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The Joy of Outsider Art

© L.C. Dumke

I love decorating my home on a tight budget. It gives me a chance to be creative and innovative, and it's tons of fun hunting for treasure. But there is one thing I would love even if it wasn't so affordable -- folk art. (Thank goodness much of it is within my meager budget.)

Folk art has been around for many, many years. From pottery to cross-stitching to quilts to paintings, folk art is anything artistic created by people who are just plain "folks". A few years ago, I delved further into my love of folk art, and I began reading about and collecting Outsider Art. And I feel like I've been on an incredible journey ever since.

What exactly is "Outsider Art"? According to various sources, many art critics, artists and others in the art community can't decided exactly what it means, and it's been hotly debated for years. But often, the term is applied to art that has been created by someone with no formal art training or education. Sometimes, I see the "visionary"used to describe certain Outsider Art works. One summer a few years ago, I suddenly understood why this term was so appropriate.

The Visionary

I was vacationing near Beaufort, South Carolina, and wandered into a charming little folk art gallery. In a side room, in an old tub (being used as a display) I found several original paintings by Rev. Howard Finster, one of the most famous Outsider Artists in the world. I held the painting and examined it for a long time. It was so raw and emotional -- it was the most fabulous piece of art I'd ever seen. I couldn't afford to buy it, but I did return several times that week during my vacation simply to look at it and hold it. It occurred to me that he had a very unique vision that he was sharing with me in his art. And suddenly, the term visionary seemed the perfect word to describe this artist and his work.

One of the most wonderful things about Outsider Art is the rich and interesting lives of those who create it. Alabama-born Mose Tolliver would paint then hang his work outside his home. Sometimes people would come along and trade him something for the pieces. Jimmie Lee Sudduth uses paint as well as mud, leaves and other natural materials in his incredible artwork. And Howard Finster uses his art to spread God's word.

Art in Unexpected Places

Outsider Art is accessible to all those awake enough to see it. I've seen art on the side of the road, where some people see nothing more than hand-decorated fruit stand sign or yard sculptures made of old car parts. But who says those things can't be art? So if you're lucky enough to happen upon some of these treasures, take a good, close look.

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