FindingtheFolkwaysofaForensicAnthropomorphologist:

TheKentuckyYardArtEnvironmentofCecilandBetIson

JenniferJoyJameson

FolkStudies

WesternKentuckyUniversity

2011

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“I’manarchaeologistbyschooling,aforensicanthropomorphologistbytraining,acommissionerbyappointment,andagentlemanbyGod.”–CecilR.Ison InthispaperIdiscussthecreativeendeavorsandidentitiesofCecilR.Ison,

andhiswifeBetIson.Theseincludebothmaterialcreationsandtheperformed

narrativesthatframethesecreations.CecilandBetliveinthesmallvillageof

Elliottville,justoutsideofMorehead,inRowanCounty,Kentucky,atthewestern

edgeofAppalachia.ThecountyishometoMoreheadStateUniversityandthe

CumberlandDistrictoftheDanielBooneNationalForest.CecilIsonisaVietnam

veteranandapublished,retiredchiefarchaeologistattheDanielBooneNational

Forest,whereheworkedfromthelate1970stohisretirementin2004.Cecilwas

borninElliottville,atacabinjustfurtherdownTrentRidgefromwhereheandBet

nowlive,inthehomehisparentsgiftedtothem.The“HomeforWayward

Babydolls,”asCecilandBetrefertotheirhomesite,isasortofextendedyardart,or

artenvironmentbuiltmostlybyCecil,butwithmuchinvolvementfromBetand

others,whichstretchesthroughouttheirproperty,includingtheirhouse,a

smokehousecabin,twolargebarns,afewsmallerbarnsandshacks,andthewoods

ontheirridge—aswellasCecil’smother’shomejustuptheroad.

Figure1.PortraitofCecilandBetIsoninfrontofthesmokehouse.

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AsIapproachedthehomeupintothetallandvasthinterlandsofRowan

County,Iwasgreetedwithcolorful,decoratedassemblagesinteractingwithevery

bitofnatureandeverystructureontheirpartofTrentRidge.AsIconducted

fieldworkduringvisitsinthefallseasonof2010andthesummerof2011,I

encounteredpatchwork“upholstered”trees,portraitsandcosmicscenesmadeout

ofalignedbottlecaps,characterscarvedoutoffoundwoodanddecoratedwith

recycleditems,muralsonthebarns,andhuman‐sizedsculpturesofflowersmade

outofscrapmetalandmaterials,amongothersuchworks.

Wheninterestedfriendsandtouristsvisitthesite,thefocusismost

specificallyonCecil’sassemblagesofdiscardedandfoundbabydolls,asindicatedin

thenamingofthesiteandinthepassingonofwittyHomeforWaywardBabydolls

ephemeralikeannualcalendarposters(eachposterprintcoincidentallynumbered

“1of100”)ormatchbooksthatread“Ababydollisaterriblethingtowaste!”

Reflectiveofhisexperiencesas

anarcheologistandpart‐time

forensicanthropologist,and

hislocalizedinclinationto

makecreativeuseoffound

materialsandrefuse,Cecilhascreatedatongue‐in‐cheeknarrativeaboutmanyof

theassemblages.HecallshimselfthePresidentoftheInternationalSocietyfor

ForensicAnthropomorphology,inwhichheexaminesthe“ratesofdecay”and

sourceoftraumainflicteduponthese“anthropomorphs,”post‐child’splay

(interviewswiththeIsons,October28andNovember6,2010).Althoughthis

Figure2.Cecil's"business"card.

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narrativeiscentraltotheprocessandproductoftheassemblage,CecilandBet

continuetobuildtheenvironment,andwiththat,theirartisticrepertoire,including

everythingfromcarefullyplacedrubberduckstoskillfullycraftedmurals.

Figures3­4.Creativeuseofdiscardedmaterials,orwhatBetreferstoas“junking”attheHomeforWaywardBabydolls. InthispaperIhopetobroadenandupdatethediscourseonthefolkloristic

aspectsofartthatisoftenconsidered“toopersonal,tooeclectic,[or]too

idiosyncratictoqualifyasfolkart”(Zug1994:145).Iusethecasestudyofthefolk

artofCecilandBetIsontonotonlyexaminetheprocess,style,andaestheticsof

theirwork,butalsotosuggesttheirmaterialcultureanditsnarrativeasaliving,

breathingexampleofwhatBarreToelkennotesastheprocessoffolklore;

somethingthatis“local,informal,andcommunal”–allaspectsthatarespecificto,

andevidentintheIson’sdecoratedhomeplace(Toelken1996:34).

