Above Image: Steve Murison, ‘Your Cat Was Sick at the Disco’
‘Upon a time I was really ill, and now I paint at my little desk, steaming mug of coffee at hand in the shadow of my pepper plant. As I step outside into the good of life I drag with me tales of horror, hope, witches and pills.’
Steve Murison, ‘Your Patchwork Witch has an Eternal Cat’Steve Murison, ‘Let Summer Howl Through the Guts of a Dog’Steve Murison, ‘Zombified Eternally’Steve Murison, ‘Take Another Trip with Your Black Tongued Pig’
I asked Steve about the excellent titles he gives his pieces, his response was:
“Each painting is a little story. As they take shape I try to encapsulate the tale, and the title has became an integral part of the process. Once it has a name it becomes tangible and present and I can start bringing it all together. Sometimes I have the title before I begin, but mostly it emerges as the lines become clear.”
I was recently having a think of ways to revamp the blog, especially after my currently-very-spaced-out posts (due to house move, no internet, etc.). I decided to start a ’round-up’ series that would include a mixture of Outsider Art news, recent articles on the subject (from newspapers, magazines, online, blogs), and relevant current or upcoming exhibitions. As this is the first installment of this new idea, please let me know what you think and what could be improved.
If you have any news, articles, exhibitions, or opportunities for artists that you would like to be considered for the round-up, please email them to kdoutsiderart@yahoo.com
News
Impact Art Fair at Block 336, Brixton
The Impact Art Fair – the UK’s first to display on works by those experiencing mental ill health, disability, or other socially exclusive circumstances – took place in the spacious (but sweaty) basement of Block 336 last weekend. The Fair itself was a tremendous success, with artists from all over the country represented on various stalls. The artwork was so diverse, ranging from intricate ink drawings, such as those by Colin Hambrook, to wildly bright ‘astral goats’ and ‘witches’ by the very talented Steve Murison.
Various organisations also held stalls displaying work by multiple artists. These included Bethlem Gallery, Outside In, and Action Space to name a few.
After assisting with the final stages of setting up on Thursday 25 July (as a member of staff at Creative Future – the organising organisation!), I stuck around for the private view, which was a resounding success. Artists, buyers, journalists, organisation staff, and the general public all came together to celebrate this fantastic display of truly tremendous and inspirational talent.
Between 18 September 2013 and 22 August 2014, the Halle Saint Pierre will be hosting a celebration of 25 years of Raw Vision Magazine. The exhibition will feature classical works of Art Brut, new discoveries, photos of extraordinary visionary environments and will include over 60 artists. Click here for more information on the upcoming anniversary exhibition.
This exhibition will coincide with the Outsider Art Fair in Paris for one weekend in October. The Outsider Art Fair will be taking place from 24 – 27 October 2013 at Hotel Le A, a 26-room boutique hotel 1 kilometer away from the Grand Palais, which will be concurrently hosting FIAC, France’s premier contemporary art fair.
Articles
Jillian Steinhauer – ‘Do We Still Need to Defend Outsider Art?
This article is Steinhauer’s response to Christian Viveros-Faune’s scathing attack on Outsider Art (read full attack here). In her article for Hyperallergic, Steinhauer picks apart Viveros-Faune’s arguments against the growth in popularity of Outsider Art and therefore it’s value as part of the art market.
Click here to read Steinhauer’s full article on Hyperalleric
Ralph Fasanella, ‘American Tragedy’, Courtesy of hyperallergic.com
A Perspective on the Heidelberg Conference on Outsider Art
In this blog post, a delegate from the Heidelberg Conference talks about their experience of the event, in particular the conversation around ethical issues. The conference took place in May 2013 at the University of Heidelberg, where the Prinzhorn Collection is housed. The article proves very interesting if you were unable to attend the conference. It also raises awareness of the ethical issues that do surround Outsider Art.
