The Beauty of Outsiders

I’ve stumbled upon the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne Switzerland. This collection is comprised of works done by those who have had no formal art training and who have been considered loners, psychotics or criminally insane. What inspires me about this exhibit is how art has enabled “outsiders” to be included and accepted as worthy contributors within the art world. Each piece of work challenges what is considered to be the formal rules of art. “L’Art Brut” is “Raw Art” – art that has not been cooked but is raw and unaffected by outside influences. Sadly, many of the people on the fringe are never given a second glance but ironically each work of art at L’Art Brut is looked at by thousands of people every year. The gallery displays art by a range of individuals such as a junk dealer, a hospital porter and a postman who believed his hand was being directed by an external force.