John Foster, St Louis, Missouri - MEET THE COLLECTOR Series Part Fifty Seven

I have followed this next collector on Instagram (@accidentalmystery) for a long while now and I always enjoy what he posts. I finally got round to reading more about him on his personal website and that’s when I knew he would be perfect for this series. A fascinating man and a delight to interview. Here’s John Foster in part fifty-seven of my ‘Meet the Collector’ series.

Inside the reconstructed Loy Bowlin “Rhinestone Cowboy” house at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Wisconsin

1. When did your interest in the field of outsider/folk art begin?
Thank you, Jennifer. I grew up in the south (North Carolina) in the 1950’s and 60’s, so I absorbed a great deal of the culture there—everything from road signs to music to the influences of religion. I was always a very visual person, but my life really changed when I left home and went to art school in 1970 followed by graduate school in 1974 for my MFA. It wasn’t until the early to 1980’s that “my radar” began to tingle about something other than what I had been looking at in Art Forum and local museums and galleries. I guess you can say that I was part of the new wave of collectors that started in the mid-to late 80’s - most of them inspired by the exhibition and catalog “Black Folk Art in America” and the fame of Howard Finster. I started subscribing to all the magazines, like the Messenger from the Folk Art Society of America, and later Folk Art magazine with the American Folk Art Museum, and Outsider magazine through Intuit Outsider Art Museum. I was on a quest to learn as much as I could. I began attending the summer conferences with the Folk Art Society, where I met a lot of wonderful people, collectors and curators. It was there I met some of the great people in the field like Gerard Wertkin, Alice and Kurt Gitter, Audrey Heckler, Lee Kogan, John and Stephanie Smithers, Michael Hall, Andrew Edlin, Lisa Stone, Phyllis Kind… and on and on. It was fun and I learnt a lot.

But the most important influence on my collecting eye was when I attended the Outsider Art Fair. I went to all the early fairs, my first one in 1994. For me, this was like Alice landing in Wonderland. I bought my first Eugene von Bruenchenhein painting from Chicago gallerist Aron Packer there for about $1,200— still a hefty sum for a young man with a family. I can remember calling my wife and saying “honey, I hope we can spare $1,200 bucks because I just bought a painting.” She was always fine with it. She was the bookkeeper in the family, and with two young children to raise, our spending was tight. Together as a team, we made it work. I learnt a lot at the OAF, especially about the international artists. I purchased an outstanding Johann Fischer piece from Gugging there, and was inspired to learn as much as I could about art brut. My days of collecting “folk art” began to wane, and I was moving more into collecting artists who had deeply cerebral, singular vision such as Melvin Way, JB Murray, Minnie Evans, George Widener, Jesse Howard, Bessie Harvey, Sister Gertrude Morgan, James Castle, and others. Today, I have works by the late Davood Koochaki from Iran, Johnson Weree (Liberia), Robert Fischer (Germany), and other artists from around the world.

In 2003, I hosted the 16th Annual Folk Art Society Conference in St. Louis, where I curated and put on one of the first exhibitions of Joseph Garlock, and along with collector Terry Nowell, the sun baked clay pieces of Burgess Dulaney.

Works by Nek Chand, Eugene von Bruenchenhein, Hawkins Bolden and a houseboat built by J.P. Scott

2. When did you become a collector of this art?  How many pieces do you think are in your collection now? And do you exhibit any of it on the walls of your home or elsewhere?
As far back as the late 1970’s and early 80’s I started collecting odd paintings and sculpture at flea markets, so I was honing my eye early on. Artists love flea markets, so I went every Sunday. That far back, my eye was not mature enough to know exactly what I was looking for, so I was drawn to hand-made whirly-gigs, carvings and strange religious paintings. Why religious paintings? Because they were visionary and at times downright strange. No one has ever seen an angel—but they sure think they know how to paint one! That kind of thing fascinated me.

Sadly, my wife Teenuh passed away in late 2020, and collecting art was our passion. Art defined us. Our house was always full of art, and like many collectors—hung top-to-bottom as space was at a premium. I need to live with the art I have as much as possible, because if I can’t see it and interact with it, the piece kind of dies. A few years ago, we auctioned off over 75 pieces of art, because as they say, you can’t take it with you. Plus, deaccessioning objects gives younger collectors a chance to own art and thinning out a collection is a must. As a collector’s eye grows and gets better, you start focusing on what is especially meaningful to you. Though quality was always at the center of our collection, today I want to be around only those works of art that hold my attention. And that’s hard to do—I’m very picky.

I think there are about 50 pieces left in our collection, ranging from sculpture by Nek Chand Saini, numerous pieces by Eugene von Bruenchenhein, Pearl Blauvet, Herman Bridgers, Henry Ray Clark, Johnson Weree, Davood Koochaki, Sam Gant, Robert Fisher, Felipe Jesus Consalvos, numerous early works by Melvin Way, photographs by Lee Godie, EVB and a large collection of extraordinary vernacular photographs that has toured numerous museums across the United States.