FIELDWORKANDMETHODOLOGY

Discourseonthistopicisoftenaccompaniedbyloadedacademicand

professionalterminologysuchas“self‐taught,”“idiosyncratic,”“outsider,”

“visionary,”or“grassroots,”eachwithitsownhistoryandvariationsinimplication,

ascoinedbyartcurators,arthistorians,orhumanitiesscholarsfascinatedbythe

creativeculturalworldnotboundbytheinstitutional.Researchconcerningartthat

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landssomewherebetween“learned‐at‐the‐knee”and“completelyinnovative”or

“singular,”hasledtowhatsomerefertoas“termwarfare,”an“acridbutultimately

healthydebate”inestablishingsound“aestheticandethnographicapproachesto

folkartandartists.”(Zug1994:145)Recognizingthishistoryofdebateand

contention,Ijoinotherfolkloristswhoseektonotonlymaintainourdistinctiveway

ofdocumentingandinterpretingfolkculture,butalsohopetocontinuebuilding

bridgeswiththosescholarswithoverlappinginterestinthissubject,believingthat

thiscanenhanceandbenefitouracademicinterpretationofthistypeofcreativityin

everydaylife.

AftercontactingAdrianSwain,ArtisticDirectorofthestate‐fundedKentucky

FolkArtCenter,Mr.SwaindirectedmetowardtheIsons’HomeforWayward

BabydollsinMorehead.Hesentmeafewnewspaperandmagazinearticleswritten

aboutCecil’sartandhislife,whichledmetobelievethatthereweremany

folkloristicelementstotheprocessandproductofbuildingtheIson’sart

environment.Iswiftlyscheduledatimetovisitwith,andinterviewCecilandBet.

THESTORY

BornandraisedjustdowntheridgeinElliottville,Cecilmethiswifewhen

theywereundergraduatesinarchaeologyatacollegeinColorado,andmarriedher

in1974.BetIson,borninMadison,Wisconsin,isthedaughteroftwoMaster’s

educatedsocialworkers.Herfamilymovedaroundfromonesuburban

neighborhoodtoanotherinOhio,SouthDakota,andtheninColorado.Inthelate‐

1960s,CecilwasdraftedtoserveintheVietnamWar,whereheheldapostnearChu

Lai(Dobie2007).

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WhenCecil’sgrandmotherpassedawayinthespringof1982,hisparents

thoughtCecil,Betandtheirnewbabygirl,Sunshine,wereliving“toofaraway”in

Lexington,wheretheywerebothfinishingupMaster’sdegreesinarchaeologyand

libraryscience,respectively.So,hisparentsgiftedthemwithCecil’sgrandmother’s

homeinElliottville.BetandCecilsaidthatbuildingtheartenvironmentattheirnew

homewasanaturalprocessthatdoesnothaveclearlydefinedorigins.Therewas,

however,precedenttothebuiltenvironmentinCecil’sdecorationofhiscarrelatthe

archaeologyresearchlaboratoryattheUniversityofKentucky,from1977‐83.Cecil

startedcollecting,decoratinganddisplayingreligiousparaphernaliaandephemera

onhis“TabernacleofFaith.”Hehadholographicpicturesofangels[…],holyoil,an

“autographed”pictureofJesusChrist,andprayerclothsfrom[televangelist]R.A.

West.Hesaidfacetiously,“IwasanR.A.Westdevotee[…]Ihadacalendarwith

Jesusinacornfield,whichistrulyamiracle,sincecornisaNewWorldplant.”

Notlongafter,CecilstartedworkingfortheUSForestServiceintheDaniel

BooneNationalForest.Occasionally,hewould“comeacrossahardplasticbody

part”inthemidstoftheforest.That’swhereitallbegan:

Idoresearchonclothbodies,andotheranthropomorphs,butmyspecialtyishardplasticbodies.Iexaminethosecreatedpost‐1950.Istartedcollectingthesevictimsoutinthewoods.OnedayasIreturnedtomyvehicle[there]wasaseveredheadwithaticknailedtoitsforehead.Ithought,“Thisdoesnotseemlikechild’splay.Thisseemstobetheevilsideofthefieldofanthropomorphology.”So,Ibeganmyquesttodocumentandtrytosolve,asbestIcould,thecrimesthatwereinflicteduponthesehardplasticanthropomorphs,postchild’splay.MyofficewiththeForestServicebecameajointofficeforForensicAnthropomorphology.

MuchofCecil’snarrativeframeworkfortheartandassemblageslendscontextto

thesepiecesandtheirpresentation.Forexample,aftermyfirstinterviewwiththe

Isons,wewalkedwiththedogsintow,downtothelowerbarn,coveredinwide,

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expansiveandstrikingmurals

incorporatingdiscardedcompactdiscs

amongotherrefuse.Insidethebarnwas

acollectionofstrung‘anthropomorphs.’

Cecilpulledonedownandtoldme

aboutthedemiseofaPeeWeeHerman

doll:likelydrivenoverbyacar(fig.5).

