At the Outsider Art Fair, Passion Trumps Prestige
Raw Text
At the only fair focused on self-taught artists, passion trumps prestige. Back for its 31st edition at New York’s Manhattan Pavilion, the Outsider Art Fair (OAF) features artwork from 64 exhibitors representing 28 cities in countries including the United States, Japan, Croatia, and Canada. Aficionados, dealers, and everyday New Yorkers are converging this weekend to marvel at works such as Wesley Anderegg’s ceramic figures, which are seemingly straight out of a Henry Selick animated film, or Andrew Sloan’s colored pencil drawing “’81 Chevy in the City” (2021).
There’s something for everyone, especially folks priced out of Chelsea or Midtown galleries. Brooklyn-based artist and former School of Visual Arts professor Esther K. Smith told Hyperallergic  she comes yearly to see other artist friends exhibiting work and for the camaraderie. She likes that the art is financially accessible and to her taste — which she says includes dolls, quilts, and eccentric found objects. Booths wind around the room like a maze, with works by established and first-time artists displayed at each corner, such as “Untitled” (2022) by Della Wells, a Milwaukee-based artist whose collages recreate stories from her mother’s childhood in North Carolina.
So-called “outsider art,” as a category, holds many genres and styles often dismissed by mainstream or prestigious galleries and institutions. Perhaps as a consequence, the artwork displayed at OAF through March 5 tends towards the absurd or consists of unexpected materials. Artist Montrel Beverly, an Austin-based sculptor, for example, works exclusively with pipe cleaners. Four works on display at SAGE Studio’s booth are a part of his imagined amusement park named Barrington. “Mr. and Mrs. Barrington’s Ferris Wheel” (2022) and “Joseph’s Train” (2022) are two rides the Bearringtons, a fictional married couple who are bears and business partners, made for humans following their first successful squirrel park.
Meanwhile, a wall of embroidered female cult leaders caught the eye of many visitors at the March 2 opening. First-time OAF exhibitor Alexandria Deters regaled passersby with stories about her series False Prophets . Deter features a portrait of Brigitte Boisselier, a leader for the UFO religion Raelism founded in the 1970s, amidst a background of aliens, which represent the chemist’s extraterrestrial preoccupations.
“You first think of men when you think of cult leaders, but with women, it is often more subversive,” Deters told Hyperallergic . “I’m hoping to show that manipulation takes all forms.”
Nancy Josephson, a mixed-media artist who has sold work at OAF for several years, displays sculptures made of vintage and contemporary beading and black gasket sealant. Although these sculptures are stationary, the Delaware-based artist uses materials that can withstand a speed of 70 miles per hour. Along with her decorative busts, she is best known for art cars, like the one she designed in memory of her late father .
The capacious show also encompasses marginalized artists barred from receiving formal art education due to their race, socioeconomic status, or ethnic background. Bill Traylor, a well-regarded artist whose work has been acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was born into slavery and spent much of his life as a sharecropper. Drawings like “Untitled (Man with Blue Torso)” (c. 1939–42) combine realistic depictions of life as a sharecropper in Alabama with puzzling lessons and folklore. Martin Ramirez, whose work has been honored with a US Postal Service commemorative stamp, was institutionalized in various California mental institutions. I was also excited to find pieces by Winfred Rembert , who became an artist after surviving a lynching and serving seven years in prison for stealing a car and attempting to escape prison. His work has received renewed attention with the 2021 release of his memoir Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South , which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022 .
At the end of the day, why an artist is self-taught does not matter at OAF. The moniker fosters a welcoming environment for all those who have an earnest appreciation for art, regardless of their educational background or technical know-how. It’s a value that resonates with Harlem-based rapper and creator YAAHZZYWAAH The Artisan, who told Hyperallergic  that OAF proves that “if you love doing something and are passionate, that’s all you need to make great art.”
Related
Creativity Explored Celebrates 40 Years of Supporting Artists With Developmental Disabilities
February 23, 2023
The Prison Drawings of Frank Jones
August 29, 2020
Monumental Art No Bigger Than a Postcard
November 7, 2020
The Latest
Roe v. Wade Case Documents Fetch Over $600K at Auction
The archive, belonging to lawyer Linda Coffee, contains nearly 150 documents and letters related to the historic case.
by Rhea Nayyar
Catch Autumn Knight’s Nothing #26: The Potential of Nothing is Everything at the Wallach Art Gallery
This experimental and multidisciplinary solo exhibition in New York City exploring “the sweetness of doing nothing” closes on March 12.
by Wallach Art Gallery
Sponsored
The Africa Center Presents States of Becoming
Seventeen contemporary artists of the African Diaspora explore how movement and migration shape their artistic practices and lives. On view in NYC.
