I was looking at the artwork on eBay and noticed that folk art seems to be doing well--selling that is. Is this a current trend in art culture right now? Does anybody know?

Sure, folk art and especially outsider art are big right now.

Folk news reporting is certainly popular.

The republicans want to band the cowboy poetry. Can you believe that . Were will I go for letting out my emotions if that happens .

Mexican folk art seems popular.

Mexican folk art seems popular.It always has been. There are many cultures in which less-sophisticated art is more popular than art created by university graduates who have studied all the world's motifs and techniques.

We go in cycles in Euro-American culture. The abstract art movement which seems to have started with the Impressionists has taken over our art world (Impressionism seems so quaint and formal by today's standards), but many of our people are tired of it and would rather look at nice pictures of trees and people posing. Look at the number of members here--a community dominated by well-educated cosmopolitans--who insult abstract art.

i have to admit that some of the artwork is cool--more interesting than some of the other pieces on display.

Here's an interesting site that I found...

http://www.outsiderart.info/index.htm

There is some interesting stuff out there. I'm really impressed by some of the work that people are producing.

Real "outsider art" is made by actual artists these days, not by monkeys or children with spray cans. It's just that when "everybody is an artist" than the actual artists become the exception rather than the rule, and these days "everybody is an artist" (or a musician or a writer or a movie star etc).

"Art" - like many other things human - sits on a Bell Curve. If you consider 100 "artists", there will be a couple that are really "good" and there will be a couple that are really "bad". The vast majority will lie in between - from average to mediocre. This is reflected in the art buyers as well. They range from the educated and astute to the "gotta have a black velvet Elvis", while most fall in between.

"Folk art" has always been popular with...."folks", will likely always be so. Familiarity is the why.

Most people are average citizens and they buy many times what is advertised the most. Unfortunately for talented artists that the only way to get known is through advertising and that's expensive. Even trying to get yourself into a local gallery costs you money many times and only a few people ever visit their local art galleries any longer.

Most people are average citizens and they buy many times what is advertised the most. Unfortunately for talented artists that the only way to get known is through advertising and that's expensive. Even trying to get yourself into a local gallery costs you money many times and only a few people ever visit their local art galleries any longer.

With the advent of the internet, there's a well established avenue for artists to share their work. I didn't know that galleries charged the artist to show his/her work.


Real "outsider art" is made by actual artists these days, not by monkeys or children with spray cans. It's just that when "everybody is an artist" than the actual artists become the exception rather than the rule, and these days "everybody is an artist" (or a musician or a writer or a movie star etc).

I was wondering if "outsider art" had become a practice among the educated. Since it doesn't have any specific method, I don't know how it could be imitated. You literally must be outside the artistic norm to fit into the classification, which is what makes it unique.


"Art" - like many other things human - sits on a Bell Curve. If you consider 100 "artists", there will be a couple that are really "good" and there will be a couple that are really "bad". The vast majority will lie in between - from average to mediocre. This is reflected in the art buyers as well. They range from the educated and astute to the "gotta have a black velvet Elvis", while most fall in between.

Some people simply enjoy what they see. I think the quality of a piece of work can be very subjective and dependent on the individuals eye for creativity.

With the advent of the internet, there's a well established avenue for artists to share their work. I didn't know that galleries charged the artist to show his/her work.


An artist recently e-mailed me a copy of a contract she received from a Chelsea, New York gallery. The gallery offered her several options of "gallery representation", ranging from $2,900 to $20,000. For a group exhibition and a "year of representation" that offered little more than showing her work on the gallery's Web site, it would cost $9,200. She was seriously considering this offer.

This woman is just one of the many artists from around the world who have been keeping galleries like this one in business. And, as evidenced by my bulging folder labeled "Vanity Galleries Contracts," this practice is multiplying. Due to the unbalanced proportion of artists to galleries, this way of doing business has become profitable and is here to stay. (Note: I must point out that I do not consider non-profit, artist-run galleries, also known as cooperative galleries, to be vanity galleries, because membership fees are not designed by profiteers.)

An artist recently e-mailed me a copy of a contract she received from a Chelsea, New York gallery. The gallery offered her several options of "gallery representation", ranging from $2,900 to $20,000. For a group exhibition and a "year of representation" that offered little more than showing her work on the gallery's Web site, it would cost $9,200. She was seriously considering this offer.

