What, exactly, is outsider art? The label evokes a jumble of adjectives, from amateur to self-taught, shoddy to innovative, mad to genius, naive to prophetic. With this question in mind, we attended the 20th annual Outsider Art Fair in New York City over the weekend. Browsing through the over 30 booths, we asked curators, scholars, and the artists themselves what the term “outsider art” means to them, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of having one’s work labeled as such. As expected, the answers varied. View what those in the field had to say, along with some of the Fair’s highlights, after the jump.
Art by Purvis Young. Photo by Aaron Colussi.
“It’s a pejorative term and it’s terrible because it reduces the price of very good artists. The self-taught artists that I deal with are honest people. I’ve been a collector for many, many years, and I know the difference between contrived art and non-contrived art. I love the fact that these people don’t have any boundaries, that they haven’t been taught what the end of the envelope is. They’ve got something in their mind, and they have to create it. You don’t go to school to learn how to do this. You either have it or you don’t, and that’s what turns me on.” — George Viener, Owner of Outsider Folk Art Gallery
Art by Tom Duncan. Photo by Aaron Colussi.
Comments (13)
some thing to read
My Brother Ben Hotchkiss had work at that show with the Yard Dog gallery, his work is more on the abstract contemporary side of Outsider art, rather than the folk art side. He is untrained, and feels the need to “get the art out of his head” and on a painting. His work is unlike anything else out there, and has a different effect on each viewer.
for me it’s just the money, i can afford art supplies but the ‘art business’ has too many rules and fees and percentages
it’s the freedom that i love, i do ‘my art’ and ‘their art’ their art pays for the art supplies
Most dealers will describe a movement in the terms that best promote their own fiscal agenda. Any movement that is defined by the demographics of those who create it is not relevant, ie “Art by people with autism” is no more a movement and of itself than is “Art by women” – under those vague, sociological labels can exist a conceptual breadth of art – or lack thereof. Kudos for woman from The Ames Gallery, getting to the heart of the movements motives and validity, with the important caveat regarding labels more generally.
It’s just another label in the class system designed to keep you either in or out. Dealers have the final word because they know everything. Dealer itself is a class. You either contrive your work for them or you don’t. Those of us who don’t have some difficulty with art supplies and food.
I’m actually into this subject and Flavorpill emails me *after* it happened.
Denis Johnson named it in his novel The Name of the World:
“…I realized that what I first require of a work is that its agenda–is that the word I want?–not include me. I don’t want its aims put in doubt by an attempt to appeal to me, by any awareness of me at all”
That observation has freed me to create from the inside – my eyes, not another’s.
Currently there are over 100 terms that are being used when referring to outsider art. Seriously, I believe that this term is really nothing more than a marketing tactic. Even art brut has been coopted by gallery owners and mass market designers. There is a passion and an obsession to outsider art, and a story that lies within each artist. Unfortunately, the current marketplace has corrupted and commercialize this uniqueness and blurred the lines of originality. What is “outsider art?” Ask Walmart.
I really enjoyed this article. And it was quite delightful to see P. Young acknowledged. He was a good guy with a deep soul.
Enjoyed the selections very much. However, am mostly moved to comment by the “view as a single page” option. Thank you! Please continue to offer this option.
YES! I whole- heartedly second the above “view as a single page” option.
Flavorpill is responding to it’s viewer’s clamoring. The beast of complaint & exasperation thanks you w a weary grin.
Art by definition is “What You See”…
Paul, you’ve really got it. You are truly a master of both culture and awesome.
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