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Eddie Owens Martin - the Wizard of Pasaquan. Born on the 4th of July to a Marion County, Georgia share-cropper, he would die the self-proclaimed “St. EOM, the Wizard of Pasaquan.” Martin built a visionary culture that he was shown in a feverish dream, on parched Georgia land near Buena Vista, Georgia.
Eddie Martin was a novelty. He wore candy-striped turbans and feathered headdresses. He flowed with robes and jingled with jewelry. During his lifetime he was thought of mostly as a misfit. Since his death, acceptance and a measure of understanding have slowly taken root. Pasaquan, his home, has now been called “one of the three or four most important folk art centers in America.” His art, which consists of watercolors, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, wall hangings, costumes and musical instruments, now hangs in museums and galleries and is a collection as enigmatic as its creator.
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