Robert Draws – Vernacular art features visual works created by self-taught artists who work outside traditional art institutions. These artists operate independently of the established art world, which commercial galleries and art academies traditionally dominate. They produce their art in personal, often isolated settings, drawing deeply from their own experiences, backgrounds, and life stories.
Vernacular art, also referred to as folk art or outsider art, is a broad category encompassing a diverse range of artistic expressions. In the United States, African American, Appalachian, and working-class communities predominantly create vernacular art. Many of these artists began creating their work outside their day jobs or took up art later in life. Their work often includes paintings, sculptures, quilts, and textiles, which reflect the everyday lives, struggles, and hopes of these communities.
In early 2023, Christie’s auctioned off a collection of outsider and vernacular art that featured works by iconic American artists like Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, and Thornton Dial. The auction grossed over US$2 million, underscoring the growing recognition and market for this genre. Museums such as the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, and the High Museum in Atlanta have also started building significant collections of this art, further cementing its place in the broader art world.
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The term “vernacular art” has evolved over time, drawing from earlier concepts such as “art brut” or “outsider art.” In the 1940s, French artist Jean Dubuffet coined the term “art brut,” or “raw art,” to describe the work of people who had no formal art training, such as mental patients, prisoners, and children. The work of Adolf Wölfli, a Swiss patient who created elaborate drawings in a mental hospital, inspired Dubuffet’s concept. Wölfli’s drawings included intricate borders and a unique musical notation system, all created as part of his therapeutic process.
In 1972, British art historian Roger Cardinal expanded the scope of Dubuffet’s idea, introducing the term “outsider art” to include a broader group of self-taught artists. This term eventually gave rise to the broader category of vernacular art, which also incorporates work by artists like Madge Gill, a British self-taught artist who spent much of her childhood in an orphanage. Gill began her artistic journey later in life, creating highly patterned drawings that she claimed were inspired by communication with spirits.
Sociologist Gary Allen Fine, in his book Everyday Genius: Self-Taught Art and Culture of Authenticity, discusses the importance of the artist’s biography in understanding vernacular art. Fine notes that the personal stories of these artists often imbue their work with deeper meaning and value, making it more significant to collectors and art enthusiasts. This kind of art is often appreciated not just for its aesthetic qualities but for the unique life experiences that the artists bring to their work.
In some cases, however, the relationship between vernacular artists and their promoters can become complicated. The story of self-taught woodcarver Edgar Tolson, from rural Kentucky, illustrates this point. Michael Hall, a University of Kentucky professor, promoted Tolson’s work and helped him secure a National Endowment for the Arts grant. However, Hall later sold Tolson’s work for millions of dollars. This situation highlights how large sums of money can blur the lines between artistic appreciation and exploitation.
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Vernacular art plays an essential role in expanding the boundaries of the traditional art canon. Just as communities have passed down folk music through generations without formal training, artists create vernacular art as a rich, authentic form of expression that reflects the values and traditions of everyday people. In many ways, vernacular art showcases the unfiltered voices of individuals historically excluded from mainstream art institutions.
The importance of vernacular art is especially evident in an era where concepts of authenticity in art are constantly being challenged, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and digital art. The raw, unmediated nature of vernacular art makes it resonate deeply in a world that increasingly questions authorship and originality. This art form showcases the ingenuity, creativity, and human spirit of those who create it, using ordinary materials to express profound ideas.
In the same way that architect Robert Venturi promoted the idea of vernacular architecture in his 1972 book Learning from Las Vegas, This kind of art invites us to appreciate the creativity and resourcefulness of ordinary people. Vernacular works in architecture, music, and visual art remind us that everyone, regardless of background or training, can engage in artistic expression. These creations emphasize that art is not confined to the elite but is accessible to all.
