
Laila Kassab – Art under seige
Laila Kassab is a self-taught artist who lives in Gaza. She uses art to transform what she describes as a ...
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Introduction to Quebec artist, Claude Bolduc
The job of a muse, says Germaine Greer, is to penetrate the male artist and call forth a work from ...
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Raw Vision Magazine – The quirky world of Jordan MacLachlan
My article about Canadian outsider artist, Jordan MacLachlan, was just published in the current edition (#94) of Raw Vision, the ...
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Martine Birobent and Jordan MacLachlan at Norway Exhibit
COOL: THE ARCTIC OUTSIDERS in Norway is featuring the work of two Canadian artists: Jordan MacLachlan from Toronto (see previous ...
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Jordan MacLachlan goes to Norway
COOL - THE ARCTIC OUTSIDERS, is the name of an upcoming exhibit at Norway's museum of outsider art. Canadian artist, ...
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Jordan MacLachlan – Unexpected Subway Living
Another uber-project from MacLachlan is her vignettes of what does or might happen on the subway. Displayed on a 24-foot ...
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Jordan MacLachlan
I met Canadian artist, Jordan McLachlan, earlier this year. Getting to know Jordan and her work has been one of ...
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Martine Birobent (d. March 30, 2016)
It is with great sadness that I write about the passing of Martine Birobent. Her epitaph notes that she died as ...
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Gee’s Bend quilter Louisiana Bendolph
I was last blogging about Gee’s Bend quilts and my introduction to the work of the remarkable women who make them ...
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The Gee’s Bend Quilters
I have no excuse for my blog silence since I finished my degree. Laziness, perhaps. Recharging, probably. Anyway, I have been ...
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Lonnie Holley, the musician
When Lonnie Holley came to Vancouver for an art workshop (see previous blog), it was pretty much what I expected ...
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Lonnie Holley comes to Vancouver
Much to my surprise and delight, outsider art superstar Lonnie Holley was in Vancouver last week. He came with the ...
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Karine Labrie
I attended the opening of a new exhibit at La Galerie des Nanas in Danville, Quebec. One of the featured ...
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Anick Langelier
I was introduced to the work of Anick Langelier at La Galerie des Nanas in Danville, Quebec. I did not ...
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La Galerie des Nanas and Martine Birobent
Holy smokes! It has been a very long time since I sat down to write a blog. Far too often, ...
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Luc Guerard and Pierre Racine
I visited Luc Guerard's studio in Montreal, along with his friend, sculptor Pierre Racine (both pictured at right). I introduced ...
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Luc Guerard in Montreal
I have blogged about Luc Guerard before (see previous blogs), but had only met him through email and telephone. I ...
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Outsider art in Montreal
My apologies for no blogs coming from two weeks in Montreal. Shortly after I arrived I had major problems with ...
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Outside of what?
The roots of the terms “art brut” and “outsider art” can be traced back to the writings of Prinzhorn, who ...
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It’s about the process
I am on another writing retreat in the mountains (it's snowing here!) and I have been silent, not because I ...
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The self-taught artist
I am now writing about one of the most difficult subjects and it's about self-taught artists. *Self-taught* is such a simple ...
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Defining outsider art: the social issues
A discussion of outsider art must (to me) include social issues. When the term “outsider art” was introduced in 1972, ...
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Martin Ramirez postage stamps
Howdy. I'm back (almost). Drove into the big city today to get new glasses. I hate to break the news ...
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For my mother
My mother passed away two months ago today. Taking some personal time this morning to reflect on that ...
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The expanding boundaries of outsider art
Dubuffet’s original art brut collection was ultimately housed in the Collection de L’Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland and remains there ...
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The myth of the mad genius
Day 2 and all is well. I woke up to discover that some creature had been on my deck during ...
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Outsider Art 101: the basics
Day 1 of writing was very productive. It was definitely the right decision to take myself away from work-work and ...
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Degenerate art
Why do I hear from so many more of you when I write about “life bloopers” than about art? I’m ...
