The term 'Outsider Art' was coined in 1972 by art critic Roger Cardinal as an English equivalent for the French 'Art Brut', which can also be translated as 'raw' art. It refers to art made by self-taught or 'naïve' artists, who fall outside of the mainstream and have had little to no contact with the traditional art work. Often, Outsider Art is used to label artists with mental ill health, with unconventional ideas, or even children, and frequently these artists are discovered only after their deaths. The label refers purely to the nature of the artists, the art works themselves can be extraordinarily varied in genre and appearance.
Despite the historical marginalisation of Outsider Artists, Outsider Art is now a successful genre with an Outsider Art Fair taking place in New York every year since 1993 and regularly published journals dedicated to the subject. Discover Artsper's collection of works by Outsider Artists, including pieces by Jean Dubuffet himself, widely recognised as creator of the Art Brut movement.