Angel World

Object NameShadow Box

Artist Howard Finster (American, 1916-2001)

Made FromGlass, wood, paint

Date1983

Techniquemixed media assemblage

SizeH: 37.6 cm, W: 26.8 cm, D: 9.6 cm

Accession Number89.4.3

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

The Rev. Howard Finster was a celebrated “outsider” artist who referred to his work as “sermons in paint” and “sacred art.” His painting career began with a vision in 1976, when he was 60 years old. He spent the remaining 25 years of his life making thousands of paintings and constructions, including his monumental “Paradise Garden,” an elaborate sculpture garden in the two-and-a-half acre swamp next to his home. Finster was “discovered” by the art world in the early 1980s, when national attention was drawn to his primitive, spiritual pictures.

Place Made

United States, GA, Pennville

Physical DescriptionColorless window glass, wood painted white, polychrome paint, purple pipe cleaner, mixed media assemblage. Vertical box with wooden frame painted white enclosing four panes of window glass; back pane is painted on both sides with image of orange sun and rays within a sky of white clouds, doves and black-haired wingless angels flying over a mountain landscape with green ground and red flowers and standing angels holding flowers; next pane is internal and has another layer of sunrays, angels, clouds, doves and flowers and the words "HEAVEN IS WORTH IT ALL" and signature section; next internal panel has similar decoration with words in red "VISIONS OF OTHER WORLDS"; front exterior panel has similar decoration with words "ANGELS OF WARTIME DELIVERY" and along base "DON'T MISS HEAVEN"; in between interior panels various beads that were originally glued to the glass have come loose and rest on lower frame, a few remain adhered to glass; front edge of glass pane is framed by a purple furry pipecleaner of varying widths held in place by brads, entire front edge of painted frame has words in black paint "PEARLIOUS TIMES ARE NOW COMING UPON EARTHS PLANET - THE SAFEST THING FOR ALL IS TO BE READY TO MEET JESUS THE ONLY SAVIOUR."; hanging wire affixed to back; signed in pencil on top surface of frame: BY HOWARD FINSTER/SUMMERVILLE G.A. 30727/ R-2 BOX 155/PH-(404) 857-2986/ 2000 AND 852/PIECES/illegible/JUNE 1983" and in white paint near lower right corner of interior panel of glass: "ANGEL WORLD/BY HOWARD FINSTER/ 2000 AND 852/ 4:50 PAST MIDNIGHT/JUNE-2-1983."
Provenance

Provenance Remark

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