Gardens of revelation
Subtitle: environments by visionary artists
By: John Beardsley ; principal photography by James Pierce.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Abbeville Press
Published: 1995
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 223
Subjects: Outsider art -- History -- 19th century; Outsider art -- History -- 20th century; Environment (Art); Assemblage (Art); Garden ornaments and furniture; Spirituality in art
Description: John Beardsley tells the story of about twenty-five "visionary environments" and the fiercely independent individuals who have created them in the course of the last century. This lively international tour ranges from the soaring spires of Watts Towers in Los Angeles to the spirit-lifting Camel Yard and Owl House in New Bethesda, South Africa, to the junk-and-flower filled labyrinths of Howard Finster's Paradise Garden near Summerville, Georgia.

While capturing the spirit of each individual's unique creation, Beardsley also situates the work in the larger contexts of traditional garden design, religious architecture, environmental sculpture, and folk art. He muses about the compulsion to create, the sense of place, and the visionary spirit that has inflamed these artists, quoting at length their own poignant and pungent commentary on what they have created and why.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-216) and index.