"Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself." (American Visionary Museum, 2010)
When you visit the MoMA, or even galleries in Chelsea, there is an underlying connotation that the artists who are exhibiting are superior to other artists. Although this perception is being challenged among some people, it still exists. Much of the time there is good reason for it, such as the current Tim Burton show. He is so prolific, talented and widely respected, possibly nobody can compete.
On another side of the spectrum, there is the outsider art that we discussed in class. Art made by people with no formal training, just passion, interest and time. I went home after class and watched Calvin Black's Possom Trot again, showing my husband. I loved it because it exhibits raw creativity, not conforming to the realm of academia or the art world.
In Baltimore, there is the American Visionary Museum (http://www.avam.org/), a museum dedicated to outsider art. I visited it twice because it was one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. I had to go back for a second look to make sure I could see a few things I missed the first time. It was great to see artwork that is so unpretentious. It communicates to anyone and everyone, not just a small portion of the population who are well versed in the arts and/or have read the appropriate writings. It's also lots of fun and easily accessible to children. I don't think children would need to be persuaded, or guided through how to appreciate this genre of art as much as a lot of "high art". For me, it inspires a rebelion against critique and just invites viewers to revel in the enjoyment of creation.
There were a few things in the museum that caught my eye, particularly the large sculptures, such as a large ball of bras. It was like a rubber band ball that some people make, layering rubber bands until it gets bigger and bigger, only it was bras. It was funny. There were also these robots made of metal, possibly found objects, that were moving. They were so fun to look at; almost like giant children's toys. There were also wooden sculptures that you could move by pressing a button. There were objects outside, such as a giant egg covered in mirror mosaic and an architectural structure, made of logs of various shapes and sizes, that you could walk into.
The second floor of the main building was curated with the theme of social justice, coinciding with the NAEA conference. There were works from artists in prison, such as an Al Qaeda prisoner who created drawings of flowers. His drawings almost looked like they were derived from stencils and was interesting to see; as if it should be unexpected and we should expect something violent. There was also a series of work created by a man who was schizophrenic. During his life he was in and out of institutions and looked at as nothing more than a crazy person. After he died a relative cleaned out his apartment and found that he was a prolific artist who depicted various social issues including racism. There were many works on this floor relating to the experience of being African-American.
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