What is it that makes an artist? Are there things that are so inextricably tied to the act of creating art that to remove them would be the same as to annul the artist, to strip away their title? Who decides what these “things” are? In the contemporary space, it seems like institutions at large are the ones answering these questions. They have been able to create their own standards with which they are able to commodify art. Large galleries and auction houses control much of the money and influence surroundingf contemporary visual art, and thus control the definitions we use to label said art. These definitions invariably get used to identify what art gets included in conversations surrounding contemporary works and therefore, the corollary would imply that much is excluded from the conversation. But what gets excluded is not devoid of value, in fact, I would argue that this art is just as valid and these artists just as skillful. I would further argue that the removal of ego and capital gain from the creative process is essentially a form of purification. Art for art’s sake is a term that often gets thrown around, but in the case of outsiders on the arts scene, it takes on a quite literal meaning. Oftentimes, for an outsider, there is no tangible incentive to create; yet, they do anyway. The act of creation, in direct opposition to the dominating forces of a society, and by those who are others within this society, is a rebellious one. My goal in this project is not to propose a cure-all for Western society or find ways to reincorporate those on the fringes of society. I do not think that is a fruitful task. Instead, I would like to shed some light on persistent social issues using the lens of contemporary art as a jumping off point to exploring some fascinating cultural niches on the way to developing an understanding of the world of outsider art.
Author: Will Gonnella, Arts Management Major
Advisors: Todd Stuart, Department of Art
Youngaah Koh – College of Creative Arts (AMAE)
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