AstheIsonswalkaroundtheirhome,

theyapplypersonificationstonearlyevery

object.Onecharactercarvedoutofalimbfrom

anappletreeanddecoratedwithbottlecaps,

withagardentoolforaforkedtail,whoiscalled

“DevilBoy”hashisownstory,dependingonhis

currentassemblage.ThefirsttimeIvisited,

DevilBoystoodnexttoabrokenphonebooth

thatCecil’snephewfoundanddroppedoff.Bet

said,“We’llgivehimthereceiver,andit’llbelike

“WhotheDevil’scallingnow?”Hence,hewasplacedwiththetelephonereceiverin

his“arm”(seefig.6).CecilandBetimpliedthattheiroriginstoriesofspecific

“anthropomorphs”andotheritemsoftenshift,andmanyaretypicallymadeupon

thespotasinterestedpartiessingleoutparticularitemsforcontext.

Figure5.Cecilexplainsthedemiseofananthropomorph.

Figure6.“DevilBoy”standsatthereceiver.PhotobyBetIson.

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Figure7.TireplanterfeaturinganthropomorphsandbejeweledtinflowersmadebyCecilandBet.

HenryGlassiereferstoassemblageas“acollectionofcommodities

assembledintodomesticsettings.”Hesuggeststhatthestudyofmaterialculture

“helpsustolearnhowothersmanageintheworldweshare.”(Glassie1975)The

wayCecilandBetandtheirfamilialandregionalcommunitymanageintheirdayto

daycanbeseeninthewhimsysuppliedbythesestories.Inaninterview,Cecilbroke

intoperformanceofhisusualscript:“I’manarchaeologistbyschooling,aforensic

anthropomorphologistbytraining,acommissionerbyappointment,anda

gentlemanbyGod.”Hethenwentontoexplain:

Myso‐calledart:I’veneverreallyconsideredanyofwhatIdoas“art”.Ijustconsideritplayingwithobjectsthatwouldendupinalandfillandneverseethelightofdayagain.Sothisway,paintthatwouldberecycledintoalandfill‐itgetstoshineabarn.Perhapsababydollthathasbeenabandonedandcoveredwithmudgetsresurrectedandhangsonafencesoshecanwatchthetrafficandthesunriseeverymorning.”

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Finally,Cecilreturnedtohispracticedpublicpoetry,mentioningthatheisa

“MinisteroftheCloth:Idomarryings,buryings,cursesremoved,andautomobiles

blessed…aswellasfunerals.”

Figure8.CecilIsondoes,indeed,officiateweddings!PhotocourtesyPaulWilliams,2010.

Certainlyofnoteisthispublicandprivatedynamicoftheworkscreatedand

theirpresentationoftheworkstotheoutsider.CecilandBetpresenttheircreative

workspubliclythroughtheirmysteriousandfantasticalcreatednarrativeofthe

studyof“forensicanthropomorphology,”butthevisualandexperientialnatureof

theartisenhancedbytherelativelyprivatecontextualknowledgeoftheIsons’

extensivebackgroundinarchaeologyandthecreativereuseofmaterialsstressed

amongCecil’sfamily,tonamejustafewinfluentialfactors.AdrianSwain,Artistic

DirectoroftheKentuckyFolkArtCenternotedtomethattheHomeforWayward

Babydollsremainsengagingtohimbecauseofthe“sortoffactualbasisforitin

Cecil’s[personal]andprofessionalpast.”

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THEPLACE

AsjournalistKathieDobiewroteforGentleman’sQuarterlyina2007article:

Cecilissurroundedbyfamily.TheIsonspopulatetworidges,TrentandKegley,andthesmallcemeterywheretheywillalllieonedaysitsatopasmallhillnexttothehaybarn.[…]Cecil’stwobrothers,BigJamesandArnold,livewiththeirfamiliesfartherdownTrentRidge.Hismother,hisnephews,andtheirchildrenliveonTrentoralongtheroadthatrunsbetweenthetworidges.Theyvisitoneanotherconstantly.

BettoldmethatshehadcountedupthevisitorstheyhadonarandomSaturday,

totaling29individuals,includingfriendsandtourists,butlargelyfamily.Cecil’s

connectionwithhishomeplaceisevidentinthewayhehasaddedhisaesthetic

touchtothetreesandthehillsandeventheditches.Betseemstohavecompletely

adoptedthispatchoflandandthisregionasherhomeplaceaswell,asshegetsa

bounceortrembleinhervoicewhenshespeaksaboutit.Cecilinterpretedthe

significanceoftheirplace:

Placeismagical[…]Iamaproductofthisparticularland,righthere.WhenIwasconceived,thefoodstuffscamefromthisland,thebreadcamefromtheland,themeat,thevegetablesdid.[Thisplace]hascreptintomyveinssomuchthatIwoulddieif—itwouldbelikeseveringatree…butaslongasI’minthisplace,Icangrowtoalong,oldage.

