Justin McCarthy: A Visionary of Pop and Folk Justin McCarthy (1891-1977) remains a captivating enigma in the annals of American art, an artist whose unique vision—a blend of naive expressionism, pop culture fascination, and biblical storytelling—anticipated movements like Pop Art decades before their formal emergence. Born in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, into a family steeped in journalism and political activity (his father was a prominent newspaper publisher), McCarthy’s artistic journey began not through formal training but as a deeply personal response to a significant life event: a nervous br…