The Ultimate Guide to Outsider Art

Accomplishment outside of the academy

Why Outsider Art is More Than Just Art—It's a Lifestyle, a Rebellion, and an Exploration

Imagine walking into an art gallery where the walls are not hanging with the familiar landscapes, portraits, or abstract images cultivated in art schools or honed by years of traditional practice.

Instead, you find raw, arresting, peculiar pieces created by people who never set foot in an art class or sought the instruction of the mainstream art world.

This is outsider art: a world that defies categorisation, where the marginalised, the self-taught, and the inherently rebellious break all established norms. It’s not just a form of art—it's a lifestyle, a tiny space of rebellion against conformity.

This is Gloria. She anticipates the arrival of the postman. It’s her favourite moment of every day. See more like her here.

A Brief Explanation of Outsider Art

Outsider art is anything created by people who are self-taught and operate outside the boundaries of the traditional art world. It’s the realm of the outcasts; the queer, working class, disabled, femme, black and brown, indigenous folx who are made unwelcome by the great and venerated institutions of the art world.

Typically, outsider artists don’t follow the rules of art-making, either because they're unaware of them (great) or deliberately choose to ignore them (also great).

Outsider art spans a huge wide range of mediums—painting, sculpture, installations, soundscapes, weird theatre stuff, you name it. The lack of formal training, far from being a hindrance, results in works of glorious originality, emotional depth, and raw power.

What I’m Trying to Give You With This Guide

I love outsider art. It’s how I identify my own work and it’s both a term and a culture from which I draw a tremendous amount of power.

By the end of this guide I hope you'll understand the philosophy that fuels outsider art. Maybe you’ll even feel invited to create some yourself.

I love a workbook, so I will also provide a few practical steps and tips to kickstart your own journey into outsider art.

Section 1: The History of Outsider Art

Origins

Let’s commence with a light peppering of history. The term "Outsider Art" was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972, as an English counterpart to the French term "Art Brut," or "Raw Art," introduced by artist Jean Dubuffet. Classic bit of English-French culture scuffling.

Dubuffet himself was a classically trained painter form a ver posh family, but he really loved artwork created by asylum patients, kids, and people who were completely detached from any form of institutionalised artistic influence. He collected their works and used them to inspire his own.

Evolution

Since its inception, the scope of Outsider Art has broadened to include not just works by those in asylums but also those by self-taught artists and folx from marginalised communities. The neurodiverse, the queer, the poor. You get the idea: The whole lovely gang.

Outsider Art has gradually gained acceptance and recognition, with works being showcased in dedicated galleries, museums, and international art fairs. It has also inspired mainstream artists, serving as a catalyst for various modern art movements like Neo-Expressionism and Art Informel.

This is a whole interesting phenomenon of its own, raising fun questions about if Outsider Art remains Outsider Art when it is shown in MoMA or The Tate.

Impact

Outsider Art challenges the conventional understanding of creativity, artistic technique, and the role of the artist in society. It has forced art critics, collectors, and the general public to question pre-existing norms about what qualifies as "art."

Because of the weird and disturbing, intense emotional and thematic depth of Outsider Art, it has grown to become a real subject of interest for psychologists, sociologists (like me hello), and scholars.

Core Characteristics: What Makes Outsider Art

Lack of Formal Training

One of the most distinguishing features of Outsider Artists is the lack of formal artistic training. In the best cases, the absence of enforced rules and paradigms of beauty, craft, and conceptualisation results in a lack of inhibition and a freedom to explore.

TLDR: creativity.

Unconventional Mediums

Outsider Artists use weird stuff like scrap metal, literal rubbish, household junk from that one drawer that everyone has, and found objects. The choice of materials adds so many extra layers of meaning and context to the work.

It can also make people cross.

“That’s not art!” They exclaim, their gammon faces red with indignation. “That is literal rubbish!”

What I hear is:

“I don’t want you to play in this sandpit. This is my sandpit. I am very personally invested in believing that my sandpit is exclusive and impressive and therefore I am also impressive. I would like a hug but I am too afraid to ask.”

And then I feel sorry for them and I carry on admiring the art work.

Personal Motivations

Unlike traditional artists, who might create art for commercial success or critical acclaim, Outsider Artists often create from a place of personal necessity.

Their works are described as autobiographical and therapeutic, touching on their personal life experiences, dreams, and, my personal favourite (obvs) their nightmares.

Key Figures in Outsider Art

Henry Darger

Darger was a reclusive janitor (goals) who spent much of his life crafting an epic fantasy world depicted in a 15,000-page manuscript and hundreds of stunning large-scale illustrations. His works were discovered only after his death and have since become collectibles.

Henry Darger, a big name in the Outsider Art hall of fame.

I am fascinated by this fellow. I would love to speak to him except I think he might not enjoy it. The person who cleared out his room after he passed found nearly one thousand balls of string. What a guy.

Madge Gill

Madge Gill was a self-taught British artist who, after a series of personal tragedies, turned to drawing as a form of therapy. She was guided by a spiritual entity she called "Myrninerest" and produced thousands of intricate ink drawings over her lifetime.