Figure9.Thelowerbarnnearthewoodswithmuralsonallsidesofthestructure,includingamuralofagiantcatontheroof.

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Aswewalkedintothewoodsontheirproperty,CecilandBetpointedout(placed

andassembled)itemsthroughoutthelandscape;dollsburiedunderleaves,alog

withalineofpinktoyponies,andasmallpondmadeoutofanoldsatellitedish,

whichthedogsdrankoutof.Theartseemedalmostendless,asitcontinuedinthe

mostunlikelyspaces.

Figure10.Cecilstandswithhisdogsinfrontofthepondthathemadeoutofafoundsatellitedish. JohnDorstwritesabouttheuseofwhathecalled“comicsubterfuge”inthe

yardartofJakeDellosofWyoming.Henotedthe“artifactual/visualpracticaljoke”

thatDellosmadeinapost‐pullerthatheconstructedtolooklikeadecorative

cannon(Dorst1999:143).ThiskindofslickwhimsyisevidentinmuchoftheIsons’

constructedenvironment;forexample,thiscanbeseeninthepondmadeoutofa

satellitedish(seefig.10).Itislikelythatapasserbywouldnotnoticetheuseofsuch

mechanicalpartsunlessitwaspointedouttothem,asitwastome,amongother

particularlycuriousvisitors.Similarly,theoverallcreatednarrativeoftheHomefor

WaywardBabydollssuggestsacomedicandalmostcarnivalesqueethos

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demonstrativeofthiskindof“visualpracticaljoke”—aprankentirelywelcomedand

celebratedbyparticipantsandfansoftheIsons’homeenvironment.

THEISONS,THEART,ANDTHEFOLKLOREPROCESS

Thereare,andwillcontinuetobemanydifferentwaystointerpretthe

culturalimplicationsofthefolkassemblageandaestheticoftheHomeforWayward

Babydolls,butforthepurposesofthiscasestudy,I’lluseBarreToelken’smodelof

the“folkloreprocess”toconsiderthefolkloristicaspectsevidentintheinformal,

communal,andlocaldynamicsofCecilandBet’syardartenvironment.Folklorist

JeanneThomasnotes,“Yarddecoration,whichColleenSheehycalls“oneofourmost

pervasiveformsofpublicart”(Thomas1998:25)[…]is“informallyacquired;one

doesn’tusuallyconsulthow‐tobooksorattendspecialschoolstodetermine

concretegooseplacement”(57).WhenIaskedhowthedecorationgotstarted,Bet

repliedtome,“It’sjustlike–yougotallthisjunkaroundandyoumightaswelldo

somethingwithit.”Anothersignificantfactordemonstratingtheinformalnatureof

theartisthatitisneverprofessionallycommissionedorsoldtothepublic,oreven

betweenfamilymembers.Similarly,evenwiththeinterestofjournalistsandart

curatorslikeMr.Swain,Cecil’sarthasnotbeenformallyexhibitedinartgalleries

andmuseums,andCecildoesnotseektoberepresentedinthatarena.

AlthoughtheyardassemblageandartisgivendirectionbyCecil’screated

narrativeas“thepresidentoftheInternationalSocietyforForensic

Anthropomorphology,”andbyhisartisticabilityandaesthetic,itisclear,after

spendingsometimewiththeIsons,thattheHomeforWaywardBabydollsisa

thoroughlycommunalandcollaborativeeffort.Folkartscholarandfolklorist

MichaelOwenJoneshassuggestedthat“artistsgroupedinto[thiscategoryof

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“outsider”art]arenotwithoutcommunity.Indeed,itisasenseofcommunionor

communitasthatoftenresultsfromtheirartistryorthatmotivatesit.”(Jones

1994:317)ThisisevidentinthemanycommunalorpublicconnectionsthatCecil

andhisartengender.ElliottOringhasarguedthesmallestoperatingfolkgroupas

the“folkdyad.”(Oring1992:135‐44)AsinterpretedbyToelken,itis“twopeople

whoparticipateinanongoingrelationshipwhichissoclosethateachpartner

providesanimmediatereflexivecounterparttotheother.”(57)CecilandBetarea

fineexampleofafolkdyadastheirhigh‐contextrelationshipprovidesan

interchangingnetworkforthefolklorebuiltfromtheirsharedexperiencesand

aesthetic.Theycontinuetobear,createandsharefolklore,whetheritbefolk

speech,folknarrative,orfolkartbetweenthemselvesandwiththeirlarger

community.ItcouldbesuggestedthatCecil’sartisticaestheticisinfluencedbyBet’s

ownaesthetic,andBet’sinfluencedbyCecil’s,astheyoftenprovideeachotherwith

achecks‐and‐balancessystemofjudgingtheircreationsaesthetically.Theyalso

inspireoneanother’screativity.

