For the distinct screen painting with folding screens, see Folding screen.
Screen painting is painting on window screens. It is a folk art form originating in immigrant working-class neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early 20th century.
A window screen in Baltimore painted with a ship.
The wire screen section of a screen door is typically painted with bucolic landscapes, still lifes, or other subjects of interest. The artist paints the scene directly onto the screen, making sure to remove excess paint from the screen's holes so the screen retains its ability to ventilate. The scene painted on the screen prevents the eye from focusing past the image, giving residents privacy without limiting their ability to look outside. While screen painting is now mostly regarded as urbankitsch, authentic examples can still be seen in Baltimore neighborhoods such as Hampden or Highlandtown.
Screen painting was invented by the Czech immigrantWilliam Oktavec to restrict the sunlight entering his produce store. He had studied commercial art and drawing before opening his Baltimore shop. The technique was later taken up in other neighborhoods by other artists.
It is estimated that as many as 100,000 painted screens in Baltimore once adorned the rowhouses.[1][2][3][4] As of 2014 there were only 1,000 screen paintings left.[5]
The American Visionary Art Museum features a permanent exhibition on screen paintings, including a re-creation of a row house and a documentary titled "The Screen Painters" made by folklorist Elaine Eff.[5][6]
^"It's Not Just a Screen, Hon; A Window on Baltimore Tradition". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
Further readingedit
Camp, Charles; Baltimore City Hall Rotunda; Towson State University, University Union Gallery. Baltimore's Painted Screens, Towson State University, 1982.
Eff, Elaine. Looking Pretty: Baltimore's Painted Screens, San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum, 1991.
Eff, Elaine. The Painted Screens of Baltimore: An Urban Folk Art Revealed, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2013.
Eff, Elaine. The Painted Screens of Baltimore, Maryland: Decorative, Folk Art, Past and Present, University of Pennsylvania, 1984.
Eff, Elaine. The Screen Painters, Painted Screen Society of Baltimore, 1988.
Herget, Dee; Painted Screen Society of Baltimore, Inc. How to Paint a Baltimore Screen, Painted Screen Society, 1997.
screen, painting, confused, with, screen, printing, distinct, screen, painting, with, folding, screens, folding, screen, painting, window, screens, folk, form, originating, immigrant, working, class, neighborhoods, baltimore, maryland, early, 20th, century, wi. Not to be confused with screen printing For the distinct screen painting with folding screens see Folding screen Screen painting is painting on window screens It is a folk art form originating in immigrant working class neighborhoods in Baltimore Maryland in the early 20th century A window screen in Baltimore painted with a ship The wire screen section of a screen door is typically painted with bucolic landscapes still lifes or other subjects of interest The artist paints the scene directly onto the screen making sure to remove excess paint from the screen s holes so the screen retains its ability to ventilate The scene painted on the screen prevents the eye from focusing past the image giving residents privacy without limiting their ability to look outside While screen painting is now mostly regarded as urban kitsch authentic examples can still be seen in Baltimore neighborhoods such as Hampden or Highlandtown Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory editScreen painting was invented by the Czech immigrant William Oktavec to restrict the sunlight entering his produce store He had studied commercial art and drawing before opening his Baltimore shop The technique was later taken up in other neighborhoods by other artists It is estimated that as many as 100 000 painted screens in Baltimore once adorned the rowhouses 1 2 3 4 As of 2014 there were only 1 000 screen paintings left 5 The American Visionary Art Museum features a permanent exhibition on screen paintings including a re creation of a row house and a documentary titled The Screen Painters made by folklorist Elaine Eff 5 6 See also editJohnny Eck a screen painter William Oktavec the inventor of screen paintingReferences edit Screen Painting History Retrieved 2008 08 12 Lipka Tom Baltimore Window Screen Painting History Of Screen Painting Retrieved 2008 08 12 Lipka Tom Baltimore s Painted Window Screens Retrieved 2008 08 12 The Busy Brush Decorative Art The History of Screen Painting 2005 Retrieved 2008 08 12 a b Keeping Baltimore s painted window screens alive Chicago Sun Times Retrieved 2014 10 17 It s Not Just a Screen Hon A Window on Baltimore Tradition The Washington Post Retrieved 2014 10 17 Further reading editCamp Charles Baltimore City Hall Rotunda Towson State University University Union Gallery Baltimore s Painted Screens Towson State University 1982 Eff Elaine Looking Pretty Baltimore s Painted Screens San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum 1991 Eff Elaine The Painted Screens of Baltimore An Urban Folk Art Revealed Jackson University Press of Mississippi 2013 Eff Elaine The Painted Screens of Baltimore Maryland Decorative Folk Art Past and Present University of Pennsylvania 1984 Eff Elaine The Screen Painters Painted Screen Society of Baltimore 1988 Herget Dee Painted Screen Society of Baltimore Inc How to Paint a Baltimore Screen Painted Screen Society 1997 External links edit Baltimore Painted Screens Maryland Historical Society Archived from the original on 2009 05 15 Baltimore s painted screens CBS News The Painted Screen Society of Baltimore Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Screen painting amp oldid 1204312252, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
