City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2017 Exhibitions of Outsider Art Since 1947 Christina McCollum The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2393 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact:
[email protected] EXHIBITIONS OF OUTSIDER ART SINCE 1947 by CHRISTINA MCCOLLUM A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2017 © 2017 CHRISTINA MCCOLLUM ii All Rights Reserved Exhibitions of Outsider Art Since 1947 by Christina McCollum This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Art History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ________________________________ ____________________________________ Date Romy Golan Chair of Examining Committee _________________________________ ____________________________________ Date Rachel Kousser Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Mona Hadler Katherine Manthorne Kent Minturn iii THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK ABSTRACT Exhibitions of Outsider Art Since 1947 by Christina McCollum Advisor: Romy Golan The search for a “raw art,” untouched by the corrupting effects of culture, led Jean Dubuffet and others to collect, under the heading Art Brut [Outsider art], art made by the mentally ill and otherwise disenfranchised, poor, uneducated, elderly, and/or physically disabled. Since Dubuffet’s codification of Art Brut around 1945, the Outsider has been identified by cultural isolation, mental distance and a requisite discovery by some cultural insider, paternal or exploitative.