WhileCecilcreatesacosmic

sceneonasatellitedishthatwill

soonbehungasa“carport”for

Bet’scar(seefig.9),Betdresses

themannequinsontheporchin

allblackforHalloween.Cecil’s

anthropomorphicmotifisevenseeninworkscreatedsingularlybyBet,

representativeofthe“Isonstyle,”asshecreatedher“ThreeCrosses”assemblage

withbabydollheadsandotherfoundobjects(seefig.11).

Figure11.“ThreeCrosses”assemblagebyBet,includingtheanthropomorphmotif.

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Furthermore,Cecil’sartisticcollaborationwithhisfamilialcommunityis

ever‐present.With30‐somefamilymembersinthearea,theIsonfamilyoftenplays

hosttoniecesandnephewswhowillbecome“assistantforensic

anthropomorphologists”fortheafternoon.Severaloftheiryoungrelativeshelpedto

paintthecarvingsofchildrenontheupperbarn(seefigs.14‐15).

Figures14­15.Left:Theupperbarnwithlife­sizeflowersculpturemadefromscrapmaterials.Right:Cecil’snephewshelpedtopaintthechildrenontheupperbarn.

Figure12­13.Left:Cecilstandsinfrontof“TheCosmos,”asatellitedishdecoratedwithbottlecapsandgunshells.PhotobyBetIson,2010.Right:Monthslater,ithangsasacarportforBet’scar.

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“Abuddinganthropomorphologistteststhe

cheerleadingdolltoseeifshecontinuesto

be‘cheery.’(Shedoes.)”writesBetina

photocaption(fig.16).Additionally,mostof

theitemstheyusetocreateartare“dragged

in”(fromthewoodsorthedump,etc.)by

membersofCecil’sfamily,suchasthe

phonebooth,andthesatellitedishesusedin

thepondandthebottlecapcarport.

Finally,Cecil’sartisticvisionand

aestheticisenhancedbyfriends,neighbors,tourists,andfansalike.Beteloquently

communicatedthisinane‐mailaddressedtome,datedNovember3,2010:

Artoccurshereasjustpartoftheday.Wedon’tscheduleit,itjustoccurssometimesjustlike–gardeningorputtingupthehayorquilting.Somethingsaredictatedbytheweatherorthegrowingseason.(Youpickyourpepperswhentheyareripe;youchangemannequinclotheswhentheseasonchangesandwhenitiscoolenoughsothatthewaspsaren’tasactive.)Ifsomeoneturnsupandwantsto(orcanbecoercedinto)gourddecorating,youspendthetimedoingit.Ifaneighborarriveswithaloadofbabydollsfromarentalcleanout,youdealwiththem.Ifyou’vegotextrapaint,youpaintsomethingwithit…maybealargecatonthebarnroof.

Thenthereisthetouristfactor.Withpublicityinregionalnewspapersanda

featurearticleina2007issueofGentleman’sQuarterlymagazine,aswellasabit

aboutthesiteonKansasCityPublicTelevision’sprogramRareVisionsandRoadside

Revelations,CecilandBetregularlyreceivewhattheycall“drive‐by’s,”andthe

occasionalfartravelerwhomakestheefforttoexittheircarandgetthefullstory

andtourfromtheIsons.WhentheIsonspresenttheir“curation,”astheycallit,toa

Figure16.PhotobyBetIson.

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newcomertheyenactanexotericpresentationwiththeircreatednarrativeand

largelyfictional,spontaneousstories.Betstated,“Weenjoythetouristsbecauseit

givestheirlivesalittleadventure.Youknow,people’slives[canbe]soboring.”

What’smore,outsiderparticipationfrom“fans”ofthesitecantakeonthe

socialdynamicandroleofapupilofIson’sasamemberofhisInternationalSociety

forForensicAnthropomorphologybydonating“anthropomorphs”andothersuch

items–manyofwhicharriveattheIsons’mailboxcompletewiththeamateur’s

forensicanalysisonthedemiseof,andtraumato,theobject,astheyhavelearned

theseboundsofparticipation,or“play”fromCecilandotherfans(seefigs.17‐18).

Similarly,whileIwasattheIsons’homeforaninterview,theyreceivedtwosizable

packagesofbottlecapsfromfriendsforuseintheirart.Icaughtontothistradition

andarrivedtowithacanofpaintforCecilandBet,whichIhadusedtopaintmy

desk.Thisdoubledasagestureofgratitudefortheirtime.

Figures17­18.Examplesofanthropomorph“drop­offs”fromfriendsorfansoftheHomeforWaywardBabydolls.PhotosbyBetIson.

