KDOA

Tag: outsider art

  • Martha Grunenwaldt (1910 – 2008)

    Martha Grunenwaldt (1910 – 2008)

    Martha was born into a musical family where she began life as a folk violinist. She went on to marry a fellow musician, who then took her daughter away from her on their separation. She didn’t begin to create art until the age of 71, after being reunited with her daughter. Martha had worked in later life on a farm where her employers had been so strict that she had not even been allowed to touch her violin. She began using her grandchildren’s crayons and coloured pencils and working on the back of postcards or the reverse side of her daughter’s political posters.  Martha drew images of an ideal world full of colours and shapes; where delicate female faces peer out from within dense patterns.

    Here are some examples of her work:

     

     

     

     

     

    Image courtesy of www.outsider-artworld.com 

     

     

    Martha Grunenwaldt’s work can be seen at:

    abcd Collection, Paris

    L’Arcine Collection, Musee d’Art Moderne, Lille Metropole

    Art en Marge Collection, Brussels

    Eternod/Mermod Collection, Lausanne

    Musee de la Creation Franche, Begles

    References:

    Raw Vision Outsider Art Sourcebook, 2009

  • Fleury-Joseph Crepin (1875 – 1948)

    Fleury-Joseph Crepin (1875 – 1948)

    Crepin was a plumper from the port of Calais in France. He only began painting in his sixties, after experiencing an increase in his spiritual powers subsequent to meeting painter and medium Victor Simon. Influenced by supernatural voices, Crepin began to fill sketchbooks with dedicatedly symmetrical designs. Crepin’s works are surprisingly mathematical in their creation. He would create his paintings by enlarging sketches onto canvas using a compass and a ruler. Crepin’s hypnotic works are generally based on architectural forms and geometric patterns to which he added human figures and animals. Convinced of his ability to end wars, Crepin believed that the Second World War would end on the completion of his 300th painting; something which by chance did in fact happen.  Jean Dubuffet, who coined the term Art Brut, believed Crepin to be an ‘anti-natural’ artist and was thoroughly intrigued by these spiritual symmetric pieces. After completing 300 works, Crepin moved on to what he called ‘Tableux merveilleux’ of which he completed 45 before his death.

     

    See some examples of Crepin’s work below:

     

    Places to see the work of Crepin:

    abcd Collection, Paris

    L’Aracine Collection, Musee d’Art Moderne, Lille Metropole

    Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne

    Eternod/Mermod Collection, Lausanne

    Sources:

    Raw Vision’s Outsider Art Sourcebook

  • Is this the end of Traditional Outsider Art?

    Is this the end of Traditional Outsider Art?

    “In the early days, self-taught art made its way to New York via pickers, who trolled around the back roads of the South looking for visually oriented wackos, bought their work in bulk, and sold it for a big profit.” [1]

    The gap between traditional Outsider Art and the Outsider Art of the contemporary art world is become increasingly expansive. Often, when we conjure up an image of an Outsider Artist in our head, we imagine an obsessive recluse; perhaps incarcerated within a mental institution. In the twenty-first century, however, this is far from reality. The growing group of organisations and ‘progressive’ studios that liberally encourage creativity in those who are by various means marginalised from society are becoming the norm.

    No longer do psychiatrists or doctors trawl institutions, inquiring as to whether anyone has made any ‘strange creations’ of late; once a common way of locating Outsider Art in the early twentieth century. Drug therapies, talking therapies and the general change in attitude, particularly toward those who are suffering with mental health problems, have altered the landscape of Outsider Art forever.