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Basquiat and the Bayou
While visiting New Orleans in December, I caught “Basquiat and the Bayou” at the Ogden Museum, another dynamite exhibit at ...
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Art from Angola Prison
I just returned from a trip to New Orleans – the first time being away from home on Christmas and ...
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Our Faith Affirmed – Works from the Gordon W. Bailey Collection
Our Faith Affirmed is a current exhibit at the University of Mississippi Museum of Art. On exhibit are the works ...
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In reference to nothing, and everything
Sometimes it is worth writing something down, even if it references nothing in particular. Chances are that it will reference ...
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Anthony Stevens (again)
I have introduced you to UK textile artist, Anthony Stevens, in earlier posts. I am a big fan of his ...
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In memoriam: Ian McKay (1949 – 2014)
Sadly, Vancouver artist, Ian McKay, has passed on. He could only be described as “larger than life.” He started out ...
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Enter the world of Sue Kreitzman
The world of outsider art is small. It’s good because someone you know always knows someone, who knows someone else ...
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Outsider Art Fair Lectures: J M Basquiat + Sam Doyle
An interesting feature of the Outsider Art Fair in NY this year was the panel discussion about the self-taught artist, ...
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Outsider Art Fair 2014 (NY)
I had the opportunity to attend the Outsider Art Fair in New York last week (May 8 – 11). I ...
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Serge (Friedrich) von Engelhardt: more ceramics
I introduced you to the ceramic sculptures of Canadian artist, Serge von Engelhardt, in my last blog. I would like to ...
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Ceramic artist Serge (Friedrich) von Engelhardt (1913 – 2007)
I was blessed to be contacted by one of Serge von Engelhardt’s daughters. Even better, I had an opportunity to see ...
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Back on the planet
I was lost in cyberspace - or somewhere - for 6 weeks because of a hacker. If you are reading ...
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Project Onward
I had the privilege to visit Project Onwardin Chicago. I was curious to see a collective artist studio in operation ...
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Discovering Prison Art
I have heard about art made by inmates (usually called “prison art”) since I started researching outsider art. Some authors ...
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Emery Blagdon’s healing machine
I have seen a lot of things in the outsider art world. I like some things; I don’t like others ...
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Ray Yoshida at The Kohler Arts Center
Intuit: the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, organized a bus trip to Sheboygan, Wisconsin to visit the Kohler ...
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Hello Canadians in Chicago!
I have to take a minute to say hello to my fellow Canadians in Chicago. I have met so many ...
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Outside the outsiders – Joe Coleman in Chicago
If you have read my previous blog, you will know that I am in Chicago, spending some time with Intuit: ...
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Reporting from the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago
If you have not seen a new blog posting for some time, it’s because I am in Chicago now, doing ...
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Local art exhibit
Arjuna Cogan, "Working Class" There are always things going on in our local communities. The trick is to ...
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Interview with Anthony Stevens
The following is an interview with UK fabric artist, Anthony Stevens. See previous blog for more images of his work. Q: ...
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UK artist Anthony Stevens
Much as I intend to focus my research on Canadian outsider artists, I learn about other interesting artists through my ...
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Canadian artist – Luc Guérard
One introduction leads to another; that’s how I have been tracking down outsider artists in Canada. Pierre Racine (see earlier ...
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Back to northern Canada – the Haida Gwaii
Ever on the look-out for Canadian outsider artists, I continued my search on a recent trip to Haida Gwaii (formerly ...
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Canadian sculptor: Pierre Racine
Racine: Birdman (Bronze, 22x11x9 inches) One of the perks of my life as a blogger is that I hear from ...
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Conference: Ethical Issues in Outsider Art
I attended an International conference on outsider art in May. It was held at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, where the ...
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The Prinzhorn Collection
I’m back on track (sort of) after returning from the conference in Heidelberg and finishing a course on visual culture. ...
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Gallery Gachet – Art of the Intuitive
On Thursday, May 9th, Gallery Gachet in Vancouver hosted a special evening around the current ...
