PCP Press Publication Catalogue
PCP PRESS
1996–2026
Book cover for Faux Real

Faux Real

AUTHOR / EDITOR / CONTRIBUTOR:
Paul Karlstrom & LG Williams

Description

Faux Real: California Folk Art Activity at di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art

February 1 - 23, 2003 "Real" folk art is defined "as art produced by untutored rustics, true outsiders living on the fringes of society." Conversely, this exhibition catalog of "faux" folk art, was created by "art school graduates whose longing for a lost rawness is manifested in a referentially rough-edged look". This exhibition describes FAUX REAL as a conversation a discussion of the feasibility of "real fakes" in a society where traditionally educated artists often strive to obtain the naivete that naturally exists in "real" folk art.

"The influence of the so-called 'outsider' is of tremendous relevance in our contemporary culture," says somebody important. "The outsider is 'in'."

Artists in FAUX REAL include: Dave Ardito, Mike Fox, Fred Hayes, Robert Heckes, Rebecca Miller, Darrel Mortimer, Tucker Nichols, Guy Overfelt, Albert Reyes, Johanna St. Clair, Dave Warnke and LG Williams. Essays by Paul Karlstrom, LG Williams, Bonnie Clearwater, and Dr. Xie Zhao Ping.

Full Summary

Faux Real is a PCP Press catalogue for the 2003 California Folk Activity exhibition at the di Rosa Preserve / Off The Preserve in Napa, California. The publication frames the project around “faux” folk art, outsider art, California art, authenticity, imitation, and the possibility of “real fakes.” It includes exhibition credits, a di Rosa Preserve overview, artist lists, a curatorial/critical essay, acknowledgments, and a long interview transcript presented as a Smithsonian Archives of American Art interview about the Faux Real exhibition. The catalogue mixes institutional language, parody, art-historical commentary, artist biographies, and project documentation to position Faux Real as both an exhibition catalogue and a critical artist book about authenticity, folkness, California Funk, and the contemporary art system.

Contents

  1. Faux Real Title Pages
  2. Exhibition Credits
  3. California Folk Activity Announcement
  4. Acknowledgments and Publication Notes
  5. Di Rosa Preserve Overview
  6. Faux Real Exhibition Essay
  7. Artists in the Exhibition
  8. Fauxwha? by Richard Reisman
  9. Smithsonian Archives of American Art Interview Transcript
  10. Artist Plates and Exhibition Documentation

Essay Summaries / Chapter Summaries