Homage to Outsider Art and Other Stuff

Ever since I decided to go from painting boxes to wall art, I've been going through all kinds of liberating stuff - inside and out. I am, for all in tense (well, this process can be intense ) and purposes, a self-taught artist. Translation: not degreed in Art. To confidently and comfortably reinvent and call myself an "artist" took time and much appreciated acceptance and validation. A work in progress...still.

One of the styles of art that has helped me grow and liberate me is Outsider Art. I relate to the name alone. I have always had an attraction and appreciation for Outsider Art. The creators of outsider art just create. They feel and may hear things, perhaps of a religious or political order. They are not caught up in perfection or so it appears (like someone I know.) They re-purpose and recycle. There can be poor grammar and misspelled words. But Outsider artists have purity of intentions.

Last year I went to see the Stranger in Paradise exhibit (3x) which highlighted the works the late Reverend Howard Finster and even more recently the Outsider/Folk Art exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum two weeks ago. (I have links that describe Outsider Art and the works of Rev. Howard Finster, so please look.) Both exhibits opened me up. 

In my quest to free my creativity up and loosen up on the perfectionism, I'm enjoying some of the qualities of an Outsider artist:

Copyright @2011 Marilyn Grad

This is a work in progress. The finished version will be on my website next week. I cluttered it up a bit with more writing. 

 

And in less than two weeks, I will be participating once again in the Ravenswood Artwalk.
A show!!! An indoor show!!!  :))))) I am preparing for that now. You might just see some of my Outsider influenced art there.  More on that next time.

One Day+One Exhibit=Happy

I took a replenish, "get outta here" and inspire "me" day yesterday to go to the Milwaukee Art Museum to see The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City exhibit. Need I remind you how much I love Asian art, furnishings and artifacts? I needed a drool cup viewing this exhibit. I was blown away.

It featured art, murals, objects, furnishings, all made with exquisite beauty and craftsmanship, from Qianlong Garden. This was a secluded compound of pavilions and gardens the Qianlong emperor designed in the 18th century in anticipation of his retirement. Lots of Buddhist shrines and some videos. This was the third and final stop in the world before these treasured artworks are returned to China. I made it just in time.
The show ends September 11 and a link: Milwaukee Art Museum.

No photos of the exhibit were allowed but I'll share what I could from this exhibit and then some other things. 

Well, this is it. Can you find moi in this pic?

But what I can visually share is the calm, serenity and magnificence of this museum. This was my first time here, ashamedly. It is a gorgeous museum architecturally with a fantastic art collection along the lakefront. Just what I needed.

After China, I went to see all the other exhibits/collections. Paid my respect to Picasso, O'Keefe, Leger + many more, and then an extraordinary thing happened. Roy Lichtenstein called me over to one of his Pop art paintings and he spoke to me. He said "kid (beats Ma'am), I know how much you love art, want to make it as an artist, so how would you like to be in one of mine? (Really? Ya talkin' to me?) See what it is like to have your work in a museum."  So I took him up on it and got several shots. Hard to do trying not to look at the camera when taking a shot. Here's one:

See, when I told you I needed to get away, I meant it!

It was such a great day. I learned a lot, made a new "friend,"  and tried to write a shorter, less cluttered post. Four hours to go until September.

August is officially a wrap and so is my short time off. Back to work tomorrow.