In the world of art and culture, there has always been a lack of space for artists who created without having obtained formal education in this field. Throughout history, they were pushed aside; there was no room for them in galleries, museums, or even in educational curricula. Such art is labeled as naïve, outsider, or folk art. Within this label, there is also a branch of art known as art brut. The main figure advocating for the recognition of such art and rejecting classical cultural society was the artist Jean Dubuffet. Art brut encompasses artists who are on the fringes of society, social outcasts, prisoners, the art of the mentally ill, highly spiritual people, as well as academically educated artists who try to get as close as possible to such art. We might call them faux naïf or fake naïves. One of the artists from the last century who belongs to art brut and who dealt with her traumatic life experiences through spirituality and creative expression is Madge Gill. In her drawings, where the artistic elements of line and surface dominate, Gill explores her inner world and translates it onto paper using ink.
In my practical artistic work, I will try to determine whether, despite my prior knowledge, I can approach naïve creation, what I can learn from it, and how I can apply it in my own works.
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