the individual films can be found by clicking on the appropriate links on the Film Catalogue page.
