Folk art is a quintessentially American idea. Otherwise known as primitive art or naive art, the term "folk art" describes improvised creations. Artists like Grandma Moses, Joshua Johnson, and Elito V. Circa all developed their own styles without professional training or guidance from masters. Curiously, even though these folk artists didn't have much contact with one other, art historians can identify commonalities in their works. Folk artists often paint in bold, brash brushstrokes and don't pay much attention to perspective. It's difficult to determine how "untrained" an artist must be for his or her work to qualify as folk art. For instance, if someone goes to an art academy for a year and then drops out without learning more than just basic techniques, does his or her work count as trained art or folk art? What really distinguishes folk art from the so-called high arts is class. Folk artists typically come out of rural communities, where they are locally renowned as prolific geniuses but regionally unknown. Fine artists often mimic the folk art style by "doing away with" their training for particular works. The Renaissance philosopher, Rousseau, was well-known for his folk art drawings. However, historians contest the notion that Rousseau was a true folk artist, given that he spent a lot of time at the courts of kings and that he associated with intellectuals and master craftsmen of his day. Folk artists typically don't gain much recognition until they accumulate large bodies of work or are championed by seasoned masters. | 
