Outsiders: The Inside Story of Folk Art

Barry Huffman. Matt Jones Pottery, 2016. Oil on board. 28 x 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

“Folk” and “Outsider” Art are terms often used to define work made by artists unschooled in their practice and lacking artistic intention.  In keeping with the definition, very few of the artists represented in Outsiders have received formal training, and most have been strongly influenced by the traditions and material culture of their rural North Carolina communities.  Many have faced extreme adversity and have relied heavily on their religious faith and creative impulses to get by.  The common imagery within this collection of work explores a memory or a scene from the artist’s past.  This need to record life’s events or replicate significant discoveries is a primal urge dating back to our beginnings as human.

Messages are embedded within these works of art, some deliberate and others completely interpretational.  Materials used to express the imagination can clearly articulate the message and offer insight into the life of the maker.  Free from academic limitations, the works are honest and unique to the individual who has made them.  This exhibition explores the artwork and lives of over thirty North Carolina folk artists.

Special thanks to the Hickory Museum of Art and Barry & Allen Huffman for sharing their works and making this exhibition possible.