"The critic Roger Cardinal
has described several characteristics of outsider art that make
a certain sense-even while they seem applicable to all kinds
of artists. He has written that outsider artists are isolated
or secretive individuals whose work creates an alternate world,
which is obsessive and illogical and is often made from commmonplace
materials. But, many people in the field, especially museum professionals,
increasingly consider this definition to be slightly pejorative
or to isolate such work from 'normal' art in ways that either
diminish or idealize it. In addition, so much of this art is
entering the mainstream of both art history and the art market
that the word is not only confusing but inaccurate. The question
about the word 'outsider' isn't going to be settled here, but
it seems indisputable that as this work becomes more familiar
and is more carefully considered the blurring of boundaries will
continue. Because the bottom line is this: what makes outsider
art memorable is not its outsider origins, but a level of artistry
and power that withstands comparison with any other kind of art."
--Roberta Smith, NY Times,
January 22, 2000
