Howard Finster Folk Art Serigraph "Elvis at 3 Bust," Circa 1996

Item Details

Reverend William Howard Finster (American, 1916 – 2001)
Elvis at 3 Bust, circa 1996
Serigraph on paper
Signed to the lower right margin
Numbered 46 of 100

Reverend William Howard Finster was a minister for over forty years in Alabama, the place where he was born. After retirement, he moved to Summerville, Georgia, where he turned his swampland into Paradise Garden in reflection of his religious beliefs and a vision that sent him on a mission to create sacred art. Finster used oil, watercolor, lacquer, and other paints on found objects and salvaged pieces of glass and cardboard to make religious folk art creations. His works have been featured on album covers for popular rock bands such as Talking Heads which was featured as the 1985 album of the year in Rolling Stone magazine, as well as on REM’s Reckoning album cover. Perhaps his most well-known work is the eight-foot-tall Coca-Cola bottle commissioned for the 1996 Olympic Games global art project. Finster promised God he would create 5,000 paintings in his lifetime, and, in the end, created 46,991 numbered pieces.

Condition

- significant toning, foxing, discoloration, scuffing, and accretions to print and paper, but most heavily to the margins of the artwork; numerous tears, creases, and handling wear to paper at the edges of the sheet.

Dimensions

- measurements of sheet; image measures 17.0" W x 22.75" H.

Item #

ITMGC50194