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At Just Folk, we concentrate on handmade, utilitarian objects whose design is esthetically appealing. We have an attraction to ordinary objects that are invested with extraordinary individuality. Sometimes these are old pieces whose original function is transcended by their design. Other times, the works we value are ones that tell stories about being alive and seeing the world in a certain way. By these parameters, folk art can be contemporary
as well as antique. We have collected folk art that falls into many categories: some of them are traditional, others are visionary, outsider, idiosyncratic, untrained, raw, environmental, and naïve. All are innovative and powerful expressions by a wide range of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. All of them contain an energy that flows from life experiences that is expressed in a unique, individual manner by the creator. Many of them make us smile. Some of them make us cry. The best of them provoke an emotional response of some sort, making them things we like to live with, whether they were created for utilitarian purpose, aesthetic appeal, or as an expression of inner worlds. |
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Many of our pieces have been created outside the confines of
institutional training, and have no relation to schools, galleries, museums or traditional influences. These are often referred to as “outsider art” because they are produced by people who, for various reasons, have not been culturally indoctrinated or socially conditioned to the traditional art world. Among these are artists with developmental disabilities, artists who are incarcerated, isolated, hospitalized or institutionalized. These artists have produced, from the depths of their own personalities (for themselves and no one else) works of outstanding originality in concept, subject and technique. They are works that owe nothing to tradition or fashion. They are linear or dimensional expressions of inner worlds. In some way, we can say they are “unfiltered,” which implies pure, honest and unique visions. We feel that is why they speak to us in such a singular way. That’s how we define folk art. |
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| We have divided our web presentation into two sections in terms of the above definitions. “Traditional Americana” includes nine categories of antique and utilitarian folk art whereas “Outsider Art” presents nine twentieth century artists and some of their works we feature. Both sections represent a tiny part of a much larger inventory but will give you a taste of what Just Folk is about. Select a section: TRADITIONAL AMERICANA | OUTSIDER ART |
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