Outsider Art
FROM RHIZOME RARE
Hi Patrick,
I’ve been trying to propagate an outsider.net.art meme for a while:
http://deepyoung.org/current/outsider/
http://deepyoung.org/current/dyskonceptual/
(my wife is almost finished sewing the prizes)
and
http://lab404.com/373/index.html#network scroll down to “outsider art”
Two articles that seem at least obtusely appicable are Steve Dietz’s “Why Have There Been No Great Net Artists”: http://www.afsnitp.dk/onoff/Texts/dietzwhyhavether.html and Anne-Marie Schleiner’s “Fluidities and Oppositions among Curators, Filter Feeders, and Future Artists”: http://www.intelligentagent.com/archive/Vol3_No1_curation_schleiner.html
In 2000, Irwin Chusid applied “outsider art” criteria to pop music with some interesting results(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/ASIN/B00006NSX1/ ). I’m writing an article now that applies Dubuffet’s “Neuve Invention” criteria to pop music, and it’s turning up an interesting bunch of musicians as well (from Devendra Banhart to Cloudead).
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Some etymology and semantic clarification:
1. Dubuffet’s strict definition of “Art Brut” circa 1945:
anything produced by people unsmirched by artistic culture… So that the makers draw entirely on their own resources rather than on the stereotypes of classical or fashionable art.
2. 1972, Roger Cardinal introduced the term “Outsider Art,” intending it to be a translation of “Art Brut” (which is probably better translated “Raw Art,” or so those who know French have said). The term “Outsider Art” has since taken on a life of its own, becoming a blanket term which can includes folk art, roadside art, and prisoner art.
3. In 1982, Dubuffet acknowledged a looser genre of artists who were neither “outsider” nor “inside.” He called this new genre “Neuve Invention” (which translates “Fresh Invention”). Fresh Invention artists retain elements of Art Brut’s self-taught genius; but they are also academically trained, aware of current art trends, and not crazy as loons.
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So according to Dubuffet’s definitions, it’s going to be pretty tough to find a pure Art Brut net artist (because the internet access required for the “net art” part more or less diametrically opposes the quarantine of influence required for the “Art Brut” part). But you could easily find an electronic folk artist. And since “outsider art” is a broad and loose term, you could still find an outsider net
artist.
To put a fine point on it for argument’s sake, I’d say Larry Carlson (http://www.larrycarlson.com) is an outsider net artist, whereas Cory Arcangel (http://www.beigerecords.com/cory/) is best considered a Neuve Invention new media artist.
Regarding circuit bending, Bob Moog lives here in Asheville, North Carolina. You could say he was the first to map circuit bending capabilities to the external control console and let everybody in on the fun:
http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/plexifilm/moogshorttrailer_ref.mov
peace,
curt