Art Brut: An Introduction

The term “art brut” means “raw art.” It is used to describe art created by talented artists living outside of society. Art brut is the art of the insane. The name didn’t come about until the mid-1940s and it was soon used to refer to other forms of outsider art. But that’s a topic for another day.

Until the mid-1800s no one paid attention to the artwork created by mental patients. Psychiatrists such as Dr. Paul Gaston Meunier, Dr. Auguste Marie, and Dr. Charles Ladame changed this. They began to collect the artwork because they thought it could help grant new information about the minds of their patients.
In the 1920s, as you know, abstract art movements were forming and gaining popularity. Artists like Wassily Kandinsky were creating art without recognizable subjects. Their art was based on feeling. They tried to paint emotions onto canvas and people accepted the art that was created.

The idea of putting pencil or pen or brush to paper and letting it wander with the mind made people look differently at the art of the insane. Those doodles and scribbles no longer seemed so silly.
As it turned out, the insane created more than just doodles and scribbles. Some created very realistic sketches of life. Others carved abstract sculptures. Some created ordered, patterned drawings, filled with every imaginable color. Just like the work of mentally healthy artists, the artwork of the insane varied in style and could be seen as strange or disturbing or even beautiful.

In 1922, Dr. Hans Prinzhorn published a book on the art of the insane. He also set up a gallery of artwork he had collected. The book and the gallery made people aware of the art made by the mentally ill. And the most interesting thing—the artwork influenced “normal” artists! The Surrealists were especially inspired.
Look at the pictures I’ve included. (The first was painted by Adolf Wolfli, the second by Franz Karl Buhler, and the third by August Natterer.) Tomorrow I’ll tell you about Adolf Wolfli, a mentally ill artist who is remembered today by many as a creative genius.

Thanks to BeverlyKayeGallery for suggesting this topic. I’m having a great time researching it and look forward to the next week or so of posts! Click over to the BeverlyKayeGallery blog to learn more about art brut and outsider art.

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You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum

Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Glasser have created a gorgeous picture book: You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum. Wordlessly the author and illustrator show the frenzied chase of a security guard through New York City as he tries to snag a run-away balloon. Inside the museum, a girl enjoys the artwork, unaware of the adventure her balloon is experiencing.

I love the way Weitzman and Glasser use famous works of art to punctuate the action happening in the city. The book doesn’t try to teach you about art or about New York City. Instead, it gives you a glimpse of both and lets you draw your own conclusions.

There are two other books in this series which may interest you. You Can’t Take a Balloon into the National Gallery follows a balloon’s travels through Washington, D.C., and You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Museum of Fine Arts is an adventure through Boston, Massachusetts. All three books feature beautiful pen-and-ink drawings with punches of color.

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Tempera Paint

Tempera is a type of paint made using egg yolk. It is still used today by some artists but it was very popular in ancient Egypt as well as during the Italian Renaissance. To make the paint, an artist ground minerals into powder. He separated the yolk (the yellow part of the egg) from the white. Then the artist mixed the yolk with the colored powder until he like the color and thickness of his paint.

Egg yolk dries quickly and forms a hard coat. Once dry, yolk is difficult to remove. (Try scrubbing dried egg out of a bowl…) Because of this, paintings made with tempera last a long time. The Fayum Portraits of ancient Egypt have lasted more than 2000 years!

You can make your own tempera! Be sure to have an adult help you with this one. Do not make the tempera until you are ready to paint with it.

Supplies Needed:

Chalk
Pencil sharpener
Egg
Water
Empty egg carton
Bowl
Fork

Sharpen a piece of chalk with your pencil sharpener. Empty the shavings into one of the egg carton cups. Repeat for each color you wish to create.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. You will only need the yolk. Mix the egg yolk with about three teaspoons of water.

Stir a small amount of the yolk mixture into each cup. Your paint should be a little runny. Be sure to stir until the paint is smooth.

You are now ready to create your masterpiece! Be aware that tempera paint dries fast. If the paint sits in the cups for too long, you’ll have to add a little more water to prevent it from thickening.

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Create Your Own Gorky Painting

Yesterday you learned about Arshile Gorky and you looked at some of his paintings. Today, create your own loopy, colorful painting (or drawing).

Supplies Needed:

Heavy sketch paper
Pencil
Watercolors
Paint brush

This is a simple project but the results are beautiful. Sketch some free-form loops across your paper. You can draw an object or a person, or just let your pencil swirl across the page.
When you’re pleased with your creation, fill in the loops with color. I outlined some parts of my painting in black. You can trace over your lines if you choose, or just let the colors show where the lines were.
Remember to sign your name on your masterpiece!

Younger kids can enjoy this project, too. Paints can be tough to control and they can be messy. Younger kids should use crayons instead. And feel free to use plain copy paper with crayons. The heavier paper is only needed to soak up the moisture of paint.

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Arshile Gorky

When I was at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York this weekend, I had the great pleasure of seeing several paintings by Arshile Gorky. It’s possible that I’ve seen paintings by him before but this time they really spoke to me. I love the way the shapes flow into each other and I love the colors. I love all the strange pictures that appear in Gorky’s paintings if you free your mind and just look. I knew I had to share this great artist with you.

Gorky was born in Armenia around 1904. In 1915 Gorky and his family fled Armenia but it was a difficult journey and his mother died. Gorky moved to the United States in 1920. For most of his life he missed his home country. He never stopped thinking about his mother.

Gorky learned art by studying the works of other artists. He studied the Impressionists, then the Cubists, and finally the Surrealists as he developed his own style. He studied art formally at the New School of Design in Boston, Massachusetts.

Gorky began by painting somewhat realistic scenes, like the Impressionists. One example is The Artist and His Mother.

Paintings like Organization show how Cubism influenced Gorky’s style.

He is most important, however, for his influence on later artists. By the end of his life, his paintings consisted of rounded, free-form shapes. Garden in Sochi is one example, Golden Brown is another. The style of these later paintings became known as Abstract Expressionism. Gorky’s personal style influenced many other Abstract Expressionists.

Gorky died in 1948.

Check back tomorrow to create your own Gorky painting.

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