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Morerecently,theIsonshavetakenituponthemselvestocreateaFacebook

webpagefortheHomeforWaywardBabydolls(HWB).AsofSeptember2011,the

pagehas136“fans”whofurtherengagewiththeHWBcommunitybyposting

anecdotesorphotosoftheirvisittothesite,ofCecilandBet,orofdecoratedgourds

andotherworksmadebythemselvesandtheIsonsattheHWB.CecilandBethave

usedthespacetopostrelevantdocuments,suchasthe“OfficialHWBFieldForm,”

whichoffersthewrittenprotocolforcorrectlysubmittingafoundanthropomorph,

andtoanswer“FrequentlyAskedQuestions,”including:

So,DoyouReallyBelievethisisArt?Yes.No.Maybeit’sscience.Idon’treallycare.Whatdoyourneighborsthink?Allourneighborsarerelatives.Theythink“Ohthat’sjustCecil;he’salwaysbeenthatway.”Theteenagersthink“thisissocool”.Thechildrenlovetocomeandpaint.

AmongotherFAQswhichweavetheirwayinandoutofthecreatednarrative.

Figure19.AscreenshotoftheHomeForWaywardBabydolls“Info”pageonFacebook,2011.

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Finally,itisclearthatthecreativematerialendeavorsofCecilandBetIson

arethoroughlyinformedbylocalizedtradition.Thecollectionandcreativereuseof

foundobjectsandrefuse,orwhatBetcalled“junking,”assheexplained,isafamilial

andregionalvaluethathasbeenpasseddowntoCecil,andisstillatraditional

dynamicthatisencouragedandexhibitedamonghisextendedfamilyandneighbors

alike.Inkeepingwiththiscommunityaesthetic,Cecilmentionedtomethattheonly

supplyheeverbuystomakeartisusedpaint.InanemailfromBet,sheexplained:

Someoftheitemsmadeandincludedherelikethebottlecapsnakesandthewhirly‐gigsarealsomadebyothers,andtheirmakingwaslearnedfromeldersinthecommunity.Othersliketheobjectsmadefromroofingtinandsatellitedishesaresimplymadefromitemsnotavailabletooureldersbutstillwithinthistradition.Domostpeopleinthisareahangupbabydollsontheirsheds?Notregularly.Dotheyhangupotherobjects–frequently.Butthen,wedon’thangupmostoftheobjectsthattheyhangupeither.

DuringoneinterviewwiththeIsons,Iengagedinparticipantobservation,as

IcraftedalongsideCecilandBetintheirsmokehouse.AsCecilflattenedbottlecaps

withawoodblockandhammerandadornedawoodensnakeheadwithjewelryand

sequinsforhisownbottlecapsnake,hecommentedonthetraditionalandlocal

natureofthatitem:“[AddieCornett,alocalfriend]showedmeasnakethathehad

madeoutofbottlecaps,andit’ssoeasytowhittleoutasnakehead.[…]Hehad

madeonethathespray‐paintedblack,anditinspiredmesinceitwassosimple.”Bet

responded,“NowJerry[whoisCecil’ssister’shusband]makesthemtoo.Hewasthe

firstonetomakethe[smaller]snakeheads.”Cecilwentontoexplaintheprocess:

Doyouusedifferentkindsofbottlecapstocreatedifferentdesignsonthem,ordoyoujustspray‐paintyourowndesignonitonceit’salldone?Ordoyoujustmakeahodge‐podge?Itdoesn’tmatter[…]Mostofthemarejustleftouttoweatherontheirown,andtheybecome‘BrownSnakes’.WehaveBrownSnakesaroundhere!Theywon’tbite

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you…it’sjustagreatwaytousebottlecaps,whichwehaveaplethoraof.

Figures20­21.Left:Cecildisplaysasnakeheadheisembellishing.Right:Aweathered,or“BrownSnake”bottlecapsnakehangsoutsidethesmokehouse.WhenIaskedCecilabouthisvariationtothistraditioninhisembellishmentsofthe

snakes,withjewelrypieces,sequins,andbrightcolors,hesaid:“Theylooksnazzier,

andwhatsnakedoesn’twanttolooksnazzyastheycruisearound!You’vegottogo

steppingouteverynowandthen!”Thebottlecapsnakeisjustoneexampleofthe

waymanyofCecilandBet’sseeminglyidiosyncraticcreationsareoftenlocallyand

culturallycentered,downtothematerials,tools,andtechniqueofapieceor

assemblage.