3. I’ve read that you have been an educator, graphic designer, painter, and photographer, so do tell us more about your background and where it all began. 
That’s correct. I was a painter for 10 years after graduate school, as well as a teacher of art at a prep school in St. Louis. After 11 years of teaching and with two young children, I made the leap to graphic design and art direction, starting out at one of the largest public relations firms in the world. It was a natural fit for me, and I was much more able to provide for our family. With this new job came a considerable increase in my disposable income, and this aligned perfectly with my newfound desire to collect outsider art. I have always taken photographs and continue to do so. All of these experiences—fine art, design, photography, art history and a natural curiosity about the world—guided my eye quite well as a collector.

Section of Foster home with works by numerous artists including Pearl Blauvet, Melvin Way, Felipe Jesus Consalvos, sculptor Tim Lewis and a photograph of Blues musician Cora Fluker by Bill Steber of Tennessee

4. You were the founder and president of ENVISION Folk Art of Missouri, a not-for-profit arts organization, where you edited the journal for 10 years. Does this organization still operate?
ENVISION was founded by myself and few others in 1995 as a non-profit in the state of Missouri. It was dedicated to the sharing of information on folk, self-taught, visionary and outsider art.

The organization lasted for 10 years and ended in 2005. We held exhibitions and produced a journal that was mailed to subscribers, curators and collectors. I visited and interviewed artists and for me, it was a way to give back and learn. My enthusiasm at the time was sky high. I wrote for the journal, designed it, mailed it and solicited articles by notable writers such as Edward M. Gomez, Tom Patterson, John D’Agata, and Maude Southwell Waldman. Copies of ENVISION are fairly rare today, but the American Folk Art Museum has a complete bound set which I donated years ago.

5. What style of work, if any, is of particular interest to you within this field? (for example, is it embroidery, drawing, sculpture, etc.?)
I have always been drawn to works that are text driven, and/or obsessive—as well as works from extraordinary artists with disabilities. I love Laura Craig McNellis, Dwight MacIntosh, Judith Scott, Robert Fischer and Dan Miller, to name a few. Hawkins Bolden and David Butler are standouts. Years ago I met with Hawkins Bolden and interviewed him, and the experience is still a highlight in my life. I have more 2D work than sculpture in my collection (I think maybe because I was a painter), but I have many sculptural works as well. I am also enamored by stone carvers, as they are rare in any genre, especially self-taught art.

A collection of police mugshots (c. 1950) in the hallway

6. A conflicted term at present, but can you tell us about your opinion of the term outsider art, how you feel about it and if there are any other words that you think we should be using instead?
I try not to get caught up in it, but that’s a good question. When I am speaking to people who are not familiar with the field, I may use the term ‘outsider’ to quickly find a place of common ground. I know that it is not widely accepted anymore. Most people at least understand that term to mean untrained. Most of the time I use ‘self-taught’. And scholars have correctly organized the field to be more inclusive—like folk, visionary, art brut, neuve invention, naïve, and art singulier. They are all artists to me, but I understand the problems of lumping them all into one box. Mainly, I look for authenticity in everything I collect, whether it is an anonymous object or work by a named artist. It has to come from a place that is honest, unique and not influenced by anyone else.  

7. Would you say you had a favourite artist or piece of work within your collection? And why? 
That’s a hard one Jennifer. I have works by well-known artists that mean no more to me than an anonymous work. A number of years ago I purchased a late c.19th Japanese Boro baby blanket from Cavin-Morris gallery. It holds my rapt attention to this day. Additionally, I have another Japanese object, a very old Sakebukuro sake bag with the most incredible stitching I have ever seen. These semi-porous bags were used by Japanese brewers to filter sake, and any repairs to them were made strictly for functionality, not for design or art. Indigo Boro textiles were also similarly repaired only for functionally. I love the randomness of things. 

8. I read that you were at the forefront in discovering the self-taught artist known as “The Electric Pencil”, now identified as Edward Deeds. Can you tell us about this discovery?
Yes, I spotted the ‘Electric Pencil‘ drawings on eBay in December 2008, and bought the entire collection, handmade notebook and all on the spot. There were over 100 double-sided drawings, and I had to spend a good amount of our retirement money to acquire them. And once again, my wife said go for it! I bought them because I loved them. But not having deep pockets as many people do—I really could not afford then to hold on to them for a long time, if that makes sense. I wasn’t a dealer, lived in the Midwest and I had a lot of money tied up in all of these fascinating drawings. I did not have the time or energy to piecemeal them out here and there, so I sold them all to one person for a fabulous price. The person I sold them to was a New Yorker who did the hard work of discovering who the anonymous artist was and then promoting him. He and his wife ran ads in Missouri newspapers, created a video and a book. He deserves the credit for discovering the person’s name as Edward Deeds, building a market for it, and taking it to the superstar level it is today. I was not in a position to do that at the time and I knew it.

