Animal World
Howard Finster
American, 1916 – 2001
Animal World, 1987
Silkscreen print, 29/90
© Estate of Howard Finster
Gift of Ray Kass
1993.321
Howard Finster was a preacher who had a vision telling him to “paint sacred art.” Following that vision, Finster produced structures, paintings, and prints in considerable numbers and of diverse subjects. His self-taught, folk style--sometimes referred to as outsider art-- reflected his visionary beliefs and desire to spread Christianity in a variety of mediums, from sermons to prints. Finster was concerned about pollution and animal endangerment and he incorporated these issues into his work. Animal World explicitly deals with the relationship between the natural world and spirituality as twin requirements for well-being. The print represents a world in which humans and non-humans live in peaceful harmony and so speaks to Christianity’s concept of humans as stewards of the earth.
-Tori Erisman ‘22
Reverend Howard Finster is likely best known for his album cover collaborations with R.E.M. and Talking Heads, but these covers are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Finster's art and inspiration. Finster worked at the intersection of visionary art, outsider art, and folk art, all of which he shared with his large audience that resulted from his religious fame. His work largely featured religious subjects, reflecting his belief that his art was "sermons in paint." He worked in a variety of mediums, from painting to sculpture to printmaking. Finster also created a garden in his backyard, adjacent to the church onsite, to display the innovations of humans, which he called "Paradise Garden." The site consists of various inventions, sculptures, agricultural buildings, and mosaics. A mural onsite states: "Visions of Other Worlds I took the pieces you threw away—put them together by night & day—washed by rain and dried by sun—a million pieces all in one."
Finster's Paradise Gardens
Howard Finster's cover art for R.E.M.'s album Reckoning, 1984
Howard Finster's cover art for Talking Heads' album Little Creatures, 1985
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