Howard Finster (AL/GA, 1916-2001), About All the Creatures Make Love and Have Fun and Fun

Lot Details & Additional Photographs

1983, carved, painted, and assembled wood depicting three creatures labeled "Tuloci," "Erpoe," and "Muten" respectively from left to right, the base inscribed in blue ink with signature, date, and musings, titled to front of base.

19 1/4 x 17 1/2 x 3 3/8 in.

Private Collection, Chicago and North Carolina

Inscription to base reads:

"On all subjects continued to be -- / making love and tickling my chin it seems now something just begin shall we / marry or just monkey around like we been lost and just found. Something between us / like a bug in our way will it be hard to make our first love stay for a long happy day / I will keep for you if you will keep for me our love could be deep like the deep blue sea."

One of America’s most recognized outsider artists, Finster was a preacher for 45 years until 1976, when he experienced a vision and afterward began painting, in bright colors, religious art as well as everyday objects such as Coke bottles. The Rev. Howard Finster was born Dec. 2, 1916, in Valley Head, Alabama, and died Oct. 22, 2001, in Summerville, GA. He worked up album covers for R.E.M., Talking Heads and other bands, appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” and welcomed a steady stream of people (from regular folks to the famous, such as artist Keith Haring) who made the pilgrimage to his roadside attraction/folk art environment, Paradise Garden.

Protruding nails to posterior as made; overall good estate condition.