Loy Allen Bowlin (September 16, 1909 – June 14, 1995), also known as ''The Original

Rhinestone Cowboy "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written and recorded by Larry Weiss in 1974, then popularized the next year by American country music singer Glen Campbell. When released on May 26, 1975, as the lead single and title track from his album '' Rhinesto ...

'', was an

outsider artist Outsider art is art made by self-taught individuals who are untrained and untutored in the traditional arts with typically little or no contact with the conventions of the art worlds. The term ''outsider art'' was coined in 1972 as the title ...

from

McComb, Mississippi McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The city is approximately south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 12,790. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statis ...

. His artwork largely included bejeweling his clothing, Cadillac, home and even his dentures with thousands of

rhinestone A rhinestone, paste or diamanté ( , ) is a diamond simulant originally made from rock crystal but since the 19th century from crystal glass or polymers such as acrylic. Origins Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from t ...

s. Bowlin's life and work have been acclaimed by various outsider art critics and periodicals including

Raw Vision ''Raw Vision'' is a British journal devoted to outsider art and edited by John Maizels. It features content about the subject worldwide. Raw Vision celebrates the art of “unknown geniuses” who are untrained, unschooled and uninfluenced by the ...

. After his death, Bowlin's

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

home, the ''Beautiful Holy Jewel Home of the Original Rhinestone Cowboy'', was acquired by the

Kohler Foundation The Kohler Foundation, Inc., is a philanthropic organization that works in the areas of art preservation, grants, scholarships, and performing arts. History Kohler Foundation was founded in 1940 by Evangeline Kohler, Marie Christine Kohler, Lill ...

, Inc. and was moved to the

John Michael Kohler Arts Center The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is an independent, not-for-profit contemporary art museum and performing arts complex located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States.Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sheboygan () is a city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 49,929 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Sheboygan Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, which has a pop ...

, where it is on permanent display.

References

External links

John Michael Kohler Arts Center - Loy Bowlin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowlin, Loy Allen 1909 births 1995 deaths People from Franklin County, Mississippi Artists from Mississippi American outsider artists People from McComb, Mississippi

References

Further reading

External links