Huub Niessen, A Bit of Dutch Brilliance

The other day I received an e-mail with an attachment of many intriguing images. It was hard to select just a few to share. But the text was an easier decision. I am letting Huub Niessen tell you about himself and his journey in his own words.
"I have been a journalist for about twenty five years, but, unfortunately, when I was about 45 years old I got deep depressions, that took about ten years of my life. After that dark period I started studying Arabic, and began to draw more intensively than before. By the end of the sixties I had exhibitions in well known galleries in Amsterdam. And now I am 70 years old (born 4 Feb. 1943) and I like to show my tiny works in Amsterdam (Galerie Hamer) and Lyon (Galerie Dettinger Mayer). The Guislain Museum has bought 8 drawings and it is important for me to be in the collection of that museum." Niessen's work is also in the Musee-Creation Frances, which has a world class collection of artbrut and outsider art.
The stories told in each piece are intriguing and the characters are splendid. This is highly original work with a wide appeal to both collectors of non-mainstream as well as mainstream art. Enjoy!

Another View Through the Glass

A dance instructor in a mental institution, a fortune teller, a restaurant owner, a carpenter, all these words describe Richard Lee in various periods of his life. But this 77 year old man is best known world wide, as one of, if not the best artist who works in reverse glass painting.

All of his zoomorphic pieces, done on antique mirrors and cabinets, start with the details and then move forward. After making a black and white draft, and stripping the mirror of all it's old silver coating, he starts creating his intriguing images backwards onto the surface, painting in highlights first. He also strips the wood, covering it with unique silver, copper and/or gold leaf, making wonderful frames for his highly delightful and complex paintings.

Barefooted most of the time, Richard works, when he's not on the beach, in a small gallery hidden behind his wife Claudia's jewelry store. Most of his masterpieces are in the $10,000 to $20,000 dollar range, but the gallery was lucky enough to score a small example, under $1000, which he donated to the once yearly and highly anticipated Chicken Alley Flea Market Tag Sale. Organized by his friend, and well-known art collector and humanitarian, Olga Hirshorn, this sale is a huge draw to those in the know, who live or summer on Martha's Vineyard. Thanks to the cooperation of my entire crew of children and grandchildren, I was able to get a place quite close to the front of the line, and grabbed the Richard Lee, along with an overlooked bakelite bracelet. Oh happy day! This work will be posted on the Beverly Kaye gallery site shortly.

If I were in Chicago November 4th through the 7th, 2010, this is where you could find me! The Chicago-based The Art Fair Company announced it will produce two art fairs under one roof at Chicago’s historic Navy Pier. For the first time, The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art will share center stage in Festival Hall with Chicago’s much-anticipated art fair mainstay, the 17th Annual International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair: SOFA CHICAGO 2010. One general admission ticket of $15.00 admits visitors to both fairs and their related lecture series, special exhibits and events. Both fairs kick-off with a joint Opening Night Preview in Festival Hallon Thursday, Nov. 4. The public is cordially invited to attend from 7 - 9 pm for the ticket price of $50.00. Check this website for more information: http://www.sofaexpo.com/ What an exciting combination!

(Image by Minnie Evans)

"Society Under Fire", Alex White Mazzarella

I highly recommend this show and this artist. Don't miss it!

ABOUT THE ARTIST Alex White-Mazzarella, Boston 1979, is trained as an economist, urban planner and artist who moved to New York City in 2008 after living in Hong Kong, Barcelona and Rome. Building upon street art and graffiti as the cave paintings of today, his intense yet whimsical work expresses perspectives on the contemporary human in an urban language derived from his current working city, New York.

ABOUT SOAPBOX GALLERY Soapbox Gallery is dedicated to providing a forum for visual artists to engage in the issues of our time and express themselves publicly without censorship. In the tradition of the humble yet mighty soapbox that encouraged free speech and played a role in the development of our social contract, provocative work can stir public debate, raise consciousness, and even spur social evolution. Too many of us despair at the lack of content in work celebrated by the ART world. Soapbox Gallery challenges artists to speak out and be relevant.

Slotin Masterpiece Auction

If you are anywhere near Buford, Georgia and you love this type of art, you need to attend the Slotin Masterpiece Folk Art Auction, held May 1st and 2nd. The owners are connoisseurs of outsider and folk art and have access to top materials in the field. The stunning and very informative catalogue can be accessed on-line, or delivered to your door, and you can participate at home or in person.
In person is so much more exciting! Collectors from all over the country show up for fun, food and fabulous art, much of which can be bought at affordable prices. And once you get two or three of them focused on the same prize, the real excitement begins. There are over 1000 works of art at this sale, including pieces by Mattie Lou O'Kelley, Bryan McNutt, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Elijah Pierce, and many more. I urge you to go to the link and be sure to let me know how you do!

Definitions, just a starting point........