    Lucienne Piery, in her book entitled ‘Art Brut: The Origins of Outsider Art’ claims:

    “The fact is that inventive creations have not been located in psychiatric hospitals since the 1950s, when drug therapies became widespread, except for the few notable exceptions who are represented by precisely those patients who are not medicated.” [2]

    The Outsider Art world is become more inclusive. The term itself is not so much a retrospective label, defining the work of artists whose work was uncovered on their death. Instead, it defines a new calibre of marginalised artists who are proactive in getting their art seen; who want to show it to as many people as possible, to have exhibitions and enter competitions. Despite what I mention here about the increasing inclusivity of the genre, there are many institutions who still yearn for the ‘authentic reclusive madman’. For example, the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne; the collection pioneered by Jean Dubuffet himself, carries out a strict examination on works that are to be entered into the collection. Piery describes this examination:

    “It is necessary to have a body of works in order to evaluate how independent and original the artist is… The examination requires information about the life and personality of the artist, his motivations and the conditions of creation… The museum’s selections and acquisitions are based on the following five criteria: social marginality, cultural virginity, the disinterested character of the work, artistic autonomy and inventiveness.”[3]

    I think the more inclusive nature of Outsider Art can only be a good thing. The technological era we now live in makes it almost impossible for anyone to be culturally virginal; to find someone who is almost completely culturally untouched would be incredibly difficult.

    Present day Outsider Artists have much more control over the interpretation, display and sale of their own work. They have been given more autonomy, but organisations that aim to provide a platform for marginalised artists act as a middle-man to help overcome their vulnerability to exploitation. The artists now have a say in whether their biography becomes the focal point; taking on more importance than their work, or whether they would prefer not to discuss their background at all. The interpretation of Outsider Art used to be the domain of the ‘white western’ curator, but that right has now been (quite rightly) handed back to the artists themselves.

    [1] Larissa MacFarquhar, ‘Crazy About Art’ in the New York Times, 29th January 1996

    [2] Lucienne Piery, Art Brut: The Origins of Outsider Art, Published by the Collection de l’Art Brut, 2001, p 195

    [3] Ibid, p 197

  • What’s On: July 2012

    What’s On: July 2012

    ‘British Outsider Art’

    At Bethlem Heritage
    7th July – 3rd November 2012

    www.bethlemheritage.org.uk

    ‘Tight Modern’

    Tight Modern (a miniature version of Tate Modern) has just finished a stint at Royal Brompton Hospital in London. The exhibition will be in Brighton from the 9th until the 12th of August 2012 at East Street Bastion.

    www.wix.com/tightmodern/gallery
    www.creativefuture.org.uk

    ‘One in Four’

    An online auction being held by Studio Upstairs between 12th July and 23rd July 2012. A viewing night of the artworks will be held at The Royal Academy of Arts on the 20th July 2012. The auction is a collaboration between Studio Upstairs and The Royal Academy of Arts to raise awareness of the fact that one in four people will suffer with a mental illness in their lifetime.

    www.studioupstairs.org.uk

    ‘August Walla Retrospective’

    At Galerie Gugging
    Until 28th October 2012

    www.gugging.org

    ‘Outside In: London 2012’

    At Cafe Gallery (part of CGP London) to coincide with the Paralympics
    16th August – 9th September 2012

    www.outsidein.org.uk

    ‘Outside In: National 2012’

    The deadline for the national competition is 20th July 2012. Maginalised artists are able to submit up to 2 pieces of work from their Outside In online gallery to the competition.

    www.outsidein.org.uk

    ‘Creative Response: Summer Exhibition’

    12th June – 13th July 2012

    www.creativeresponsearts.org

  • Nikifor (1895 – 1968)

    Nikifor (1895 – 1968)

    Nikifor was born in Poland to a domestic servant and an unknown father. His mother died during his childhood, meaning he was left to rely on the goodwill of his community for survival; poor, illiterate and with a severe speech impediment. Nikifor began to provide for himself by begging, before a stay in hospital introduced him to watercolours. By 13, Nikifor was painting on discarded paper and cigarette packets which he would then stamp the back of and sell to people passing by. He then travelled from village to village trying to sell his art, using the name Nikifor Matejko; the surname of a famous Polish artist – possibly highlighting how strongly he considered himself to be a professional artist. He used a variety of materials to create his work, including watercolour, gouache and crayon; works which portrayed the countryside or intricately detailed buildings.