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Special event at Gallery Gachet – May 9th evening
On Thursday, May 9th, Gallery Gachet in Vancouver is hosting a special evening around the current exhibit INTUIT: ART ...
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Vancouver street artist: Ray
People in the world of outsider art in Vancouver have been telling me that I have to meet “Ray”, but ...
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Ethical issues in outsider art
I recently joined the European Outsider Art Association a fairly new organization established in 2009. (Thank you to Nita in Sweden ...
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Canadian artist, Laurie Marshall
Many people told me that I should meet artist, Laurie Marshall. I am delighted that I finally had an opportunity ...
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The one trick pony
Photos: Gregory Crewdson, August Walla, Cindy Sherman Sometimes people ask me about certain outsider artists. They comment that all ...
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The colourful 5 percent
I just returned from a trip to Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, in Canada. For those of you who live far, far ...
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The Art Room
Computer problems. Need I say more? Finally back on track. After learning about the Coast Mental Health Association’s art workshop ...
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Art as therapy
The long, long delay in postings is the result of getting my getting acclimatized to returning to university as a ...
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Back to Alma Rumball
I had the opportunity to meet Alma Rumball's family when I was in Ontario in July. I had been corresponding ...
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Outsider Art on PBS
I want to tell you an important story about outsider artists in Los Angeles. For four years, a group of independent ...
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More about pop-folk artist Leigh Cooney
This is a continuation of my interview with artist Leigh Cooney. Question: Who decided to label your work as “outsider”? ...
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Interview with pop-folk artist Leigh Cooney
This is a continuation of my interview with Ontario artist, Leigh Cooney. Question: Why did you decide to ...
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Meeting Canadian artist Leigh Cooney
I have been corresponding by email with Leigh Cooney for many months. Leigh is an artist who lives in ...
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Adolf Wölfli, composer
Wölfli ’s artwork is dense with text, numbers, and musical notations. Repetitive music was droning at the Wölfli ...
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Adolf Wolfli in Prague
I know this blog is supposed to be about Canadian outsider art, and I will get back to that topic soon ...
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Postscript to Morton Bartlett
Some readers do not share my view of Bartlett and thankfully they let me know. They raise an important issue: ...
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Encouraging artistic expression
I had an opportunity to attend the opening of a unique art exhibit in Berlin. I was invited by the ...
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Josef Hofer
The one outsider art gallery that I found in Berlin is called Galerie Art Cru. I stumbled into the gallery after ...
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The Prinzhorn collection
As any serious tourist will do, I checked the Internet for flea markets and outsider art in Berlin ...
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Morton Bartlett goes to Berlin
I timed my trip to Berlin to see the Morton Bartlett exhibit at the Bahnhof museum. (See earlier blog about Morton ...
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Berlin = street art
I am staying in former East Berlin and street art is everywhere. It’s not something that I know much about, ...
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The Berlin wall
A panel on the Berlin Wall of Soviet leader Brezhnev kissing his East German counterpart, Honecker. My first plan for Berlin ...
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The spirit drawings of Alma Rumball
Even though I describe outsider art as a non-genre, I do see similarities from time to time. I discovered, for ...
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William Anhang – playing with light
I’ve never met anyone quite like Bill Anhang. He is an octogenarian living in Montreal, and has a ...
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Meeting Menno Krant
Sometimes you’re just lucky. I sent Menno Krant an email out of the blue last week, and we set up ...
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Who said we’re boring?
Someone (actually, it was me) announced that the art scene is boring north of the 49th. I was wrong. I have ...
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Guo Fengyi comes to Vancouver
I find it hard to stay on track and write about only Canadian outsider artists. The world is an (art) ...
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The outsider artist – Madonna or whore?
I’ve been having a lively exchange with Canadian artist, Leigh Cooney. (More about Cooney in another blog.) The discussion began with ...
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Environmental sites in Europe (again)
I’m suffering jetlag from hopping from Canada to Europe so many times this month. It is impossible to resist following up ...
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Maud Lewis’s painted house
The buzz about Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis seems to focus on her tiny (3 x 4 metre) painted house ...
