McNease was a self-proclaimed “feral artist” of the bayou — a true self-taught Outsider who lived alone at the edge of Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana. Early on he gained serious critical recognition for his abstract natural photography. He then invented an entirely new technique of pigment transfer, amassing dried brushstrokes to create paintings that are actually collages. He must be ranked among the most innovative contemporary artists of the late 20th century.