An updated and substantially revised edition of this comprehensive introduction to outsider art, distinguished by its wider international scope and inclusion of global developments since 2000. Outsider Art is the work produced outside the mainstream of modern art by self-taught, untrained visionaries, spiritualists, recluses, folk artists, psychiatric patients, prisoners and others beyond the imposed margins of society and the art market. Coined by Roger Cardinal in 1972, the term in English derived from Jean Dubuffet’s ‘Art Brut’ – literally ‘raw art’, ‘uncooked’ by culture, unaffected by fashion, unmoved by artistic standards. In this comprehensive and indispensable guide, Colin Rhodes surveys the history and reception of Outsider Art – first championed by Dubuffet and the Surrealists, now appreciated by a wider public – while providing fresh insights into the achievements of both major figures and newly discovered artists as well as the emergence of specialized studios, as the relationship between outsider art and the contemporary mainstream art world has developed and become more intertwined. From spirit-guided Madge Gill to schizophrenic Adolf Wolfli, Rosemarie Koczÿ’s expressions of trauma to Nek Chand’s outdoor creations, these individuals passionately and obsessively pursue the pictorial expression of their vision. Now illustrated in full colour, with the exception of some archival photographs, this new edition has been substantially revised with a greater focus on global Outsider art as well as including more recent talents to the field.

A comprehensive new overview of expressionism, tracing its evolution from the nineteenth century to the present day. Expressionist artists believed in the art object’s ability to communicate emotion, irrespective of any representational or narrative content. In this comprehensive introduction to one of the most radical artistic movements of our time, writer, artist, curator and educator Colin Rhodes traces the thread of expressionist thought from the nineteenth century to the present day, mapping its various manifestations across Europe and the USA, as well as parts of Africa, Asia and South America. By paying particular attention to nuanced issues of gender, sexuality, and cultural appropriation Rhodes challenges the received art-historical narrative and reassesses it in the context of broader twentieth and twenty-first century artistic practice. Generously illustrated, the diverse selection of artists featured in this book range from Wassily Kandinsky, Erma Bossi, Francis Bacon, and Mark Rothko to Ursula Schultze-Bluhm, Gillian Ayres, Purvis Young and Jadé Fadojutimi.

An updated and substantially revised edition of this comprehensive introduction to outsider art, distinguished by its wider international scope and inclusion of global developments since 2000. Outsider Art is the work produced outside the mainstream of modern art by self-taught, untrained visionaries, spiritualists, recluses, folk artists, psychiatric patients, prisoners and others beyond the imposed margins of society and the art market. Coined by Roger Cardinal in 1972, the term in English derived from Jean Dubuffet’s ‘Art Brut’ – literally ‘raw art’, ‘uncooked’ by culture, unaffected by fashion, unmoved by artistic standards. In this comprehensive and indispensable guide, Colin Rhodes surveys the history and reception of Outsider Art – first championed by Dubuffet and the Surrealists, now appreciated by a wider public – while providing fresh insights into the achievements of both major figures and newly discovered artists as well as the emergence of specialized studios, as the relationship between outsider art and the contemporary mainstream art world has developed and become more intertwined. From spirit-guided Madge Gill to schizophrenic Adolf Wolfli, Rosemarie Koczÿ’s expressions of trauma to Nek Chand’s outdoor creations, these individuals passionately and obsessively pursue the pictorial expression of their vision. Now illustrated in full colour, with the exception of some archival photographs, this new edition has been substantially revised with a greater focus on global Outsider art as well as including more recent talents to the field.

A comprehensive new overview of expressionism, tracing its evolution from the nineteenth century to the present day. Expressionist artists believed in the art object’s ability to communicate emotion, irrespective of any representational or narrative content. In this comprehensive introduction to one of the most radical artistic movements of our time, writer, artist, curator and educator Colin Rhodes traces the thread of expressionist thought from the nineteenth century to the present day, mapping its various manifestations across Europe and the USA, as well as parts of Africa, Asia and South America. By paying particular attention to nuanced issues of gender, sexuality, and cultural appropriation Rhodes challenges the received art-historical narrative and reassesses it in the context of broader twentieth and twenty-first century artistic practice. Generously illustrated, the diverse selection of artists featured in this book range from Wassily Kandinsky, Erma Bossi, Francis Bacon, and Mark Rothko to Ursula Schultze-Bluhm, Gillian Ayres, Purvis Young and Jadé Fadojutimi.