Folk art fascinates. That's because it proves producing utilitarian objects can provide the opportunity for self-expression. From decoys to doll houses, from scrimshaw to sea chests, from
weathervanes to whirligigs, folk artists find wonderment in the workaday, transforming the mundane to the marvelous. As this book proves, folk art is not only rooted in the useful but in the
realities of living. Some of the objects pictured here would seem to make daily chores more fun, while others, such as mourning art, help people to face and overcome life's saddest occasions.
Some folk art, too, consists of portraits and other paintings produced without pretension by artists who only now are gaining wider appreciation.
This volume serves as an introduction for the novice, a treasure for the collector, and as a companion piece to the Maine Folk Art Trail. Edited by Kevin D. Murphy, the book features a general
introduction by Stacy C. Hollander and commentary from curators of Maine's folk art collections. The folk art gathered here is photographed by Ellen McDermott.
