Post #301297 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Apr 23, 2007 3:59 PM

Wow indeed. And I thought Crazy Al's style was ornate! I would like to quote two paragraphs I wrote in my new book about William Westenhaver:

"....two more peculiarities of Westenhaver’s personal style become apparent: A penchant for cartoonish doodlings and line drawings; and the need to fill every inch of space with them. This obsession is referred to as horror vacui, literally translated as “fear of empty space”, and is often found in the works of so-called outsider artists..."

(side note for those who might not know: "outsider art" is a respected art genre nowadays)

"...As Paul Gauguin remarked about the Marquesan artifacts he saw after relocating there from Tahiti: “The basis of this art is the human body or face. The face especially. You’re astonished to find a face where you thought there was a strange geometrical figure.
Always the same thing and yet never the same thing..."

That these designs are not quite to my personal taste is besides the point, because their intensity and execution demands utmost respect, even from a traditionalist! They remind me of the intricate designs on late Maori houses, or in Marquesan tatoo designs.