CONCLUSION

TheHomeforWaywardBabydollsis,andwillremainacomplexexpression

ofmaterialculture,withitspartneredoralnarrativethatcannotbeseparatedfrom

thephysicalandvisualmanifestationsoftheartcreatedbyCecilandBetIson.Asa

liminalvisitor/ethnographerlivingthreeandahalfhourssouthwestofRowan

County,Iappliedmygrowinganddevelopingfolkloristicanalysistotheeveryday

workoftheIsons,andtriedtonavigateappropriateandrelevantscholarly

observations,whileworkingtoseparatemyowntendencytofallpreytoa

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simplifiedgazeofthewildandwondroussooftenencounteredwithartthattakes

thisform.Withthatsaid,Ifoundittobetruethataspiritofwondermentisatthe

heartoftheexperienceattheHomeforWaywardBabydolls.Furthermore,that

spiritofwondermentseemstoencapsulatetheartisticaestheticoftheIsons–there

isnothingparticularlyrun‐of‐the‐millaboutagiantcatpaintedonthebarnroof,a

life‐sizesculptureofaflowermadewithscrapmaterials,orarowofadorned

mannequins,eachwiththeirownnameandstory,lovinglyarrangedonawrap‐

aroundporch.TheIsons’yardartenvironmentopenlyencouragesparticipationin

wonder.

Figures22­23.Left:BetdocumentsCecil’s“consultation”onafoundanthropomorph.Right:Cecildisplaysa“dropoff.” Lifecanbedifficult,andCecilandBethavecertainlyknowndifficultyand

painliketherestofus.WhileItakezerointerestinsensationalizingCecil’s

experienceasaveteranoftheVietnamWar,Ialsodonotfeelcomfortableobscuring

thefactthatCecildealswithPost‐TraumaticStressDisorder—notanuncommon

experienceforveteransofanywar.CertaintimesthatIspokeorcorrespondedwith

theIsonsatlength,theWarorCecil’ssymptomscameup,butthematterwhich

alwayscameup,withoutfail,istheoverarchingspoofofthefieldsofacademicand

appliedarchaeologyandforensicanthropology.Bettoldmeonce,“Cecilhasrarely

21

usedhisarttosayanythingaboutVietnam[…]whatevertheartisabout,it’smostly

aboutbeinganarchaeologistandknockingonauthority[academic,governmental,

etc.].It’sapanofseriousness.”(July16,2011).Thisspoofingofthedisciplineand

practiceculminatedatthe2007KentuckyHeritageCouncilArchaeologyConference

whereCecilandBetpresentedamockpaperontheir“research”attheHomefor

WaywardBabydollsduringtheconference’s“entertainment”segment.AstheIsons

arerespectedregularsamongtheKentuckyarchaeologyscene,nearlyalloftheir

200colleaguesinattendancewere“inonthejoke”whichmadeforasuccessfuland

welcomesubversionofacademicprotocolandauthority.Indeed,thiseventand

performanceimplyreferencetoand/oractualizationofBarbaraA.Babcock’stheory

of“symbolicinversion,”describedas“anyactofexpressivebehaviorwhichinverts,

contradicts,abrogates,or[...]presentsanalternativetocommonlyheldcultural

codes.”(Babcock1978)Insteadofmakingfurtherapproximationsaboutinfluence

andmeaningintheimagesandnarrativesoftheIsons’creations,I’lllettheIsons

continuetodothetalking,andIencourageinterestedreaderstovisitandspeak

withthemabouttheircreationsinpersonorincorrespondence.Ifindthat

analyticalinterpretationoftheIson’screativelifeisbutoneofmanyfacetsin

experiencingtheirbejeweled‐and‐bottlecappedworld.Asanantidotetoobscurity,

I’vetakenaholistic,collaborative,andhighlycontextualapproachtodocumenting

andpresentingtheircreativelifeasIencounteredit.

22

Figure24.CecilandBetshowmearoundtheirpropertyinthefallof2010.

Betsaidonce,“I’vedecidedthecluetoCecilisthathejustreallylikestomake

peoplehappy.DrivingtheTrollTruckaround[atruckthatCeciladornedwithtroll

dolls],andjustseeingthelookonpeople’sfaces…mostpeoplewentfromthelookof

absoluteshockintoreallybigsmiles.”ThisleadsmetoconsiderthatCecil(andBet)

challengeperceivedorpreconceivedidentitiesbysimplysurprisingoutsiderswith

theplaintruth.TheIsonsliveinarurallandscapebutarefarfromisolatedwith

theirextensiveandclose‐knitfamilialandregionalcommunity.Cecillivesinthe

samesmallvillagehewasbornin,andinthehousehisgrandparentsowned,buthe

andBetareincrediblywelltraveledandhighlyeducated.Cecilmayhavebeen

perceivedasa“naïve”artistbysome,butbothCecilandBetholdadeep

consciousnessandappreciationconcerningtheshiftingworldsof“folk”and“fine”

art,andareactivelyengagedincommunityartsbeyondtheirhome.Andfinally,

CecilexperiencedtraumaintheVietnamWar,butherefusestoplayvictimtothe

harshnessofwar,andis,infact,fulloflifeandunboundedcreativity.

