Art Brut: The Origins of Outsider Art

by Lucienne Peiry

In the early 20th-century, European avant-garde artists began to look beyond the accepted canons of Western art in a search for new sources of inspiration. "Primitive" art, drawings by children, the art of the insane, and graffiti all opened up new avenues for experimentation and artistic creation. At the end of World War II, leading French artist Jean Dubuffet became interested in the works being produced by psychiatric patients and by other social outcasts. In 1948 he founded the Compagnie de l'Art Brut to document the collections he had begun, and in 1976 the collection moved to its permanent home in Lausanne. This critically acclaimed book traces the history of the concept of Art Brut, a movement which has had a profound effect on artistic and social history. The account is completed by biographical notes on the featured artists and an extensive bibliography. This revised edition contains up-to-date information about modern exponents of Art Brut and the collection itself, including two new images of artist Judith Scott's work. All the works reproduced, most from the collection created by Dubuffet, have retained their subversive freedom, which continues to fascinate and inspire artists and collectors today.

Genres: Art, Art History, Reference, Nonfiction, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2001

Reviews

[Osman]

If you're into Outsider Art this is a book you must have. It is an extremely thorough exploration of Jean Dubuffet and his promotion (or at times non-promotion) of Art Brut. It is a fascinating read and really gets to grip with the confusion of ideas about what defines this work. Dubuffet himself had issues over what should and should not be included in his collection, what should be relagated to an annexed collection. His creators supreme were the earliest insane artists whose work survived, mainly due to the earlier promotion by pschiatric doctors Morganthaler and Prinzhorn- Adolf Wolfli and Heinrich Anton Muller being the paragons.
It also explores whether Dubuffet plagarised or otherwise exploited the artists, and much more besides

With sumptuous prints and multiple illustrations this is a book to treasure

[William]

A really nice overview of the origins of Art Brut. Learned a lot from this book and it's given me a lot of new artists to explore. A little surprised that the section on music inspired/based on the work of Adolf Wolfli failed to mention either Graeme Revell or Nurse With Wound. I think those recordings were my first introduction to Adolf Wolfli and perhaps even Art Brut.

[MM]

Clunky writing and organization, but interesting stuff nonetheless. Focuses on the beginnings of the idea of "art brut" (outsider art), and ultimately follows Jean Dubuffet's evolving interests in it -- ideological, aesthetic and political interests. Again, lots of interesting stuff stuff here -- some key figures in outsider art, early collaborations, influences, etc. -- but ultimately this book raises more questions for me than it answers. That's ok -- it's sprawling, and I like questions. And, hey, it makes me want to go to Lausanne to visit the museum.

[Lauren Gerfen]

While the images were great and I gained bits of information this book seemed to skim the surface and leave many sources unexplored and under-developed. I am certain there are books or articles that bring a more fresh and interesting approach to this topic.