This woman is just one of the many artists from around the world who have been keeping galleries like this one in business. And, as evidenced by my bulging folder labeled "Vanity Galleries Contracts," this practice is multiplying. Due to the unbalanced proportion of artists to galleries, this way of doing business has become profitable and is here to stay. (Note: I must point out that I do not consider non-profit, artist-run galleries, also known as cooperative galleries, to be vanity galleries, because membership fees are not designed by profiteers.)

What's the advantage...exposure? Wow, that's terrible.

What's the advantage...exposure? Wow, that's terrible.

Its a two way street. The gallery makes enough profits from the artists to stay in business and doesn't rely upon selling the artists paintings and the artist will get more exposure because they are paying the owner for the space. Before only "known" artists were wanted by the owners to insure that they would turn a profit fro the sales of the paintings but now they know they can pay the bills even with the unknown artists, as long a they pay.

With the advent of the internet, there's a well established avenue for artists to share their work. I didn't know that galleries charged the artist to show his/her work.


Not all art is digital. It wasnt so long ago that digtial art was looked down upon.

Not all art is digital. It wasnt so long ago that digtial art was looked down upon.

Artists take digital pictures of their work and can post it on galleries very easy. They don't have to do digital just to have a copy of their work put on the net.

Artists take digital pictures of their work and can post it on galleries very easy. They don't have to do digital just to have a copy of their work put on the net.

Its digital when they post it.

Well, I'm very excited that there's an avenue for artistic expression that doesn't require a background or education in art. I'm actually thinking of building an easel and giving it a try. I've always had a creative side, and I think it's time to express it. It looks like fun.


Its digital when they post it.

I don't understand your point. They have to digitize it to get it on the net.

Go ahead, only you have to hoard them in your basement to be discovered after your demise if you want to get really famous as an outsider artist.

Go ahead, only you have to hoard them in your basement to be discovered after your demise if you want to get really famous as an outsider artist.

Or hang them on my walls. We have a lot of my daughters artwork framed and hanging on our walls. I feel the creative juices flowing already. It's been a long time since I last picked up a brush. I've always tried to follow the traditional route but never gained much pleasure from it. Yeah, I want to be an outsider artist. The idea really encourages freedom of expression. I'm motivated.

That's what it's all about, having fun. I like the outsiders since they do art for it's own sake, they are unconcerned about the market.

That's what it's all about, having fun. I like the outsiders since they do art for it's own sake, they are unconcerned about the market.

I've been looking into it and some of their work is very cool. If I had the money, I would buy the pieces that I liked. It's total creative freedom, which appeals to me in a very strong way. I've always worked towards realism, but I don't know why--trying paint like the pro's I suppose. Anyway, I've been inspired to paint. That's a good thing.

... Unfortunately for talented artists that the only way to get known is through advertising and that's expensive...

Ah Cosmic, what makes you think that real talented artists want to "get known"? Money? Fame? Chicks?

Hows about an artist who chooses to become say, an engineer after he/she retires? Or a brain surgeon? An electrician? All without training of any kind, mind you.

Sadly, the underlying assumption that most folks make is that it does not take anything at all by way of education, experience or whatever to be an "artist" now. (see my argument with Fraggle on the other thread here) This is partly why so many children think they are going to be a rock star or a movie star or a basketball star or an artist or whatever merely by stating so, without any effort towards mastering the necessary skills and technical details.

Oh yeah, "vanity galleries" are not for "real" artists. "Real" artists may show at a gallery which takes a (significant, like 40%) percentage of any sales made in return for showing and adverts. Vanity galleries cater to wealthy individuals who desire to be perceived as "professional artists" for their own personal reasons.

Oh yeah - the people who do art for its own sake are called artists, and as I have already stated above, they are the actual "outsiders" now.

Fact.

I think art in itself is pretty forgiving. If you don't like what you've created, throw it away and start again. There's no harm in it.

I pulled out my father's pastels and gave it a shot. It's not great art, but I had fun...

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m541/Millionaire_Hopeful/Art4.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m541/Millionaire_Hopeful/Art2.jpg

Little bit derivative of Mondrian. You need to make like tinfoil sculptures of the apocalypse, or ice cream sculptures of Ronald Reagan to get any respect in the outsider world.

:D It's funny because you're right. There's a guy on ebay who paints clown faces on old photo's, and people are buying his stuff.

I shall wax eloquent on this another time, good show though. Thanks for sharing with us here, Bowser. :)

Are you really banned, Spidey?