The American Visionary Art Museum is in Baltimore, MD. In its current exhibition, "Good Sports: The Wisdom & Fun of Fair Play," the outsider art displayed praises the capacity of sports to impart important ethical lessons of fairness and civility. Now there’s a political lesson for these times... Shown is "Father Time Racing" by Elijah Pierce. Image courtesy of the Columbus Museum of Art.
Visionary Art. Art Brut. Folk Art. Prison Art. Naïve Art. Self-Taught Art.
How have outsider artists channeled their talents for our common good? What action can you take today?
Outsider art typically refers to art created by self-taught individuals who are outside the mainstream art world, often without formal training or recognition. If you are an outsider artist, here are ways you might harness your creativity and talents to inspire, mobilize and unite people around sociopolitical causes:
Self-taught, Roberto Mamani Mamani is a Bolivian artist who draws heavy influence from Indigenous aesthetics. His use of color and symbols challenges a status quo that has often regarded Indigenous cultures as inferior to European culture.
Henry Darger was an American writer and artist who worked as a hospital custodian in Chicago, Illinois. Known for his intricate and fantastical illustrations, Darger's work often included themes of child labor, war, and oppression, reflecting his own experiences and observations of societal issues. His work was not discovered until after his death.
Are you aware of outsider artists who are mobilizing meaningful change in the world with their art form?
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