I read an article and found myself thinking about outsider art.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10387487/
> Black artist Gloria Swain (2019) writes, “My depression is political…”
I agree with the idea that depression stems from political factors.
In Japan, there is a strong tendency to introduce art by people with disabilities as “Art Brut.”
I received formal training in Western art, and only recently discovered that I have autism.
I have also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a doctor.
Although I am technically an “insider,” my social life is fraught with difficulties, so my sense of belonging remains ambiguous.
While such artists are by no means uncommon.
Terms like “Art Brut” and “outsider” cannot exist without presupposing the existence of “insiders.”
And even among “insiders,” I believe the true essence lies in the “outsider” qualities—such as the variations and flashes of inspiration—that reside within the individual artist.
These are not strictly binary; I think there is an overlapping realm (a gray area/Awai) between them and vital element of creativity.
I believe there are precedents—not just for me—for the sense of dialogue with a painting and the perception of it as something sacred.
Perhaps because I’ve been able to articulate my own thoughts like “The paint speaks to me”, my perspective has shifted toward contextual positioning.
Furthermore, I realized that museums collect works in line with the themes of their specific contexts, while galleries handle sales.
This led me to realize that there isn’t a single, definitive framework for “Western art.”
There are practical realities, such as each country’s financial resources and the research time available to museums.
I believe works that inevitably fall outside of that framework were labeled “outsider art.”
I had always found it puzzling why only a limited definition of “art” was considered mainstream, but now I understand it a little better.
I believe that up until the modern era, artists were required to have drawing skills focused on creating three-dimensional illusions.
Couldn’t we say that in contemporary art, what is now required is something like the “ability to sketch context”?
And I came to think that what I’d like to propose as postcontemporary art is the realm where physicality and spirituality overlap.
Not the physical, three-dimensional depth on the canvas, but a depth that is at once physical and spiritual.
This is just my current thinking, though…
Do you think my interpretations are off the mark?
In any case, I hope to maintain an awareness that resonates with the discourse surrounding art.