Both Raw Vision magazine and Wikipedia have posted this information before, but I offer it again as a good starting point for understanding the difference between many of the terms used to define outsider art.

A number of terms are used to describe art that is loosely understood as "outside" of official culture. Definitions of these terms vary, and there are areas of overlap between them. The editors of Raw Vision, a leading journal in the field, suggest that "Whatever views we have about the value of controversy itself, it is important to sustain creative discussion by way of an agreed vocabulary". Consequently they lament the use of "outsider artist" to refer to almost any untrained artist. "It is not enough to be untrained, clumsy or naïve. Outsider Art is virtually synonymous with Art Brut in both spirit and meaning, to that rarity of art produced by those who do not know its name."

• Art Brut: literally translated from French means "raw art"; 'Raw' in that it has not been through the 'cooking' process: the art world of art schools, galleries, museums. Originally art by psychotic individuals who existed almost completely outside culture and society. Strictly speaking it refers only to the Collection de l'Art Brut.
• Folk art: Folk art originally suggested crafts and decorative skills associated with peasant communities in Europe - though presumably it could equally apply to any indigenous culture. It has broadened to include any product of practical craftsmanship and decorative skill - everything from chain-saw animals to hub-cap buildings. A key distinction between folk and outsider art is that folk art typically embodies traditional forms and social values, where outsider art stands in some marginal relationship to society's mainstream.
• Intuitive art / Visionary art: Raw Vision Magazine's preferred general terms for outsider art. It describes them as deliberate umbrella terms. However, Visionary Art unlike other definitions here can often refer to the subject matter of the works, which includes images of a spiritual or religious nature. Intuitive art is probably the most general term available. Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art based in Chicago operates a museum dedicated to the study and exhibition of intuitive and outsider art. The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is dedicated to the collection and display of visionary art.
• Marginal art/Art singulier: Essentially the same as Neue Invention; refers to artists on the margins of the art world.
• Naïve art: Another term commonly applied to untrained artists who aspire to "normal" artistic status, i.e. they have a much more conscious interaction with the mainstream art world than do outsider artists.
• Neuve Invention: Used to describe artists who, although marginal, have some interaction with mainstream culture. They may be doing art part-time for instance. The expression was coined by Dubuffet too; strictly speaking it refers only to a special part of the Collection de l'Art Brut.
• Visionary environments: Buildings and sculpture parks built by visionary artists - range from decorated houses, to large areas incorporating a large number of individual sculptures with a tightly associated theme. Examples include Watts Towers by Simon Rodia, Buddha Park and Sala Keoku by Bunleua Sulilat, and The Palais Ideal by Ferdinand Cheval.

Outsider Art Tour, Europe!

Outsider Art Europe Tour

Intuit will host a tour of European outsider art sites March 14 - March 25, 2010, led by Randy M. Vick, Associate Professor of Art Therapy at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The focus of this trip will be to visit the historic clinical psychiatry collections and museums as well as private collections, contemporary workshops for artists with disabilities, and artist environments.

Secure your spot today by contacting Kevin Mulcahy.

*This is a top notch institution and the trip will be very exciting for lovers of artbrut artworks. This is the very kind of work my gallery is so pleased to represent.

Inky Wings equals unparalleled art from England........

No one is better than Judith McNichol. There I said it. Her birdhouses are random and spectacular. Her found metal objects are so damn appealing. Her drawings are obsessive.......really obsessive and wonderful. Some of the larger ones.....six or seven feet long, allow you to choose a small space and get lost in the tiny detail. Back up and see that detail take on a larger voice in another form, back up again and it becomes a piece of an even larger puzzle. I am stunned by the intricacy and beauty of her work, and will someday try to photograph a huge piece which is presently rolled in a large tube in the closet. It would take up an entire wall, and deserves to do so! But I wouldn't have windows to the outside anymore.....only to the inside of a great artist.

Judge for yourselves, the ART of Chris Mars

I'm simply giving you a quote and posting three works......the art of Chris Mars speaks volumes for itself. Do click on the title and spend some time ruminating on his works. It might not be your style, but boy, is he talented.
"From my hands, my mission: To free the oppressed; to champion the persecuted, and the submissive; to liberate through revelation the actualized Self in those proposed by some to have no self at all. It’s in every single one of us, somewhere underneath that word on our chest.
In my hands, my version: All art is political in some sense, be it through conformity, reflection, propaganda or rebellion. My paintings are rallies and trials, photographs of a moment when Truth was made public, and Mercy known.
Question why a villain is villainized, a victim martyred. Ask why a group is demonized, and the motives for control. See for yourself what the truth looks like in your hands. Dig it up and hold it for a while. This work you see, it’s my Truth. But please don’t take my word for it."

With pen in hand.......

Johannesburg artist, Charles Munro's work is complex and humorous, strange, yet strangely appealing. Judge for yourself.....

With love from Bonwit Teller.......