23

WiththefolkartoftheIsons,context–asitiswitheverything–iskey.Inthis

paper,Ihaveonlybreachedtheextentofinsightthattheethnographiclensanda

deepconsiderationofthecontextualelementsoftheartandartist(s)themselves

canprovideasaninformativeinterpretationfortheHomeforWaywardBabydolls.

Aswiththenatureoffolkloristics,aconstantlyshiftingandgrowingdiscipline,the

material,oral,andcustomarycultureandcreationsoftheIsons,arealsofarfrom

static.AsMichaelOwenJonesnotes,“so‐called”self‐taughtpaintersandsculptors

“maybemoretraditionalthanmostarthistoriansandconnoisseursassume,and

lessidiosyncraticthanmanyfolkloristssuppose.”(Jones2001:60)Thebricolageof

CecilandBetIsonwillcontinuetodevelopandcultivatetheinformal,the

communal,andthelocalinthefolktraditionsthattheybearorcreate,andpasson

to“liminalvisitors”andcloserelativesalike.Mybottlecapcollectingwillneverbe

thesame.

Figure25.Theauthor’sownIson­stylecreationmadeinthefallof2010,initscurrenthabitatneartheIson’sfrontporch,summer2011.

24

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Babcock,BarbaraA.1978.Introduction.InTheReversibleWorld:Symbolic InversioninArtandSociety,ed.BarbaraA.Babcock.Ithaca:Cornell UniversityPress.Dobie,Kathy.TheLongShadowofWar.Gentleman’sQuarterly,December,2007, accessedOct.19,2010,http://www.gq.com/news‐politics/big‐ issues/200712/cecil‐ison‐vietnam‐soldier.Dorst,John.1999.MachinesandGardens:TwoCasesofVernacularDisplay.In LookingWest.Philadelphia:UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress.Facebook.HomeforWaywardBabydolls.LastmodifiedSeptember20,2011. http://www.facebook.com/HomeForWaywardBabydollsGlassie,Henry.1975.FolkHousinginMiddleVirginia.Knoxville:Universityof TennesseePress.Jones,MichaelOwen.2001.TheAestheticsofEverydayLife.InSelf­TaughtArt,ed. CharlesRussell,pp.47‐60.Jackson:UniversityofMississippiPress_________.1994.HowDoYouGetInsidetheArtofOutsiders?.InTheArtistOutsider: CreativityandtheBoundariesofCulture,ed.MichaelD.HallandEugeneW. Metcalf,Jr.,pp.312‐331.WashingtonandLondon:SmithsonianInstitution Press.Metcalf,Jr.,EugeneW.,1994.FromDominationtoDesire:InsidersandOutsiderArt. InTheArtistOutsider:CreativityandtheBoundariesofCulture,ed.MichaelD. HallandEugeneW.Metcalf,Jr.,pp.312‐331.WashingtonandLondon: SmithsonianInstitutionPressOring,Elliott.1992.JokesandTheirRelations.Lexington:UniversityPressof Kentucky.Swain,Adrian.1990.LocalVisions:FolkArtfromNortheastKentucky.Morehead: MoreheadStateUniversity.Thomas,JeanneBanks.2003.NakedBarbies,WarriorJoes,andOtherFormsofVisible Gender.UrbanaandChicago:UniversityofIllinoisPress.Toelken,Barre.1996.TheDynamicsofFolklore.Logan:UtahStateUniversityPress.ZugIII,CharlesG.,1994.FolkArtandOutsiderArt:AFolklorist’sPerspective.InThe ArtistOutsider:CreativityandtheBoundariesofCulture,ed.MichaelD.Hall andEugeneW.Metcalf,Jr.,pp.144‐161.WashingtonandLondon: SmithsonianInstitutionPress.

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RECOMMENDEDREADING/VIEWING/LISTENING

DetourArt.ArtistDetail:CecilIson.LastmodifiedDecember14,2006. http://detour.webdatabases.net/artist_detail.html?ArtistID=10194&Ar tID=1 0194Ison,Bet.HomeforWaywardBabydolls.HomeforWaywardBabydolls’Flickr Photostream,2010,accessedNovember25,2010, http://www.flickr.com/photos/home_for_wayward_babydolls/.Jameson,Jennifer.HomeforWaywardBabydolls.Rose­Hips’FlickrPhotostream, 2010,accessedNovember25,2010, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosehips/sets/72157625269651842/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosehips/sets/72157625297356247/.RareVisionsandRoadsideRevelations.2002.EasternWeaseling.KCPT,KansasCity PublicTelevision.Stephenson,David.ArtYard.LexingtonHerald­Leader,July1,2006,accessed October19,2010,http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/ multimedia/cecil/ison.html.Swain,Adrian.2001.TheHomeforWaywardBabydolls.Paperpresentedatthe annualconferenceoftheAppalachianStudiesAssociation,Pocahontas County,WestVirginia,March30‐April1,2001.