    You might notice there are inscriptions that lie along the bottom of many of Nikifor’s works; these often do not make any sense or do not mean anything in particular. It has been noted that he may have added these to his pieces to give the illusion of his literacy.

    Nikifor’s work did receive some interest during his lifetime, and was even exhibited across Europe as well as in America. However, it wasn’t until much later in his life that people began to take a serious interest in his work; at a point when creating was becoming a burden to him.

    Nikifor considered himself superior to others because he was an artist; despite the little acclaim and acknowledgement he receieved really right up until the end of his artistic career. He is however very well known in Poland, with a museum dedicated to his work in his hometown of Krynica.

    Below are some of Nikifor’s cityscapes and intricately painted buildings:

     

    Sources:

    • Outsider Art Sourcebook, published by RawVision

  • ‘Framing Marginalised Art’

    ‘Framing Marginalised Art’

    I have just been doing some research for my dissertation into the different display techniques used by curators when exhibiting ‘outsider’ art and I came across the following categories in a book entitled Framing Marginalised Art by Karen Jones, Eugen Koh, Nurin Veis, Anthony White, Rosalind Hurworth, Johanna Bell, Brad Shrimpton and Anthony Fitzpatrick.

    1) Biographical Emphasis

    This way of exhibiting the work focuses on the biography of the artist. Although this is often viewed as a negative way to display the work of marginalised artists, Marcus Davies, in his 2007 book On Outsider Art and the Margins of the Mainstream, claims that it has some positives.

    One of the positive points that Davies focuses on is the way that this form of framing can make the work of ‘outsiders’ become more understandable, as the viewer can begin to see the circumstances from which the work is created. It is a also a way to show work that is perhaps culturally and aesthetically complex and it can also give the artist a voice; a voice with which they can tell their story.

    However, this display technique can “add to preconceptions that Outsider Art comes from a place of extreme otherness; the life of the artist may overshadow the actual artwork.”[1] Using a biographical emphasis can often be a substitute for real engagement with the work; however, this method is extremely popular when it comes to exhibiting ‘outsider’ art, and it has raised the marketability of work and exhibitions of the kind.

    2) Formal Emphasis

    This emphasis tries to eliminate the distraction or substitution of a biographical context and instead encourage a direct and uninterrupted engagement with the work itself on an aesthetic level. This method allows the work to speak for itself and lets the audience make a decision for themselves based on “the product of the individual’s art-making process and the intended use of the art object.”[2] Here, “formal considerations function to level the playing field between inside and out.”[3]

    An example of the use of a formal emphasis within an exhibition is the Musgrave Kinley Outsider Art Collection at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, where ‘outsider’ art was displayed alongside the work of mainstream artists. Another viable example of this framing technique is the Inner Worlds Outside exhibition held at Whitechapel Gallery in London – where works by ‘outsider’ artists were displayed alongside the work of German Expressionists.

    However, Framing Marginalised Art argues that despite being the most aligned with the contemporary art world, this method also has its downsides. Using a formal emphasis can, argue the authors, do a disservice to the artist; “muting their individual voices and ‘obscuring important ethical questions about the personal and social costs of the production of this art’.”[4]

    3) Appropriate Emphasis

    This emphasis focuses on the individual relationship between the artwork and the audience. An example of this emphasis used within an exhibition can be seen in Parallel Visions: Modern Artists and Outsider Art held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1992. Davies claims that “in recasting the relationship between modern and Outsider Art, the exhibition replaced the standard frameworks of biographical and formal analysis with a more flexible model based on meaningful interactions between artwork, beholder, and context.”[5]

    Maurice Tuchman, co-curator of the exhibition, noted that by displaying ‘outsider’ art alongside ‘established, canonical’ artists, “all works are equally valid as art…. aesthetically challenging and intensely involving.”[6]

    4) Patrimonial Emphasis

    The emphasis here is on the promotion and preservation of ‘outsider’ art. It is “concerned with the ‘far-reaching cultural implications of outsider production’ which provides ‘a philosophical outlook premised on the preservation of culturally significant creations in deference to their specific social contexts’.”[7]

    I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on these ’emphases’; whether you think they are a valid way of ‘categorising’ ‘outsider’ art exhibitions, or, perhaps, you think there are other techniques used commonly within the exhibition of marginalised art?

