Souls Grown Deep: African Vernacular Art of the South, Volume One.

Souls Grown Deep: African Vernacular Art of the South, Volume One Tinwood Books, w/ The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library October 2000, $100.00, ISBN 0-965-37660-5

In the past, museums and commercial galleries often ignored art produced by often rurally based vernacular artists because they had no notable formal training and employed the most unlikely materials including tires, shoes, bottles or berries to realize their vision. Since the 1980s, the South has attracted the interest of many prominent figures in the art world, with professionals taking trips there to explore the vernacular art scene. Exhibitions like the Whitney Museum of American Art's 2000 Biennial, included cutting edge work produced within the last two years, including the work of one of the most well-known vernacular artists, Thornton Dial.

Like the music of the South vernacular art is influenced by African belief systems, the civil rights movement, community and the retention of a heritage that many believe has been lost. By making art that is informed by historical references and current events, this unique African American genre illuminates the role individual imagination plays in the creation of art. Souls Grown Deep is an unprecedented, in-depth look inside the world of a visual art genre whose artists have been called "self-taught," "folk," "outsider" and "visionary."

The collection represents a landmark in art and cultural history complete with essays by 37 contributing writers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives ranging from art history, literature, civil rights, curatorial, folklore and more. Overviews, biographies and essays by critical figures including Amiri Baraka, Andrew Young, and Babatunde Lawal a provide a context for the artwork and the significance of the contributions of Southern vernacular culture.

This resource is an amazing gift to anyone interested in learning about artists of the South who have created work that speaks to the individual and collective experiences of black life. Volume One is a must have--beautiful to look at and an accessibly informative read, piquing our interest for what hidden gems Volume Two has to offer.