‘Art in the Asylum’ at the Djanogly Art Gallery, University Park Nottingham 7 September – 3 November 2013
This exhibition will present the first look at the evolution of artistic activity in British asylums from the early 1800s to the 1970s. Over nearly two centuries, the visual arts have played a significant part in the development of Psychiatric treatment methods; a period coinciding with a time of great chance in our understanding and treatment of mental disorder.
With over 150 selected works from National and International collections, this exhibition will trace the historical shift from invasive treatments which included psychosurgery, insulin coma therapy and restraint to a more humane regime in which creativity played a key part.
Below you will find some excellent and inspiring exhibitions that are taking place (mainly in the UK – sorry!) this spring and summer. From the Wellcome Collection to the Impact Art Fair; a dedicated art fair showcasing work by those facing barriers to the art world due to mental health reasons, disability, substance misuse or other social circumstances, there is bound to be something for everyone. I’m going to try and keep doing these ‘What’s On’ posts regularly to keep you all updated – and as 2013 seems to be a big year for the outsider art world! *(Click on the titles of the exhibitions to visit the webpage)*
This exhibition showcases more than 300 works for the first major display of Japanese Outsider Art in the UK. With 46 exceptionally talent artists represented; all of whom are residents and day visitors at social welfare institutions in Japan, this exhibition consists of an excitingly diverse range of ceramics, textiles, paintings, sculpture and drawing.
This exhibition at The Conference Centre presents artwork from Service Users at the Margarete Centre and highlights equality, opportunity and equal access to society as treatments for substance misuse. Alongside work by participants of the Margarete Centre are works by upcoming visionary artist Kate Bradbury.
Image from ‘The Gravy Train and Roads to Recovery’ Facebook Page
This touring exhibition consists of the work of 20 artists facing barriers to the art world selected through an open national competition. The tour features the six Award Winners from the Outside In: National exhibition: Kate Bradbury, Manuel Bonifacio, Matthew Sergison-Main, Michelle Roberts, Nigel Kingsbury and Phil Baird.
On the back of the success of Outside In: National, the work of Outside In artists will be popping up all over the country in 2013 – from The Museum of Somerset in the South West and Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in the South East right up to Perth Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland, and everywhere in between. For information on all of the dates and venues, visit Outside In’s website.
I Ar You: Portraits by Self-Taught American Artists features an intimate selection of important artists from the Deep South and beyond, presenting self-portraits and anonymous figures alongside images of celebrities, presidents and cowboys.
An exhibition surveying the work of individuals who create alternatives in art, science and architecture. Focusing on self-taught practitioners whose work is generally produced outside of established channels and official institutions, The Alternative Guide to the Universe features a range of contributors from fringe physicists to the inventors of new languages, from artists who map cities of the future to others who design imaginary technologies.
This will be the second Impact Art Fair organised by Creative Future, which showcases work by highly talented artists whose access to the mainstream is limited by mental health issues, disability, chronic ill health or social circumstance.
*N.B. If you are an artist, you can still enter work for selection for the Impact Art Fair up until 23 April 2013.
In this innovative exhibition, the power of self-taught artistic talent, the drive of the human spirit to create, and the wonders of highly original inner worlds are revealed. This show surprises and challenges museum goers, forces examination of the conventional definition of the word ‘artist’, and shows that good art is good art regardless of the maker’s resume.
This is an exhibition of large-scale paintings and detailed pencil drawings by Peter White. His work depicts visions and dreamscapes that take the viewer on a journey into abstracted landscapes, figures and happenings. “My exhibition reflects my experiences and my creations. There are some windows into my memory and mind, but the rest is just colour and form.”
This amazing world of discarded objects has been created by artist Stephen Wright, who uses everyday objects to create mosaics: milk bottle tops, broken dolls, crockery and the rich pickings of car boot sales. The museum is open by appointment, but there are open days on 11 May, 8 June, 6 July, 3 August and 7 September 2013.
KDOA 