    References:

    [1] Framing Marginalised Art by Jones Veis, White, Hurworth, Bell, Shrimpton and Fitzpatrick (2010), p 29 (Appendix 2)

    [2] Ibid.

    [3] Ibid.

    [4] Ibid.

    [5] Framing Marginalised Art by Jones Veis, White, Hurworth, Bell, Shrimpton and Fitzpatrick (2010), p 30 (Appendix 2)

    [6] Ibid.

    [7] Ibid.

  • Mr Imagination (1948 – 2012)

    Mr Imagination (1948 – 2012)

    “Years ago my great aunt predicted I was going to be a minister, and in a way she was right,” Warmack said. “I think every artist is a minister and a messenger in a way.”

     

    Gregory Warmack, better known as Mr. Imagination, died on 30th May 2012 in an Atlanta Hospital aged 64.

    Dedicating his life to creating spiritually powerful art, Mr. I’s creations consisted of discarded items such as bottle caps and paintbrushes which he began to make after he woke from a coma following a robbery in the late 1970s.

    Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector’s Guide, a 1996 book, claimed that Mr. I “beats the Chicago Sanitation Department to back-alley waste and assembles what most of us would consider trash into sculptures of great power… Warmack’s work is beautiful, but it has another level as well – it is about the black experience and Warmack’s search for his African roots.”[1]

    In the later years of his life, Warmack set up and ran workshops for children; Carl Hammer, a gallery owner claims that “he was very effective in communicating to children the idea that your imagination can allow you to create art from any material….it wasn’t just something you did with a brush and paint.” [2]

    Some of his works are shown below:



     

     

    References:

    [1] http://www.suntimes.com/news/obituaries/12871422-418/chicago-artist-famed-for-using-bottle-caps-was-known-as-mr-imagination.html

    [2] http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-05-31/entertainment/ct-mov-0601-mr-imagination-obit-20120531_1_bottle-caps-community-arts-center-outsider-art

  • Diego Samper – Panopticon

    Diego Samper – Panopticon

    In 2003, Diego Samper was given the opportunity to tour a recently closed 120 year old Columbian prison in the town of Ibague, which was based on the idea of the British Panopticon prison; as its design allowed for increased surveillance and enabled hidden jailers to see every cell from a single position. The building itself housed political prisoners in the late nineteenth century.

    The prisoners who were incarcerated within this jail were allowed to freely express themselves on the walls of their cells; the idea being that they could create their own ‘space.’

    Within the confines of the Ibague jail, prisoners seeking subjective freedom and solace, protested and expressed their opposition by richly decorating every surface. They deluged the prison with flowers, stars, saints, birds, fishes, mermaids and peacocks. The captive population asserted the significance of decoration for the soul in opposition to the machine aesthetic stripped down by the philosophy of modernism.[1]

    On his visit, Samper may have anticipated hard core pornography, but apart from the representation of a few nude females, the art was predominantly religious, or based on the idea of freedom. He was surprised by the vividness of colour used – he even claimed to have only taken a black and white film, on the assumption that the works would all be muted greys. [2]

    Samper photographed many of the works he encountered, realising that they were evidence of the abundant freedom that our own imagination can bestow upon us. In a place of isolation and incarceration, many of the prisoners sought out solace and salvation through religion, or indeed simply the momentary experience of freedom through their own creativity.

    Fascinated by the idea of increased surveillance and how it is in human nature to express or seek freedom even in the most hopeless states of oppression, Samper used 80 of the images to create a film entitled Panopticon, which is described as “a kind of visual dreamy sequence that occasionally turns into a nightmare.” [3]

    The film journeys through a rich visual underworld of prisoner art and psychology and through it, reveals aspects of contemporary Columbian social and political realities. [4]

    The idea of the Panopticon design itself has perhaps come to be a representation of the modern, technological world we now live in. With CCTV cameras around every corner, the average person can expect to be captured between 70 and 300 times per day in the UK. There is the feeling of a general global loss of freedom. Samper’s film is an evidential example of the freedom and escape that our own imagination and creativity can give us; particularly in today’s world where the margins of freedom, privacy and escape are becoming increasingly narrow.