Madge Gill above. I really love these scribbly pen drawings, my own work resonates strongly with Madge’s. Photograph: Ollie Harrop/Newham Archives and Local Studies Library

Judith Scott

A deaf and dumb artist with Down Syndrome, Judith Scott became known for her intricate sculptures made of yarn, cloth, and found objects. Her works, created during her time at the Creative Growth Art Centre in California, have been displayed in museums and exhibitions worldwide.

Judith Scott’s work above. Photograph: The Brooklyn Museum.

Like so many Outsider Artists, her story is a pretty sad one. The way she was treated in her early life especially makes for tough reading. Her sister Joyce says that Judith used her art to speak, since she was not able to vocalise in the same way that hearing people usually can.

Bill Traylor

Born into an enslaved family, Bill Traylor didn't start drawing until he was in his eighties. Working from a street corner, he produced nearly 1,500 pieces of art capturing the essence of community life and his own experiences.

Bill Traylor above.

Minnie Evans

Minnie Evans was an African American artist from North Carolina who began painting in her forties. Her colourful, symmetrical works often blended religious imagery with fantastical elements, offering a vivid portrayal of her inner world.

Minnie Evans above. I find Minnie Evans work to be a proper glorious example of Outsider Art that feels celebratory and bright and joyous.

Others

Many more artists like Adolf Wölfli, Martín Ramírez, and Nellie Mae Rowe have contributed to the expansion and recognition of Outsider Art, each bringing their unique perspective and methodology to the table.

Above all, Outsider Art is a place of pluriformity and possibility. It’s making from the deep well of appetite and intuition. It’s where I feel at home.

This is another piece of mine, I call her Weylyn. Weyln ate 3 sponge puddings today. She is in awe of the heady power of cake.

Section 2: The Philosophy Behind Outsider Art

In this section, we'll explore the underlying philosophies that animate the world of Outsider Art. It goes without saying that the motivations for creating Outsider Art vary from artist to artist. Having said that, I do think that certain thematic underpinnings frequently emerge. TLDR: we are all unlawful sad bois.

Understanding these philosophical aspects can deepen your appreciation of Outsider Art and might even inspire you to explore your own creative urges (yey)!

Art as Rebellion

Outsider Art is often an act of rebellion against the established norms of the art world, society, and sometimes even against the artist's own personal circumstances.

While mainstream art tends to prize technique, historical continuity, and dialogues between artists, Outsider Art tends to disregard these criteria intentionally or inadvertently.

I feel like traditional art can lean more into conservatism, in the sense of keeping alive the conventions that preceded it.

And it’s important to notice that the type of people who have defined what is valuable, real, celebrated ART for the last 600 years have been overwhelmingly cis het able-bodied white men.

White blokes can be creative too for sure. But it’s an extremely partial view on humanity.

Data from The Smithsonian showed that 85% of artists featured in permanent collections are white, while 87% are men.

It’s enraging data like this that prompted the iconic feminist collective, the Guerrilla Girls, to ask: “Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?”

And um pretty much yeh, we do. That was 30 years ago and very little has changed.

For Outsider Artists, the act of creating is itself a form of resistance against conforming to what is generally accepted or expected in art.

It rebels against academic formalism, defies categorisation, and challenges societal norms, taboos, and entrenched flows of power.

Art as Therapy

Outsider Artists often turn to art as a form of personal therapy. For some, the creative process is a way to manage or escape from trauma, mental illness, or the hardships of life.

Art becomes a sanctuary, a place to confront inner demons or articulate emotional states that might otherwise be inexpressible.

Artists like Henry Darger or Adolf Wölfli used their art to create alternate realities that were far removed from the difficulties they faced in their daily lives. The therapeutic element often adds a palpable emotional intensity to Outsider Art, making it deeply personal and affecting to those who engage with it.

I create art to metabolise and argue with the messages I have received about what it means to be a woman, how important it is that I am beautiful, how much effort and time and energy and money I should spend on being conventionally pretty to the male gaze and ABOVE ALL NOT AGEING EVER.

Art as Social Commentary

Although Outsider Artists may not set out to make political statements, their works serve as potent social commentaries.

By operating outside of conventional frameworks, these artists address issues like marginalisation, racial inequality, and gender norms in arresting and impactful ways.

Bill Traylor’s works, for instance, tell unique stories about Black life in the Jim Crow South. Howard Finster integrated religious and ethical messages into his art, influencing pop culture and even the music industry.

The "Outsider" Perspective

The perspective of being an "outsider" is not just a categorisation but usually an intrinsic aspect of the artist's worldview.

Not buying into the status quo and not reaching for the approval of the art world allows for a kind of purity of expression that is uninfluenced by prevailing artistic trends or commercial considerations.

The Outsider Artist approaches art-making with a sense of naive wonder or personal urgency or demonic possession or confusion or unbridled joy.

Outsider Art calls into question our assumptions about what art should be, inviting us to see the world differently

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In Outsider Art, the philosophical is deeply entangled with the personal. The art serves as an entry point into broader themes while also providing an intimate look at the individual artist's life, motivations, and worldview.

I have now reached the maximum word limit for a Substack - I didn’t know this was possible!

So, I will continue with another installation next week.

As we continue to explore Outsider Art, these philosophical underpinnings will continue to surface, enriching our understanding and appreciation of this, my favourite form of artistic expression.