Man with Raised Hand A rare painted sign by N.C. artist Herman Bridgers stands in front of a cryptic, coded painting by Sam Gant, and other works (to left) by Henry Ray Clark and Johnson Weree

9. Where would you say you buy most of your work from: galleries, studios, art fairs, exhibitions, auctions, or direct from artists? 
I have enjoyed a great relationship with art dealers over the years and so I would have to say art dealers, and via the Outsider Art Fair. I have also bought some great pieces at auctions. I have visited many artists over the years and bought art from them—but for me it was more about their friendship. If I bought a piece from an artist, it was partially because I wanted to support them.

10. Is there an exhibition in this field of art that you have felt has been particularly important? And why?
Absolutely! I think everyone will agree that the ‘Black Folk Art in America’ exhibit in 1982 ignited the field. But another exhibition 10 years later was ‘Passionate Visions of the American South’ that originated in New Orleans in 1993 and was curated by Alice Rae Yelen. The book was so well done, it was something of a guidebook for me when I was starting out.

11. In 2005 you created an exhibition titled ‘Accidental Mysteries of Vernacular Photography’ that has toured around America to several venues – can you tell us about this and where your ideas came from?
Yes, I mentioned earlier that because I had an interest in outsider artists who did photography (EVB, Lee Godie and others) so I began collecting anonymous snapshots. I collected these humble snapshots because they were made by amateurs. It was, in some ways, the folk art of photography. My collection is small by many standards, numbering now about 3,000, but I always collected by one rule—the quality of the image. Because of my understanding and study of photographic history, and my life as a fine artist and designer, I was able to filter my purchases through that lens. I always desired images with an open-ended story—images with a bit of mystery to them. Never was I truly interested in knowing who, what or where the image was about. That was secondary. If I knew the backstory, by writing on the back, a date, a place identified—that was fine. It just wasn’t a primary concern. I wanted an image that say, Diane Arbus, Emmet Gowan, or Ralph Meatyard might agree, “that’s a hellava photograph.”

In 2005, my collection of vernacular photography caught the attention of Art & Antiques magazine, where they honored what I was doing and named me as one of the ‘Top 100 Art Collectors’ in the United States. That honor had nothing to do with the financial value of the collections—but for passion, uniqueness and quality.

Having been an educator, I always liked to share my collection and my vision with others. So, if you visit my Accidental Mysteries website (accidentalmysteries.com), you will see a list of over 20 exhibitions I have had in states all over the nation. The Peabody-Essex Museum outside Boston was a huge exhibit, and was up simultaneously next to the exhibit of Joseph Cornell. Just a year ago the Saint Louis Art Museum did a major exhibition as well.

12. Are there any people within this field that you feel have been particularly important to pave the way for where the field is at now?
Oh, for sure! There are quite a few and I apologize in advance for missing some. Aarne Anton, Shari Cavin and Randall Morris, Brooke Anderson, Phyllis Kind, Janet Fleisher and John Ollman, Jane Kallir, Jim Nutt… there are so, so many!

The Foster Collection of Art was exhibited at James Madison University in 2015, and included unique found objects and works by self-taught artists

13. On your website (accidentalmysteries.com) you have a tab about various collections – can you explain this section to us and what these collections are?
This is a section of my website for things I have collected over the years. I enjoy having a place to sort things–to make a statement about certain typologies. I had a wonderful collection of old alarm clocks that came from a single owner. Again, I found the entire stash on eBay. The person selling them said that he found the entire group of 20 in an abandoned house that had fallen in. All of them were different—and all aged with the same amount of rust. So, for me, the question begged the answer: what was a person doing with 20 wind up alarm clocks from the 1950’s? I just love this kind of thing and they look fantastic together as a group. I have since sold them, but when I had them in our house all lined up along the mantlepiece the display was stunning. There are numerous other collections of things on the site.

14. You used to write a weekly column for the art and design website ‘Design Observer’ – what sort of things do you cover in your weekly posts?
Yes, I wrote for Design Observer for five years from 2013 to 2018. Design Observer is still a forum for graphic design, social innovation, urbanism, popular culture and criticism. I was tapped to write about art and design, photography and unusual, off-road topics. Today, my Instagram account @accidentalmystery is quite similar, but with less commentary. You never know from one day to the next what I might present. It’s a mighty big world out there and I love to discover and present new artists.

15. Are there any artists that you are still looking to add to your collection?
Absolutely! I’m always looking. I am not sure I will ever get the artists I desire but I have always wanted a great ceramic piece by George Ohr, who was called “the Mad Potter of Biloxi”. Lately, I have been more and more attracted to Japanese art brut, with Shinichi Sawada high on my list. As for photography, I still desire a piece by Miroslav Tichy. And I can only dream of a great work by Martin Ramirez, William Edmondson or Adolf Wolfli.

16. Many of us dream of that! Is there anything else you would like to add?
No Jennifer, but I want to thank you for the privilege of being interviewed by you. It was a pleasure.

David Butler cut tin and painted animals with other works