Folk and Outsider Art

Outsider are is art that is created out of the boundaries of official cultures, usually self taught, mostly created by people with mental illnesses. Outside art is the equivalent for the french term “art brut”, meaning “raw” or “uncooked” art, used to describe art made by the mental patients. 

Van Gogh was an outsider of the arts at the start of his career, him himself had many metal illnesses.

examples of outsider artists and their work;

• Adolf Wolfli, was one of the first artiest to be assisted with outside art, he was the most influential outsider artist. His artworks were created at a mental asylum near Bern in Switzerland, where he spent rest of his life. He was sexually and physically abused as a child, his father also was a criminal and alcoholic that could of contributed to the reason he developed a mental illness. He worked on a pencil till it got to 5mm, he also had a fear of entry  spaces, which is portrayed in his work as he had no space that wasn't filled.   

• Lee Godie, photographer. She was homeless of 30 years, but choose to be homeless. lee did self portraits, she took the photos in a train station booth,. every “shoot” lee was a different character and would add something to every image with a pen.