    References:

    [1] from Notes Concerning the Panopticon, by Geoffrey Smedley, available online at: http://www.diegosamper.com/panopticonEn.html

    [2] http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20120615/SECHELT0501/306159998/-1/sechelt/prison-art-in-samper-film

    [3] http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20120615/SECHELT0501/306159998/-1/sechelt/prison-art-in-samper-film

    [4] http://www.diegosamper.com/panopticonEn.html

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DIEGO SAMPER’S WORK, PLEASE VISIT: www.diegosamper.com

  • ‘Insider Art’: The Work of Artists in Prison

    ‘Insider Art’: The Work of Artists in Prison

    Matthew Meadows’ book entitled ‘Insider Art’ looks at the rise in art made by prisoners and how this work has come to take a prominent place within the contemporary art world. Grayson Perry writes the foreword for the book, in which he notes that in this ‘Insider Art’ he sees “the basic human desire to make something tangible out of thoughts and feelings.” [1] These works remind Perry of where he came from and are a sobering reminder that perhaps at one point in his life he could have taken a “darker turn” but instead he chose art; much as many of these prisoners who create this ‘Insider Art’ have done, but perhaps a little later than Perry did.

    I’m an artist, and it’s a passion which burns with me to the point that it hurts. I am self-taught through books and many a long night and a short pencil. [2]

    This statement highlighted by Meadows in his first chapter is written by an inmate at HMP Wealstun. In the UK in 2009, 90,000 men and women were in custody, on remand sentenced or detained; 3,000 of which were young people. But why is ‘Insider Art’ so popular?

    Meadows argues that the “risk taking and rule breaking” appear within some of these works and that we “respond to its conviction, originality and often compelling content.” [3] In recent years, we have seen the establishment of prison arts charities; one of the most predominant being The Koestler Trust which was founded in 1962 by Arthur Koestler. In the USA, ‘Insider Art’ has established a market for itself both online and within galleries and in Holland, plans are in place to open a permanent collection of prison art from Europe in an unused prison building.

    Meadows also broaches the subject of victim responses to the exhibition and promotion of work created by those incarcerated in prisons across the world. Kelly Flyn of Victim Support claims that there is no unanimous thought held by victims:

    Victims’ views are extremely diverse and range from lifelong anger to total disinterest and feelings are likely to change over time. Therefore it’s just not possible to be able to say what victims might or might not think of prisoners’ art – there would be those who’d think it outrageous that prisons provide art courses, those who have no view one way or another, and those who’d say it’s a good idea. [4]

    It is a very sensitive subject. When the artist of a very well-known piece of art hanging in the Royal Festival Hall was revealed to be a child murderer and sex offender serving a life sentence, many were outraged that he was able to exhibit his work and even earn money from it. After much protestation, his work was removed from the gallery and the Royal Festival Hall issued a formal apology to the families of his victims.

    It can be difficult for people in society to see the possible benefit that might come out of exhibiting ‘Insider Art’. An article written for the Guardian in 2007 entitled ‘Arts in Prison Can Bring Hope to Broken Lives’ claims that whilst there is no excuse for committing crime or causing harm, “it’s usually the case that those who do behave badly towards others lack any real sense of self-worth or self-respect. And people who do not feel good about themselves are hardly likely to feel empathy or consideration for others.” [5] Creative activity in itself considerably aids personal development and it can bring hope or meaning to “broken, dysfunctional lives.” [6] A lot of people who begin creating art, or undertaking any creative activity, in the prison environment often have not had any experience of it beforehand. The opportunity for them to try such things can have spectacular results.

