Dos Folkies Gallery: Outsider - Self-taught - Art Brut

Charlie Lucas, who is also known as Tin Man, creates art from his small farm near Selma, Alabama.  When you drive by Charlie's place and see the sculptures created from recycled objects that adorn his property you might not know that the man who lives there is a respected artist who has lectured at Yale and traveled to France as an artist-in-residence.  He has always created.  As a child he made toys for himself and his siblings.  For a long time Charlie said he never thought about what he did as art.  "I've just always made things."  Charlie creates art from the stuff that other people throw away.  A bicycle wheel, a rusted pan, some colored wire,  a gear, or a machine part all have the potential for new life through Charlie's art.  His paintings, like his sculptures tell stories that are sometimes visionary, sometimes historical, often personal.  Many of the creatures that inhabit Charlie's place are not for sale to the public.  He says they are old friends who inspire and teach him.  There is a deep respect for the past and those who went before in Charlie's work.  He distills life down to its raw and honest essence, creating art that is stripped away of any cosmetic pretense.  Charlie has said that money and fame do not drive him to create.  He would like to have a Mercedes or a BMW though, but only to turn them into dinosaurs.