No idle hands
Subtitle: the myths & meanings of tramp art
By: edited by Laura M. Addison ; with essays by Laura M. Addison, Leslie Umberger, Eric M. Zafran
Contributors: Museum of International Folk Art (N.M.)
Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 263
ISBN-13: 9780890136225
Subjects: Tramp art; Exhibitions
Description: Tramp art describes a particular type of wood carving practiced in the United States and Europe between the 1880s and 1940s in which discarded cigar boxes and fruit crates were notched and layered to make a variety of domestic objects. These were primarily boxes and frames in addition to small private altars, crosses, wall pockets, clock cases, plant stands, and even furniture. Whittling objects such as chains and ball-in-cage whimsies was a common hobby -- including among rail-riding hobos -- and for many years tramp art was believed to have been made by these itinerants as well. Although this notion has been widely dispelled, the name has stuck. In recent years efforts have been made to identify makers by name and reveal their stories. While some examples of tramp art may be attributed to itinerants, this carving style was more commonly a practice of working-class men creating functional objects for their households. The book presents over one hundred and fifty tramp art objects collected mainly from the United States and also including pieces from France, Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil -- demonstrating the far reach this art form has had. 00Exhibition: Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, USA (12.03.2017-16.09.2018).
Notes: Issued in connection with an exhibition held March 12, 2017-September 8, 2018, Museum of International Folk Art.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-260).
Table of contents: title: Truth inside the Myth : The Obscure History of Tramp Art in America / Leslie Umberger; title: "Idleness is an unwanted stranger" / Laura M. Addison; title: A Labor of Love : Religious Tramp Art / Eric M. Zafran.