Nonconformers | A New History of Self-Taught Artists
Nonconformers, by Lisa Slominski for Yale University Press, launched in 2022. The publication presents a new global history of self-taught artists advocating for a nuanced understanding of modern and contemporary art often challenged by the establishment.
Excerpt from Yale University Press: It has generally been within limiting categories when the art world has paid attention to makers outside the cultural establishment, including so-called outsider and self-taught artists. Yet these artists, including many women, people with disabilities, and people of colour, have had a transformative effect on the history of modern art. Responding to growing interest in these artists, this book offers a nuanced history of their work and how it has been understood from the early twentieth century to the present.
Nonconformers includes work by Henry Darger, Hilma af Klint, Bill Traylor, and many other artists who deserve widespread recognition. The book reviews how self-taught artists influenced key movements of twentieth-century art and highlights the voices of contemporary practitioners, offering new interviews with William Scott, Mamadou Cissé, and George Widener. An international group of contributors addresses topics such as the development of the Black Folk Art movement in America and l’Art Brut in France, the creative process of self-taught artists working outside traditional studios, and the themes of figuration, landscape, and abstraction. Global in scope and with chronological breadth, this alternative narrative is an essential introduction to the genre long known as “Outsider Art.”
Make it stand out
“An essential addition to any discerning art lover’s collection. . . . An informative and important companion for art aficionados, budding curators and total novices alike.”
—Vanity Fair London
With contributions by: Michael Bonesteel, Mamadou Cisse, Sophia Cosmadopoulos, Tom di Maria, Jo Farb Hernandez, Cheryl Finley, Katherine Jentleston, Sarah Lombardi, John Maizels, Philip March Jones, William Scott and George Widener.
To purchase a copy of Nonconformers, visit Yale University Press.
To learn more about author Lisa Slominski, visit Slominski Projects.