First collect engravings.....the older the better. Then dissect them and place into various categories. Then assemble them into fanciful collages. Then comes the hand painting. Then the sponged mats. Finally the flea market frames and the tongue in cheek titles. Or maybe that came first. Anyway, this is the art of Anthony Guyther. His works have been seen in fashion windows in NY since the 1960's, and now they decorate the walls of many collectors who always have to have more than one. He is a master at what he does, an artist's artist. And he is still going strong. The collage illustrated here is "Birdman and His Birddog", which utilizes 9 engravings. More of his work can be seen at Beverly Kaye Gallery and by clicking on the title.

Alexandra Huber in America Show

The long awaited "Alexandra Huber in America " show is now open at the gallery in CT and on-line here

I met with her German agent in New York recently, and hand-picked these powerful and hopeful pieces which fit the climate of the day. Huber's newest museum catalogues are also available, and the gallery has a large portfolio of this international star's works. Dozens of works on the website will satisfy the hungriest of appetites for Huber's mesmerizing art.

The real Mckoy comes to CT......

Karl Mckoy's assemblage faces are filled with elements that grab your attention, and keep it. Strong portraits that stare you in the face and sorta make you want to look away.......and yet you don't. Very artbrut in feel, loaded with texture, sand, paper, wire, grids, photographs, stones, and so on. When the Outsider Art fair was at the Puck Building in New York City, this self-taught artist used to stand, braving the frigid Winter nights, and sell his pieces on the street, to collectors who would save some of their cash each year, to acquire a new example of his work. He had a very loyal following. But then the show moved to another location, which forbids street "vendors", and the collectors had to go without. Well, now his work is available here, and more is on it's way. I am thrilled to have this powerful work at the gallery.

Ronald Sloan revealed.........

For over 40 years, this artist has been obsessively painting his interior life. He is a superb storyteller and although very strong, his images demand examination. Day books, paintings on paper, board and canvas, as well as "mail art" are part of the huge portfolio at the gallery. Click on the title and you will be brought to several pages of his early work. Pour a glass of wine, sit down and enjoy.

Art, the saving grace

Amy Myers runs an art program at the Living Museum Art Center at Harbor House in San Pedro California, where 250 people live with debilitating mental challenges. Some  of the residents are creating very appealing art, which can be purchased through this program. All of the money goes to the artists, and both they and their creations are so very worthy. Do stop in to see then if you are ever in the area.

Here are two works by Susan Gibins, a Geisha painting and one called Police Violence. Watts Tower is lovingly done by Osbourn Turner.

Oodles of doodles.......

As it succinctly says on his website," Ian Pyper creates drawings; he induces visions. Pyper uses marker, watercolor and paper, like a caveman used burnt wood, spit and a hard rock wall, to show us clearly what he sees." This entirely self-taught and outsider artist from the UK wows his audience with a cacophony of color and line, dots and doodles, and wins an ever larger audience each time. Paper saturated with watercolor and ink mesmerize the eye and spirit alike. I like!

Auction of Outsider Art, Folk Art and more.....

Do you crave seeing great Outsider, Artbrut, and Folk Art, all under one roof? Well, Steve and Amy Slotin are presenting one of their amazing Folk Art Auctions on March 28th in Buford, GA. Their catalogue is on-line and this couple are very well respected in the art and auction community. They also put out a feast which they simply call breakfast, before the fun begins. I see face jugs galore, furniture, carvings and really interesting paintings from well know collections. Take a look for yourselves, and enjoy! Well worth the trip!

Outsider Art shown at German Fair

Here is a view of the Alexandra Huber paintings hanging at the Artfair in Karlsruhe in Germany last week. Despite the shaky economy, her work sold very well, an encouraging sign!

"Magic Place"......New Huber images soon

Although her German agent decided to withdraw from the Outsider Art Fair, he faithfully delivered to me a cache of new and very exciting works of art by Alexandra Huber. New York fans of this exciting artist will not be disappointed with the variety of work selected. The art is being photographed and will be posted soon on the web site http://www.artbrut.com which is the address for Beverly Kaye Gallery. Two larger mixed media pieces, and ten of the 6"x 6" smalls will be added to the extensive portfolio of Huber works represented here. Alexandra remains one of Europe's top self-taught artists, and I will post her latest shows and catalogues when the new works are ready to go public. This little gem, called "Magic Place" is a great example of what is to follow.

New Show for Huber

Galerie Horst Dietrich is showing Alexandra Huber a group show in Berlin this month. She will have a one-person-show starting in the beginning of March in the artfair in Karlsruhe. Her work hit the art scene in 1993 and has been a hit at both my gallery and at the Outsider Art Fair in NY. If you missed Basquiat and Dubuffet, this year is a prime time to add to your collection the work of this great up and coming artist. Alexandra's work is appealing and fresh, and is present in many private as well as public collections.