Folk art. It’s a term I have heard applied to any number of crafted objects. Everything from painting to sculptures. What is the difference between folk and art and “real” art? The real stuff is done by someone that is famous as far as I can tell. I’m also of the opinion some of that professional stuff is junk and those praising it and buying it are delusional! My opinion.

I have a few items passed down through the family that would fall into the folk art category. I have even created a few myself, although I admit I wasn’t thinking of it as being art at the time, just an amusement. I’m not taking myself that seriously, self identifying as an artist, but I’ve known a few that do that. I just smile at all that, yeah ok Picasso. I do feel an obligation to save those things, to pass them along to be enjoyed by others. You do have to pass along a story to go with them however, it’s the story that adds the value.

My father was orphaned when he was eight years old. His mother passed a few weeks after his birth and his father in 1932. He was raised by his maternal grandparents. A friend of his grandfather made “things” in a bottle. I say things because he didn’t make ships in a bottle, at least not that I know about, but he did make little scenes. My father was gifted a set of pickle relish jars with coastal scenes in them by that friend. I remember seeing them as a child and they were joined together by a piece of wood and a lamp rose out of the center. My father told me he kept that lamp on his desk at home where he did his school work. My sister has that desk.

I like to think they were given to him as a gift after his dad passed. It makes for a good memory of something that may, or may not have taken place. The elderly gentleman living next door offering some consolation to a grieving child. My grandfather was a fisherman, worked the water and those scenes depict a waterfront and so seems appropriate. I don’t know if any of that is true, my father never mentioned anything about that, just that they were a gift.

Sometime over the years the lamp portion was disassembled or fell apart. I’m thinking my father must have done that for whatever reason. I do recall later on those relish jars sitting on the shelf next to the fireplace. I came into possession of them some years back. I had intended to put the lamp part back on there as I remembered it, but never got around to that. Then one day I decided to light them up with an led light in the cap. There were already holes in them from where the lamp had been attached.

I discovered those holes were just the right size for an led light to fit snugly. I installed them and they are powered by two double A batteries. making a base and joining the two jars together with a piece of wood, similar to the way the lamp had been created. In 1932 they didn’t have led lights but I don’t think the original creator would mind an upgrade. There is a small switch on the back and those little scenes are lit up. I really like the effect. Is all of that folk art? I guess it is.

Folk art. It’s the stuff that survives generations on sentiment alone. It has very little monetary value in the “real” art world but is priceless to those that know. As with most everything it is only worth what people are willing to pay for it. Fame drives the price. It’s a rather strange thing to me, something I guess I’ll never really understand. I like art for what it is, what I like. I’m not concerned with who made it just if I like it or not.

Art for me, isn’t about money, it’s about inner emotions. Just how I would convince you to buy into my emotions I can’t fathom. I guess I would just need someone else that is famous, or very wealthy, to tell you that. Seems to me that’s how that junk gets sold. Guess I’m just a folk art kind of person. I don’t pretend and I don’t make any claims to being artistic. If I’m selling anything, it is sentiment.

I wonder, will I be the final caretaker? You never know with folk art.