OUTSIDER ART FAIR NYC 2019 - Review

Outsider Art Fair NYC

  The Outsider Art Fair NYC features artists from non-traditional backgrounds such as artists with disabilities, artists from prison, or those without formal art education. The amazing collection puts other art fairs like the Armory or Scope to shame, as those fairs are crowded with undeserving Manhattan elites and celebrities who produce generic art.

  Pure Vision Arts stole the show with fantastic works by Susan Brown, Roy Gabbay, Chase Ferguson, Simone Johnson, and Oscar Azmitia.  Susan Brown’s detailed cityscapes and portraits are charming.   Simone Johnson’s “Bodega Cats of New York” are incredibly labored, from the fur on the felines to their product laden environments, no detail is spared. If you’re in the New York area or not, make a trip to Pure Vision Arts to see some unique and talented artists.

  Folk art powerhouses Howard Finster, Emitte Hych and Mark Hogancamp all had work featured in the show.  Yuichiro Ukai’s work’s caught my eye open entering.  The fine line work and expressive characters from mythology and pop culture were quite fun. 

  Tabula Rasa Gallery’s “Almost Art,” organized by rising star Yuan Liu,
featured colorful works by Zhao Liang. Liang’s vibrant paintings capture the subtle psychologies of the subjects in their day to day lives.

  Kambel Smith’s sculptures of Philadelphia are phenomenal.  The fine points are incredibly accurate and the scale gives a sense of being in the environment.  The works stood out amongst the rest in the show.

  Korean Art Brut curator, Tong Won Kim showcased fashionable figures by Young Ae Joo.  The works have the boldness of a Matisse or Schiele.

  Good Kids: Underground Comics from China curated by Zhou Yi & Brett Littman featured sequential wall art as well as indie comics from around the globe.  The collection and the presentation was strong.  I was glad to see comics and book art represented at the fair.

  There were many other highlights from the show.  Including John Tayler of Mason Fine Art, who produced insane warships from old microchips, motherboards, and other found objects.   Noviadi Angkasapura’s linear works were delicate and enjoyable. An interesting piece in the Hill Gallery’s collection was the “American Made Prisoner Knives”  with 50 or so handmade weapons, or ‘shivs.’   I was happy to see lots of sales at the show; as these are some of the artists deserving the most support.  Check out all the artists and galleries mentioned in our article, and make sure to stay tuned to @sharks_eat_meat for the best daily art and culture news.

Review by John Aaron Coulter

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