Book Description
The Highwaymen introduces a group of young black artists who painted their way out of the despair awaiting them in citrus groves and packing houses of 1950s Florida. As their story recaptures the imagination of Floridians and their paintings fetch ever-escalating prices, the legacy of their freshly conceived landscapes exerts a new and powerful influence on the popular conception of the Sunshine State.
Gary Monroe tells the story behind the Highwaymen, a loose association of 25 men and 1 woman from the Fort Pierce area--a fascinating mixture of individual talent, collective enterprise, and cultural heritage. He also offers a critical look at the paintings and the movement's development. Added to this are personal reminiscences by some of the artists, along with a gallery of 63 full-color reproductions of their paintings.
About the author
Gary Monroe, professor of visual art at Daytona Beach Community College, is a documentary photgrapher with a long-time interest in "outsider" and vernacular art. His work has been recognized with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Foundation, and he has been a lecturer for the Florida Humanities Council. His photgraphs have been publisehd in Cassadaga: The South's oldest Spiritualist Community (UPF, 2000), which he coedited; Life in South Beach (1989); and Florida Dreams (1993).
