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From
the Back Cover --
Intense, layered landscapes
dripping with flora and fauna, growing and morphing like the kudzu that
spreads prolifically where these paintings are created. Sensuous, serene
maidens glide in and out of the scene, sometimes embraced by, sometimes
becoming part of the trees and leaves that make up the rich tableau.
Self-taught artist Paul Lancaster’s art defies all expectations. Those
used to the work of classically trained artists might not know what to
make of his idiosyncratic vision. Those who follow outsider art will
find all their expectations upended. Lancaster’s work does not fall into
predictable categories. His work is not “primitive,” rather it has the
fluidity and elegance of a Southern drawl. His visual vocabulary is
singular. Working with themes that are universally recognized:
landscape,
the nude and still-life, his paintings have an intensity and obsessive
ness that are often signature qualities of the best visionary art. Yet
they exude a stillness, a calm and patient hand that the frantic works
of art brut often lack. Living on the fringes of society, but not
totally removed from it, Lancaster’s work is the product of an artist
who wants to record the visions he sees in his mind. The depth and
detail of Lancaster’s paintings allow the viewer to become immersed in
the images the same way that his subjects are immersed in nature.
– David Carter, MFA
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