    Stretch, like The Koestler Trust, is another charity that aims to bring art into prisons. Recognising that art galleries and museums were out of bounds to prisoners, Stretch established a way to take the museum to the prisoners. They created virtual tours of museums such as the V&A, as well as asking artists to go into the prisons and share their ideas and head workshops with the prisoners. The workshops have even led to prisons gaining work placements on their release.

    Erwin James, author of the Guardian article, closes with:

    Engaging with art can restore confidence and self-worth; it can improve sociability and generate aspiration. Art and creative activity can be the perfect vehicle for revealing the complexities of the human condition. Prisons should open their doors wide to anyone who wants to promote it, and the government should recognise its value as an effective deterrent to re-offending.

    Afterall, “prisoner lives enhanced bring enhancement to the wider community.” [7]

    References:

    [1] Matthew Meadows, Insider Art, (A & C, 2010) p 8

    [2] Meadows, Insider Art, p 11

    [3] Meadows, Insider Art, p 11

    [4] Meadows, Insider Art, p 12

    [5] http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/artblog/2007/jul/19/artsinprisoncanbringhope

    [6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/artblog/2007/jul/19/artsinprisoncanbringhope

    [7] http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/artblog/2007/jul/19/artsinprisoncanbringhope

  • What’s On – June 2012

    What’s On – June 2012

    Flash of Splendour Artists

    Image
    Charlie Lagden, The London Job, 2009

    Flash of Splendour Artists @ Threadneedle Street, London

    Ongoing

    Flash of Splendour Artists is a “groundbreaking and highly acclaimed not-for-profit creative arts organisation working with music, poetry and the visual arts to effect societal change.”

    The exhibition itself will focus on the work of 5 young British artists who are mentored by Flash of Splendour Arts.

    The organisation itself specialises in “fostering creativity and self-determination in children and young adults, with a passionate interest in empowering those disempowered, for whatever reason, by their societal positioning.”

    For more information please visit: www.flashofsplendour.com

    Creative Future

    // Tight Modern Submissions \\

    50 works will be selected from submissions by marginalised or disabled artists to go on a touring exhibition across Sussex and London. The gallery is a minute replica of the Tate Modern, will dimensions of 8 ft x 5 ft with a 12 ft high chimney.

    Images that are submitted should be original, photographs, collages or computer generated, measuring 18 x 13 cm or 13 x 13 cm. Each artwork entered will cost £5.

    There are prizes of £250, £175 and £75.

    DEADLINE: 4TH JUNE 2012

    Once selections are made, the exhibition will take place at the following venues, on the following dates:

    London: 13th – 17th June @ Royal Brompton Hospital

    Brighton: 9th – 12th August @ East Street Bastion

    London: 10th October @ Gillet Square, Hackney

    Chichester: 9th – 11th November @ Pallant House Gallery

    For more information please visit: www.wix.com/tightmodern/gallery

    Studio Upstairs

    Image

    RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW @ CRE8 Centre, Hackney Wick

    31st May – 7th June

    “A group show focusing on the lives of ten Studio Upstairs artists…. Where the viewer is invited into the secret world of each artist.”

    For more information please visit: www.studioupstairs.org.uk

    Outsider Folk Art Gallery

    Image

    Intertwined @ The Freedman Gallery at Albright College – Reading PA, USA

    20th May – 1st July 2012

    This exhibition “examines the artistic relationship of a mother and daughter, and a father and son, who have experienced extraordinary circumstances.”

    For more information please visit: www.outsiderfolkart.com

    The Graeter Art Gallery

    ImageTridacna @ The Graeter Art Gallery

    3rd May onwards

    The artworks on display in this exhibition mirror the struggle of the Tridacna; a creature which when put in peril will vanish, leaving behind just a skeleton.

    The exhibition includes pieces that represented “suspended dreams” and a “romantic merging of humanity, nature and animal.”

    For more information please visit: www.graeterartgallery.com

    Bethlem Heritage

    Hollow Space and Outgrowth @ Bethlem Gallery

    13th June – 13th July 2012

    “Artists from Bethlem Gallery respond to the historical and art  collection in the Archives and Museum.”

    For more information please visit: www.bethlemheritage.co.uk