Seminar on Art Brut. Proceedings 1: What Does Art Brut Speak About?
Paris, abcd and the International College of Philosophy, 2012.
Under the direction of Barbara Safavora.
Edition : abcd, 2012.
In the face of the bombardment of normopathic images—often obscene—that surround us and claim to define every form of identity, might Art Brut works offer an escape route, an anchor point, a possible direction for our quests for truth and meaning? Confronted with some of these works, we are seized by an emotion close to vertigo; we experience unease, sometimes anxiety, at facing a “horrible revelation” that defies definition, so deeply does it resonate with the unspeakable core of being. At the same time, we find ourselves drawn in, fascinated by their salvific power, which seems to grant access to a form of universal knowledge akin to “illumination.” What kind of knowledge is this? Art Brut works undeniably possess a subversive power; can they therefore be considered a counterculture? Through a series of contributions, this seminar proposes a reflection on this concept.
Texts:
Introduction – Barbara Safarova
“Art Brut Works: ‘Machines of Death,’ ‘Machines of Epiphany’” – Barbara Safarova
Marcel Réja: Art Among the Insane – Philippe Dagen,
Art Brut Is Not the ‘Art of the Insane – Céline Delavaux
From the Common Man to Art Brut and Back Again – Baptiste Brun
Popular Art and Art Brut: Some Comparative Elements – Bruno Montpied
The Great Blue Game of Laure Pigeon – Lise Maurer
What Does Art Brut Speak About? – Béatrice Steiner
Art Brut: A Counterculture? – Manuel Anceau
Texts in French
160 pages
Price: €29