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Back to Canada and Maud Lewis
Whenever I bump into a likely suspect I ask, “Name some Canadian outsider artists.” After searching the sky for an ...
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A quick jaunt to France
This blog is for the girl with ruby slippers who asked me about other artists, like Danielle Jacqui, in France ...
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The art of being a voyeur
After writing about Larry Williams, it's time to talk about voyeurism. Although voyeurism used to be all about the sexual ...
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Visionary artist Larry Williams
I learned about Larry Williams in an edition of Raw Vision magazine when author Laura Thompkins let us into Williams’s private world ...
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In my own ‘hood
A funny thing happened (as all good stories start) when I went out to buy coffee from a shop at the ...
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The Morton Bartlett exhibit in Berlin
Back to the remarkable Morton Bartlett (see earlier posting). I first saw Bartlett’s work at the Outsider Art Fair in ...
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Jahan Maka – symbolist or outsider artist?
So what do we make of Maka’s art? Is he “just an outsider”, or should he be judged by more ...
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Canadian outsider artist Jahan Maka
I have made many phone calls and sent a lot of emails during my exploration of Canadian outsider art. One ...
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Happy birthday, Renaldo Kuhler
I have been remiss in congratulating Renaldo Kuhler on his 80th birthday in November, 2011. Although I was invited down ...
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Scottie Wilson returns to England
Douglas Duncan, a Canadian art dealer, discovered Scottie’s drawings and was the first to exhibit his work. Scottie did not ...
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About Scottie Wilson’s work
Gallery owner, Douglas Duncan, left a meticulous inventory of Scottie’s work. It provides a chronological list of 260 of the ...
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Onto the Canadians and Scottie Wilson
If you know who Scottie Wilson was, you may be as surprised as I to learn that he is described ...
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Clyde Jones and his critters
Just when I thought the fun in North Carolina had come to an end my lovely friend, Becca, said that ...
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Kuhler IS Rocaterrania
I had the privilege to meet Ronaldo Kuhler on my visit to Raleigh, NC to see the Annie Hooper collection ...
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Welcome to Rocaterrania
My interest in the world of Rocaterrania – and its creator, Renaldo Kuhler – began in 2009 when I saw ...
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Who was Annie Hooper?
Annie Miller was born in 1897 in the easternmost town of North Carolina. She grew up with 12 siblings and ...
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By request: more Annie Hooper photos
By request, more photos of the Annie Hooper collection of statues. The first is a "creature", the rest are Biblical ...
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Annie Hooper’s statues
Before I tell you about Annie Hooper herself, I want to tell you about Annie the artist. The most remarkable ...
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Annie Hooper – Swastika, a Good Omen
I know I’m supposed to be writing about Canadian outsider art, but here I am in Raleigh, North Carolina. I ...
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The Annie Hooper collection
What am I doing in Raleigh, North Carolina?! Researching the Canadian outsider art scene has led me down some very ...
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Best of show – Morton Bartlett
I had arranged to meet Marion Harris, a NY dealer in untraditional art and antiques, at the Outsider Art Fair ...
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The Outsider Art Fair
Von Bruenchenhein: furniture made from chicken bones My dream of going to the Outsider Art Fair in NYC finally came ...
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Danielle Jacqui – beyond mosaics
Danielle Jacqui – She Who Paints – used to sell buttons and embroidery at flea markets in the 1970s. Her ...
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First encounter of the outsider kind – meeting Danielle Jacqui
About 10 years ago, I was driving along a rural road in Pont-de-l’Etoille in southern France, near Marseilles. We turned ...
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Who’s not outside(r)
The distinction between folk art and outsider art is somewhat vague. I often see folk art and outsider art grouped ...
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Who’s outside(r)
French philosopher Michael Foucault writes about an ancient Chinese encyclopaedia that Jorge Luis Borges claims to have found. In this ...
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When you come to a fork in the road, take it
There are pivotal points in our lives – times when you are certain that life has revealed another one of ...
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