The term outsider art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972, as the English term for Art Brut. Art Brut was a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture. People who haven’t had any formal training within their disciplines, but have managed to create thought provoking, contemporary pieces.
I have found myself thinking about art as a physiological reflex, movements and marks symbols of our inner psyche. Outsider art is a perfect example of this, taking, for example, a mental illness and harnessing their turmoil and creating an outlet in art.
Nick Blinko, is a prime example of art a an outlet for inner turmoil. Once medicated and mentally stable, his ability to create work diminishes. His extremely detailed pieces give us an insight into his mental instability, with often then pieces seeming really noisy/ busy.
JJ Cromer, a once a librarian, became obsessed with drawing in later life, the objects he grew up around, his families collection of rocks, bugs, plants, and animals have all become subject matter for his work. Is this an unconscious move to revert back to his childhood?
In my research into outsider artist, I have noticed a similarity between a large amount of artists. Large scale works, extremely detailed and controlled imagery, usually a lot going on without one single focus point. Is this a representation of their mental state? With each exhibiting similar work, could it be that these outcomes are similar to symptoms?
Examples –
Adolf Wolfli
Winfred Rembert
Kate Bradbury
Enfys Radley 