Movement Outsider Art

The term 'Outsider Art' was coined by Professor Roger Cardinal in 1972, who wanted an English term for “Art Brut," a French term literally meaning “raw art." This movement was initially named by French artist, Jean Dubuffet, who sought to describe a genre of art that explored polarised mental states, unorthodox ideas and illusions. Outsider art incorporates works created by artists without formal training, and who reject traditional artistic techniques. It is also heavily associated with children, mentally troubled artists who suffer with psychiatric disorders, socially reclusive individuals and misfits.

Jean Dubuffet was inspired by Prinzhorn's 1921 book Bildnerei de Geisteskranken (Artistry of the Mentally ill) which included thousands of artworks by mentally ill patients. This influenced Dubuffet to collect his own selection of mentally ill-inspired art, and unlike Prinhorn's book, Dubuffet's selection also included works by social hermits and outsiders; celebrating the individuals forgotten by society.

The surge in interest for Outsider Art grew from an increasing resentment towards the art world and extreme political ideologies. Artists during this period experienced and watched the atrocity caused by the World Wars, where false promises for a “better" quality of life shrouded these years. Additionally, basic human rights were widely disregarded during the war years, with barbaric and catastrophic philosophies such as Eugenics coming into practice. Artists sought to redefine and celebrate the individuals otherwise disregarded by society, honouring their supposed flaws and differences. The Outsider artists created a new way of seeing the humans failed by the war years.

There isn't a particular style associated with Outsider art, other than often fantastical depictions created by artists without formal training. In addition to this, artists do not usually refer to themselves as “Outsider Artists," it is a label usually given to the artist posthumously.

In contemporary art, Outsider art continues to be explored today with festivals like The Outsider Art Fair which is dedicated to the movement. The Outsider Art Fair is an international exhibition that features artists associated with Outsider Art, and occurs in New York and Paris each year.

Adolf Wölfli: (1864–1930), Swiss artist Wölfi, spent a large proportion of his adult life in a psychiatric hospital. It was during his institutionalisation that he created most of his drawings and musical compositions.

Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet: (1901 –1985) French painter and sculptor, Dubuffet founded the Outsider Art movement and embraced unconventional aesthetics and “low" art.

Scottie Wilson: (1888 – 1972), known for his intricately detailed works, Wilson is considered the spearhead of the Outsider Art movement during the 20th century. His works were collected by both Jean Dubuffet and Pablo Picasso.

Auguste Forestier: French sculptor and artist, Forestier was also confined to a psychiatric hospital for a number of years.

Celebrate the misfits marginalised by society, with their works that evoke a wonder only found in childhood. Explore our Outsider Art-inspired artists on Artsper now, through the works of Hector Peper, Jazzu and Joi Murugavell.

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Movement Outsider Art

L'ombre des arbres

L'Oiseau à l'arc-en-ciel

On the beach

Taureau-trois-graines s'est laisse pousser les dents

Taureau 3

Taureau 2

Les Hores mortes

Shifting Perspectives

Pathways of Imagination

Vanité

Personal Orb

Blue Chair !

U malé II ( igname salé II )

Coco

Druckchen

Fleur de cactus

Strange King

La case aux oiseaux

Divinité 10

Divinité 13

Un roc

Le blond

Prades

Dinosaure

Bochapo

Personage

Divinité V

Love Samba

Pipo et Jac à la pêche

Blablabla

Série brut

Série brut

Les couleurs des fleurs d'été

Taureau 4

Sans titre

Same Old

Love is all

Le poète au keffieh

Broke

La peintre

La solidarité des humains, hommes de races verte et violette, se respecte mutuellement

Une pintade humanisée

Brut

Sans titre

The king of light on his skate

Fiore

Laberinto o bucle mental, núm. 2

Behind the mask

Je nage

Raconte moi toutes tes histoires, en ramassant du bois flotté

Poemes: Dans ma Memoire

Sans titre 7

Milay 3 Variante

Milay 1

A Tribe

Série brut

Sans titre

Le garçon et le professeur

Payasadas

La pieuvre, le poulpe, le pouffre en argot sétois

Les genêts

La tête dans un pull en marche arrière

24h de jet lag

New Born

I told you I was bleeding

Jardin des nations-Carla