What makes an outsider artist

Assyriologist and associate professor Martin Worthington, who worked on translations for the Marvel movie, created the first film entirely in Babylonian in In her solo exhibition, the artist creates an installation that is many things but unified is not one of them. Brendan L. Smith is a mixed-media artist, freelance writer, and arts educator in Washington, D. In past lives, he was a staff reporter for newspapers across More by Brendan L.

Another outsider or visionary artist worth mentioning is St. It is a beautiful place, restored by the Kohler Foundation a few years ago. What great observations. I too am confused by the terms, outsider, outlier, self taught, emerging and mid-career, just to name a few. Subscribe to our newsletter Get the latest news, reviews, and commentary delivered directly to your inbox. Sign Up. Skip to content. Become a Member. Outsider art is exemplified by the work of the Irish landscape painter James Dixon who lived on windswept Tory Island, off the coast of Donegal.

Dixon's outstanding artistic talents only became apparent when he took up painting at the age of 72! Note that Outsider art describes works created outside the norm: it does not refer simply to artists who are unconventional. Thus, for instance, followers of Dada , or any other anti-art movements are not considered to be Outsider artists.

Similarly, it does not include the well-documented drawings and paintings of autistic artists, if those artists are working within the mainstream art scene. For an explanation of the the creative arts, see: Art Definition, Meaning. For the top 3-D artworks, see: Greatest Sculptures Ever. He even made pencil studies sometimes. Therefore, it follows who sets the margins, what are the boundaries? I like to see how people use the label, it is sort of a barometer for me to tell how much they really know about art.

It is a joke term now. Cardinal actually coined the term. Outsider Art for what it was originally defined is no more though. I hate the word. Ebay you say? Oh my god, I looked on eBay. I know!!!! I mean see for yourself, go to Ebay and type in. Not sure if it was ever truly authentic. Howard Finster, for one, made work on a conveyor belt with teams of assistants not unlike Warhol. Thank you for writing this! Exactly my reaction to the original piece on Vainity. Another wrinkle in the outsider puzzle is, if someone has seen the effects of art on popular culture, or has seen the art themselves, and made work in response — but could never write a piece of criticism elucidating that response, or even describe it to a friend — does that make the art any less responsive?

Must all responses be expressible linguistically? Why make art at all then? They are so hard to vet. No credentials! Their talks might suck. I nearly always skip the talk anyway, no biggie.

Or it could be other things a tradition not enough people are really critically examining the role, use, or full creative and social effect of? Or a combination of things, too.

Who knows … right? What is the default category then? How much does it matter? Plus, a few of those phrases could seem to describe all artists — or definitely a tremendous buttload of them, self-trained or trained by other professionals alike. Maybe one day I will, I figure. Either way, it keeps me coming back for more. With Outsider art the compulsion may be in charge, somewhat like an addict or even autism. Organization involves cognition.

Most artists create while maintaining an artistic community including interacting with institutions that specialize in artistic expression and utilizing strategies to exhibit or further a career. What about casually? All process and zero cognition? You might simply just think that the art you have in mind is an accidental mess and a failure too, no big deal.

Possibly, you respond favorably to organization … especially if you recognize it as such. According to your current taste, whatever it is. I only ask those questions because of how much your use for the outsider label, based on your comments, appears to rest on personal biography which sound like assumptions there and the mechanics of the internal process itself.

It feels like you are trying to describe the artist by way of the art, which can be deceptive to take too literally or faithfully. I think Jillian mentioned that above, but I agree with that. Or how. I think all artists probably want their art to work, however … if it can, whatever that means to them.