Skip to main content
G:N1:19 5
Edit position
Edit position

Last set 5 hours, 23 minutes ago. Manual moves override automatic placement until the next shelfie/spine match.

Loading shelves…
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible
Diagnose this book
Open in Vernon Browser

Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible

by Clare Elliott, Robert Gober

This retrospective catalogue examines the small-scale abstract paintings and enigmatic symbolism of the visionary Texas artist. It explores the psychological and religious theories that informed his work and visionary experiences.

Accession 12212 ISBN 9780300189735 Publisher Menil Foundation
Book Images
Reference and live side by side Hover to see live images
Reference
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible spine
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible cover
Live
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible live spine
No live
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible spine Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible live spine
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible cover
No live
TAGS
Curated Derived
Art Artists Authors Biography Painting
CONNECTIONS
No connections
State
on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
2026-06-15 18:54
orientation
vertical
position_confidence
1.00
Details

Physical

binding_type
Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
G:N1:19 5 Current vertical 1.00 conf
5 hours, 23 minutes ago Moved to this shelf
Book Location
Updated 5 hours, 23 minutes ago
Vernon snapshot
View live

Frozen copy of Vernon's record from the last sync. Fields tagged → flow back into the Pulse record.

Last synced 2026-06-15 20:33 (3 hours, 44 minutes ago)

Identity

name→ title
Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible
vernon_id
19335
accession_no→ accession_number
12212
vernon_slug
forrest-bess-seeing-things-invisible-clare-elliott-with-a-contribution-by-robert-gober

Drives Pulse state

curr_loc_status→ on_shelf
On Shelf, Stored
location_name
Zone N1/Level 1/Phrontisterion/MONA
location_reason
On Shelf
isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9780300189735

Descriptive

production_date
2013
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
Accessioned
brief_description
Forrest Bess (1911-1977) spent most of his life on the Texas coast working as a commercial fisherman. In his spare time, however, he painted prolifically, creating an extraordinary body of work rich with enigmatic symbolism. Bess experienced hallucinations that both frightened and intrigued him, and he incorporated images from these visions into small-scale abstract paintings starting in the mid-1940s. His canvases attracted an underground following, and between 1949 and 1967, Betty Parsons organized six solo exhibitions of Bess s work at her prominent New York City gallery.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Clare Elliott, Robert Gober
tags→ tags
Art, Arts, Painting, Graphic arts, Persons, Artists, Outsider art, Outsider artists, Art brut
subject_people
Forrest Bess (American, b.1911, d.1977)
subject_objects
—

