Authors: Yuko Otomo  –  Christine Hughes – Randee Silv

There is something so special about this fair. It’s a wonderful way to get an overview of the field of outsider art, to see gems by masters old and new, find familiar faces and meet new dealers.

We think of outsiders as monastic in their endeavors. Creating a world of their own as either a way of communicating or an intimate, passionate act of self absorption. The way a conventional artist works in some sense, but without maybe the goal of fame or fortune.  If one ever has a chance to see the film Roger Ricco made of Williams Hawkins or the film of Jon Serl, there is not a word of explanation needed. This work is often visionary. By this I don’t mean fairies or outer space but a vision into a different kind of life right here. An intimacy in the work, missing the layer of academic gloss on most of what we find in conventional art. One feels as though they are breathing the same air as James Castle when standing in front of his work.

– See more at: http://www.arteidolia.com/three-correlations-outsider-art/#sthash.nKu7cW86.JLAYYf0b.dpuf