Required Reading
This week, a Black Southern quilt collection is donated to a Mississippi museum, the fascinating AI-generated ceramic glazes, a map of Italian Fascist monuments, and can clothing ever truly be recycled?
by Hrag Vartanian and Lakshmi Rivera Amin
Can Brain Science Explain Why We Like Certain Artworks?
In a new study, researchers propose that the mind creates an opinion of an artwork after dissecting it into discrete elements.
by Taylor Michael
Sponsored
The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD Arrives in New York
The 42nd edition of the fair showcases contemporary, modern, and 19th century images from 44 photography galleries. Open March 31 through April 2.
Peruvian Man Found With Mummy He Called a “Spiritual Girlfriend”
The man was caught carrying “Juanita” in a food delivery backpack.
by Elaine Velie
On the Same Frequency as Milford Graves
The jazz drummer’s polymathic experimentation also spanned visual art, botany, and even an improvisational martial art he invented called Yara.
by Anne Wallentine
Sponsored
Picker Art Gallery Presents the Works of William Earle Williams and Nona Faustine
Two solo photography exhibitions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, expose the obscured, silenced, and unacknowledged histories of the slave trade.
The Physical Labor of Writing
Many writers will tell you that writing is a physical activity. Renee Gladman’s drawings convey that idea in a more visceral, less cerebral way.
by Louis Bury
Preserving an Archive of Chicana and Lesbian History
In a new show, Nicole Marroquin’s artworks are in dialogue with the documentary photographs of Mexican-born artist Diana Solis.
by Sarah Rose Sharp
Sponsored
Hito Steyerl to Deliver 2023 Wolgin Lecture at Tyler School of Art and Architecture
The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia.
Internet Goes Wild Over Outdoor Gym of Hindu Puppets
Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with.
by Rhea Nayyar
I Was a Museum’s Black Lives Matter Hire
“You think you’ve been hired because you’re the right person. But once you’re inside, you realize you’re not the right fit,” says curator eunice belidor.
by Lise Ragbir
Tagged: art fairs , Featured , Manhattan , New York , Outsider Art , Outsider Art Fair
Taylor Michael
Taylor Michael is a staff reporter at Hyperallergic. Previously, she worked as a public programs coordinator at the National Book Foundation. She received an MFA from Columbia University School... More by Taylor Michael
Single Line Text
At the only fair focused on self-taught artists, passion trumps prestige. Back for its 31st edition at New York’s Manhattan Pavilion, the Outsider Art Fair (OAF) features artwork from 64 exhibitors representing 28 cities in countries including the United States, Japan, Croatia, and Canada. Aficionados, dealers, and everyday New Yorkers are converging this weekend to marvel at works such as Wesley Anderegg’s ceramic figures, which are seemingly straight out of a Henry Selick animated film, or Andrew Sloan’s colored pencil drawing “’81 Chevy in the City” (2021). There’s something for everyone, especially folks priced out of Chelsea or Midtown galleries. Brooklyn-based artist and former School of Visual Arts professor Esther K. Smith told Hyperallergic  she comes yearly to see other artist friends exhibiting work and for the camaraderie. She likes that the art is financially accessible and to her taste — which she says includes dolls, quilts, and eccentric found objects. Booths wind around the room like a maze, with works by established and first-time artists displayed at each corner, such as “Untitled” (2022) by Della Wells, a Milwaukee-based artist whose collages recreate stories from her mother’s childhood in North Carolina. So-called “outsider art,” as a category, holds many genres and styles often dismissed by mainstream or prestigious galleries and institutions. Perhaps as a consequence, the artwork displayed at OAF through March 5 tends towards the absurd or consists of unexpected materials. Artist Montrel Beverly, an Austin-based sculptor, for example, works exclusively with pipe cleaners. Four works on display at SAGE Studio’s booth are a part of his imagined amusement park named Barrington. “Mr. and Mrs. Barrington’s Ferris Wheel” (2022) and “Joseph’s Train” (2022) are two rides the Bearringtons, a fictional married couple who are bears and business partners, made for humans following their first successful squirrel park. Meanwhile, a wall of embroidered female cult leaders caught the eye of many visitors at the March 2 opening. First-time OAF exhibitor Alexandria Deters regaled passersby with stories about her series False Prophets . Deter features a portrait of Brigitte Boisselier, a leader for the UFO religion Raelism founded in the 1970s, amidst a background of aliens, which represent the chemist’s extraterrestrial preoccupations. “You first think of men when you think of cult leaders, but with women, it is often more subversive,” Deters told Hyperallergic . “I’m hoping to show that manipulation takes all forms.” Nancy Josephson, a mixed-media artist who has sold work at OAF for several years, displays sculptures made of vintage and contemporary