Boneshop of the Heart

Overview

This highly original and thought-provoking film explores a rich vein of visual expression and American individuality through incisive portraits of five contemporary southern folk artists, four of whom are African-American. The film reveals art forms so radically different from familiar folk traditions that the artists -- "Tin Man" Charlie Lucas, Vollis Simpson, Thornton Dial, Bessie Harvey, and "Sandman" Lonnie Bradley Holley -- defy classification. Variously known as "outsider" or "visionary" artists, they create unique aesthetic forms that challenge traditional distinctions between "fine" and "folk" art.

Cast

Bessie Harvey

Herself

Thornton Dial Sr.

Himself

Charlie 'Tinman' Lucas

Himself

Lonnie Holley

Himself

Vollis Simpson

Himself