Outsider Folk Art Painting

Details

Description

This piece is a playful, surrealist-inspired folk painting by an artist named Harry, titled Waterland I and dated 2007.

Subject … Read more This piece is a playful, surrealist-inspired folk painting by an artist named Harry, titled Waterland I and dated 2007.

Subject & Imagery
• The central scene shows a swimming pool landscape, with a figure in a swimsuit standing at poolside and another oversized face, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, emerging dreamlike above the scene.
• Decorative swirling clouds or waves float above the pool, lending a whimsical, theatrical atmosphere.
• Palm-like trees in the background further enhance the resort-like, tropical motif.
• At the bottom, the hand-painted inscription reads “Ardmore Cologne”, suggesting a playful, invented title with the air of an advertisement or product poster.

Style & Technique
• The painting combines flat perspective, simplified forms, and text integration, hallmarks of folk and outsider art.
• The figures and setting are rendered in bright, clean colors, outlined for emphasis, giving the work a bold, graphic presence.
• The blending of imagery with hand-written text phrases makes the work feel both personal and narrative-driven, as if it tells an inside joke or a whimsical memory.

Inscription & Details
• Signed Harry in the lower right corner.
• On the reverse: handwritten note reads “21 x 24 – Waterland I – Harry ’07”, confirming its title, dimensions, and date.
• The subtitle and inscriptions suggest it belongs to a series of “Waterland” paintings, likely exploring similar humorous or fantastical resort scenes.

Impression

This work is an inventive blend of folk art storytelling and surreal humor, where familiar leisure imagery (swimming pools, vacation scenes) is reimagined in a dreamlike, slightly offbeat way. The combination of text, figures, and odd juxtapositions gives it the feel of a personal mythology or playful social commentary.

✨ Together with the other Harry painting you shared, it forms part of a cohesive outsider-art narrative, centered around imaginary places, witty titles, and dreamlike leisure. See less