beading and black gasket sealant. Although these sculptures are stationary, the Delaware-based artist uses materials that can withstand a speed of 70 miles per hour. Along with her decorative busts, she is best known for art cars, like the one she designed in memory of her late father . The capacious show also encompasses marginalized artists barred from receiving formal art education due to their race, socioeconomic status, or ethnic background. Bill Traylor, a well-regarded artist whose work has been acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was born into slavery and spent much of his life as a sharecropper. Drawings like “Untitled (Man with Blue Torso)” (c. 1939–42) combine realistic depictions of life as a sharecropper in Alabama with puzzling lessons and folklore. Martin Ramirez, whose work has been honored with a US Postal Service commemorative stamp, was institutionalized in various California mental institutions. I was also excited to find pieces by Winfred Rembert , who became an artist after surviving a lynching and serving seven years in prison for stealing a car and attempting to escape prison. His work has received renewed attention with the 2021 release of his memoir Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South , which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022 . At the end of the day, why an artist is self-taught does not matter at OAF. The moniker fosters a welcoming environment for all those who have an earnest appreciation for art, regardless of their educational background or technical know-how. It’s a value that resonates with Harlem-based rapper and creator YAAHZZYWAAH The Artisan, who told Hyperallergic  that OAF proves that “if you love doing something and are passionate, that’s all you need to make great art.” Related. Creativity Explored Celebrates 40 Years of Supporting Artists With Developmental Disabilities. February 23, 2023. The Prison Drawings of Frank Jones. August 29, 2020. Monumental Art No Bigger Than a Postcard. November 7, 2020. The Latest. Roe v. Wade Case Documents Fetch Over $600K at Auction. The archive, belonging to lawyer Linda Coffee, contains nearly 150 documents and letters related to the historic case. by Rhea Nayyar. Catch Autumn Knight’s Nothing #26: The Potential of Nothing is Everything at the Wallach Art Gallery. This experimental and multidisciplinary solo exhibition in New York City exploring “the sweetness of doing nothing” closes on March 12. by Wallach Art Gallery. Sponsored. The Africa Center Presents States of Becoming. Seventeen contemporary artists of the African Diaspora explore how movement and migration shape their artistic practices and lives. On view in NYC. Required Reading. This week, a Black Southern quilt collection is donated to a Mississippi museum, the fascinating AI-generated ceramic glazes, a map of Italian Fascist monuments, and can clothing ever truly be recycled? by Hrag Vartanian and Lakshmi Rivera Amin. Can Brain Science Explain Why We Like Certain Artworks? In a new study, researchers propose that the mind creates an opinion of an artwork after dissecting it into discrete elements. by Taylor Michael. Sponsored. The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD Arrives in New York. The 42nd edition of the fair showcases contemporary, modern, and 19th century images from 44 photography galleries. Open March 31 through April 2. Peruvian Man Found With Mummy He Called a “Spiritual Girlfriend” The man was caught carrying “Juanita” in a food delivery backpack. by Elaine Velie. On the Same Frequency as Milford Graves. The jazz drummer’s polymathic experimentation also spanned visual art, botany, and even an improvisational martial art he invented called Yara. by Anne Wallentine. Sponsored. Picker Art Gallery Presents the Works of William Earle Williams and Nona Faustine. Two solo photography exhibitions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, expose the obscured, silenced, and unacknowledged histories of the slave trade. The Physical Labor of Writing. Many writers will tell you that writing is a physical activity. Renee Gladman’s drawings convey that idea in a more visceral, less cerebral way. by Louis Bury. Preserving an Archive of Chicana and Lesbian History. In a new show, Nicole Marroquin’s artworks are in dialogue with the documentary photographs of Mexican-born artist Diana Solis. by Sarah Rose Sharp. Sponsored. Hito Steyerl to Deliver 2023 Wolgin Lecture at Tyler School of Art and Architecture. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. Internet Goes Wild Over Outdoor Gym of Hindu Puppets. Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with. by Rhea Nayyar. I Was a Museum’s Black Lives Matter Hire. “You think you’ve been hired because you’re the right person. But once you’re inside, you realize you’re not the right fit,” says curator eunice belidor. by Lise Ragbir. Tagged: art fairs , Featured , Manhattan , New York , Outsider Art , Outsider Art Fair. Taylor Michael. Taylor Michael is a staff reporter at Hyperallergic. Previously, she worked as a public programs coordinator at the National Book Foundation. She received an MFA from Columbia University School... More by Taylor Michael.