Whatever you call it—Outsider Art, Art Brut, Self Taught Art—there sure is a lot of it right now in Chelsea, as the 28th Outsider Art Fair takes over the Metropolitan Pavilion for its annual weekend run. It's one of the world's largest gatherings of Outsider Art buyers, sellers, and especially, appreciators just strolling around, featuring some 65 different exhibitors (ten of them first-timers) from 35 different cities across ten countries.
The term outsider artist essentially refers to anyone who makes art without any formal education, without following any particular movement or set of rules, and often without any financial motive, or presumption that their work might be sold. Jean Dubuffet, who coined the term "art brut"—or, Raw Art—said that these are "persons unscathed by artistic culture. [They] derive everything... from their own depths."
As such the stories of these artists, and the meaning and motivation behind their creations, is often as fascinating as the art itself. One of the great pleasures of attending the Outsider Art Fair is hearing their stories, which the gallery workers, curators, or, if you're lucky, the artists themselves, are usually more than happy to tell you.
The art itself is heartfelt and passionate, some of it is quite intense, while some is more playful, and there's often a sense of humor here as well. Brooklyn artist Michael Pellew, for example, portrays pop culture celebrities, heavy metal deities, and "punk funk freaks from the East Village" in delightful, cartoony fashion, and this year he's done a number of nesting dolls sets. And then there's Simone Johnson's series of Bodega Cats, which made me smile each time I passed.
Most of the booths are crammed with work from multiple artists, and once again, after a couple of years where it felt like stasis had set in, the percentage of new stuff is refreshingly high, and the range of tone and medium and process is remarkable. Admission is $30 for each day, but you can easily spend several hours taking it all in.
The Outsider Air Fair is now open to the public at the Metropolitan Pavillon, 125 West 18th Street, today and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
