As you may know from reading my bio I am heavily influenced by Outsider Art. This is amazing really as it is only recently I actually learned of the phrase and meaning of Outsider Art. But unknowingly outsiders have always been in my psyche. Artists such as Bill Traylor, Henry Darger and Adolf Wolfi.

So this brings me back to when I watched a TV programme a few years ago called ‘Inside Out,' it was a documentary about an exhibition organised by Brent Pope that only exhibited works by artists considered to be ‘Outsider Artists’. At that time I never heard of Outsider Art or Artists and I became strangely frustrated with the distinction that was portrayed on whether someone is an outsider artist or just knowingly a strange artist! I’ve always considered artists to be rather eccentric and possessing a rather different temperament from that of everybody else. After all most artist rarely serve as role models for normalcy. Therefore I considered all artists to be ‘Outsiders’.

Being educated in the arts, I have gained adequate knowledge of the lives and the works of many artists and the cultural and social context in which their works were created. It is this that is the role of the academic institutions to prepare and inform students through research, history, quality and new innovations in art to allow them to independently evaluate and fit into the traditions and expectations of art.

Does this effect the way I look at art? I’m sure it does to a degree and does influence my own work as an artist. But I am fairly adamant that I know what type of art I like and I do not need to know anything about the artist to know I like it or not. It doesn't matter if they have or have not a formal education. I like the work on its own merit. It's totally subjective and I know what stimulates and intrigues me. As humans we have the ability to decide what it is that interests us. If everyone was interested in the same old, same old what an utterly depressing society we’d live in.

In 2012 I was fortunate to go to Paris on an educational trip. What a privilege to see works of great art in the flesh. We did the usual, the Musee d’Orsay, Louvre Museum and the Pompidou Centre. I loved all 3 but the Pompidou was where I found my tribe of artists. Of course you have usual greats, Picasso, Matisse, Pollock, Francis Bacon etc who I was very familiar with and loved seeing their works in reality.

However the artwork that intrigued and moved me the most was from an artist I never heard of. It was a small piece, a self portrait I reckon about 25 cm x 30 cm not much bigger and I was just drawn back to it again and again. Most people would regard this piece as an ugly artwork but it fascinated me. It's by a French Artist called Jean Dubuffet.

It was only years later that I learned that Jean Dubuffet was so influenced by Outsider Artists he made it his quest to seek out artists that were so unspoilt by the art world establishments and theories, by social and cultural influences, who had the qualities that he saw himself as the making of a true and pure artist.

SCAREDY-CAT PROGRESSIVE STRUGGLES 3 2020

That's what I am trying to achieve daily when I make a piece of work. I think the most important aspect of art is truth! Being truthful to yourself, not to mimic others but yes of course draw inspiration by all means while remaining true, authentic and honest to yourself. Most Outsider Artists have the ability to do this! Gets you thinking doesn't it?

Thank god for Outsiders!!!!

Belief is Contagious