Cover image

vernon_cover_image_id→ cover_image
19062

Raw Vernon JSON

click to inspect

The source payload behind the snapshot above.
Use ⌘F to search once expanded.
{7 keys}
"slug": "forrest-bess-seeing-things-invisible-clare-elliott-with-a-contribution-by-robert-gober"
"opacObjectId": "19335"
"opacCollection": {1 keys}
"opacCollectionId": "1"
"imagesCollection": {2 keys}
"images": [1 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"imageId": "19062"
"cssColors": [3 items]
"[0]": {9 keys}
"hex": "bc8f8f"
"hue": 0
"rank": 1
"presence": 13.62
"colorName": "rosybrown"
"lightness": 65
"colorGroup": "brown"
"saturation": 25
"formattedColorName": "rosy brown"
"[1]": {9 keys}
"hex": "a52a2a"
"hue": 0
"rank": 2
"presence": 69.89
"colorName": "brown"
"lightness": 41
"colorGroup": "brown"
"saturation": 59
"formattedColorName": "brown"
"[2]": {9 keys}
"hex": "696969"
"hue": 0
"rank": 3
"presence": 12.18
"colorName": "dimgray"
"lightness": 41
"colorGroup": "gray"
"saturation": 0
"formattedColorName": "dim gray"
"rawColors": [7 items]
"[0]": {6 keys}
"hex": "dac4c6"
"hue": 354
"rank": 1
"presence": 13.62
"lightness": 81
"saturation": 22
"[1]": {6 keys}
"hex": "b52f34"
"hue": 357
"rank": 2
"presence": 69.89
"lightness": 44
"saturation": 58
"[2]": {6 keys}
"hex": "6d695c"
"hue": 45
"rank": 3
"presence": 12.18
"lightness": 39
"saturation": 8
"[3]": {6 keys}
"hex": "bd7c7d"
"hue": 359
"rank": 4
"presence": 3.46
"lightness": 61
"saturation": 32
"[4]": {6 keys}
"hex": "c7929e"
"hue": 346
"rank": 5
"presence": 0.37
"lightness": 67
"saturation": 32
"[5]": {6 keys}
"hex": "4f2d26"
"hue": 10
"rank": 6
"presence": 0.44
"lightness": 22
"saturation": 35
"[6]": {6 keys}
"hex": "b85b6c"
"hue": 349
"rank": 7
"presence": 0.05
"lightness": 53
"saturation": 39
"imageLabels": [10 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"count": 10019
"score": 86.04
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Rectangle"
"imageLabelId": 11
"[1]": {5 keys}
"count": 11007
"score": 83.64
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Art"
"imageLabelId": 4
"[2]": {5 keys}
"count": 5578
"score": 73.64
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Pattern"
"imageLabelId": 24
"[3]": {5 keys}
"count": 1083
"score": 73.62
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Symmetry"
"imageLabelId": 176
"[4]": {5 keys}
"count": 19421
"score": 73.32
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Font"
"imageLabelId": 12
"[5]": {5 keys}
"count": 2395
"score": 72.79
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Event"
"imageLabelId": 46
"[6]": {5 keys}
"count": 3297
"score": 72.37
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Circle"
"imageLabelId": 8
"[7]": {5 keys}
"count": 3380
"score": 66.0
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Visual arts"
"imageLabelId": 18
"[8]": {5 keys}
"count": 23
"score": 64.78
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Holiday"
"imageLabelId": 1138
"[9]": {5 keys}
"count": 3985
"score": 62.15
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Electric blue"
"imageLabelId": 49
"imageDerivatives": [6 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/large/5868/bf05d78118599934ababd5ff64c2e05e0011809e.jpg"
"width": "728"
"height": "800"
"identifier": "LARGE"
"[1]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/medium/5868/bf05d78118599934ababd5ff64c2e05e0011809e.jpg"
"width": "364"
"height": "400"
"identifier": "MEDIUM"
"[2]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/nano/5868/bf05d78118599934ababd5ff64c2e05e0011809e.jpg"
"width": "32"
"height": "35"
"identifier": "NANO"
"[3]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/small/5868/bf05d78118599934ababd5ff64c2e05e0011809e.jpg"
"width": "136"
"height": "150"
"identifier": "SMALL"
"[4]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/tiny/5868/bf05d78118599934ababd5ff64c2e05e0011809e.jpg"
"width": "68"
"height": "75"
"identifier": "TINY"
"[5]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/xlarge/5868/bf05d78118599934ababd5ff64c2e05e0011809e.jpg"
"width": "1091"
"height": "1200"
"identifier": "XLARGE"
"totalImages": 1
"objectSearchScore": 0.30808532
"opacObjectFieldSets": [40 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "accession_no"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "12212"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible / Clare Elliott ; with a contribution by Robert Gober"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "title"
"value": "Forrest Bess : seeing things invisible / Clare Elliott ; with a contribution by Robert Gober"
"[2]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "other_name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "artist_last_first"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Elliott, Clare"
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Gober, Robert"
"[4]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "2013"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [2 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "earliest_date"
"value": "2013-01-01Z"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"key": "latest_date"
"value": "2013-12-31Z"
"[5]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[6]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "edition"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[7]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "brief_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Forrest Bess (1911-1977) spent most of his life on the Texas coast working as a commercial fisherman. In his spare time, however, he painted prolifically, creating an extraordinary body of work rich with enigmatic symbolism. Bess experienced hallucinations that both frightened and intrigued him, and he incorporated images from these visions into small-scale abstract paintings starting in the mid-1940s. His canvases attracted an underground following, and between 1949 and 1967, Betty Parsons organized six solo exhibitions of Bess s work at her prominent New York City gallery."
"[8]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "measure_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[9]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "credit_line"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[10]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc_status"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "On Shelf"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "curr_loc_status:"On Shelf""
"[1]": {2 keys}
"value": "Stored"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "curr_loc_status:"Stored""
"[11]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "ob_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Accessioned"
"[12]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "lender"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[13]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_owner"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[14]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[15]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_start"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[16]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_expiry"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[17]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[18]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Zone N1/Level 1/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Duplicate; Reserve; Open-ended Shelving/Back store room/Chardonnay Drive"
"[19]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "object_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "object_type:"Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication""
"[20]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "collection"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Library of Everything (LoE)/Special Collections/Library"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "collection:"Library of Everything (LoE)/Special Collections/Library""
"[21]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Houston/Texas/United States of America"
"[22]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_publisher"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Menil Foundation"
"[23]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "physical_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "111 pages : illustrations (colour) ; 28 cm."
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Includes bibliography."
"[24]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "language"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "English"
"[25]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "isbn_issn"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "9780300189735"
"[26]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_1"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "MOE 709.2 BES"
"[27]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "usual_loc_being"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Zone N1/Level 1/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Side B/Stack 2/Library Storeroom/Zone 1/Ground/Moonah Offices & Storage"
"[28]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_class"
"opacObjectFields": [4 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Art brut/Art/Arts"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Art brut/Art/Arts""
"[1]": {2 keys}
"value": "Outsider art/Art/Arts"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Outsider art/Art/Arts""
"[2]": {2 keys}
"value": "Outsider artists/Artists/Persons"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Outsider artists/Artists/Persons""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"value": "Painting/Graphic arts/Art/Arts"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Painting/Graphic arts/Art/Arts""
"[29]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_date"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[30]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible; 19 Apr 2013-18 Aug 2014"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_event:"Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible; 19 Apr 2013-18 Aug 2014""
"[31]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_period"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[32]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[33]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Forrest Bess (American, b.1911, d.1977)"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_person:"Forrest Bess (American, b.1911, d.1977)""
"[34]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[35]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[36]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[37]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[38]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[39]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_9"
"opacObjectFields": [4 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "1: Shelf copy: 111 pages : illustrations (colour) ; 28 cm."
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Includes bibliography."
"[2]": {1 keys}
"value": "2: Duplicate: 111 pages : illustrations (colour) ; 28 cm."
"[3]": {1 keys}
"value": "Includes bibliography."
"relationshipsCollection": {2 keys}
"relationships": [1 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"relatedRecords": [2 items]
"[0]": {3 keys}
"slug": "clare-elliott"
"title": "Clare Elliott"
"relatedRecordId": "24835"
"[1]": {3 keys}
"slug": "robert-gober"
"title": "Robert Gober"
"relatedRecordId": "851"
"relationshipId": "object_prod_pri_person"
"relatedRecordType": "person"
"totalRelatedRecords": 2
"totalRelationships": 1
Topics and Themes