#WECANALLDRAW IV

The #wecanalldraw exhibition series, which includes previous &TUR quarterly art shows, is particularly set up to welcome those who though may not have professional training in the discipline of fine arts are actively creative and are looking for a place to communicate and exhibit their creative energy. Most of the artists that have participated in the #wecanalldraw series are not from professionally trained art background. They all love making art. They draw inspiration from their surrounding. Most importantly, their motivation for creating art is very simple. They are not necessarily creating arts for any particular audience, more like for themselves. [Their creative practice is an outlet] to communicate their inward feelings of being inspired by what they have seen and experienced. I think it is appropriate to use Art Brut as a reference to articulate this particular sector of creative practice and my curatorial concept. In my research for developing the #wecanalldraw series, I come across Anthony Petullo’s art collection and his website, which has an extensive references to the history of self-taught and outsider art, and the origins and development of Art Brut both in Europe and USA. I have selected two excerpts from Petullo’s History of Self-Taught and Outsider Arts on Jean Dubuffet’s Art Brut studies as main references to explain and support the curatorial concept behind the #wecanalldraw series. As Dubuffet described these arts as “art-orphans” needing someone to gather them, showcase them, collect them and preserves them, the core mandate of the #wecanalldraw series is o facilitate these functions.

In ABCD: A Collection of Art Brut by Jennifer Borum:

“Art Brut … the term means “raw art” – art that has not been influenced or “cooked” by high cultural aesthetic standards or current art trends.”

“What we mean is anything produced by people unsmirched by artistic culture, works in which mimicry, contrary to what occurs with intellectuals, has little or no part. So that the makers (in regard to subjects, choice of materials, means of transposition, rhythms, kinds of handwriting, etc.) draw entirely on their own resources rather than on the stereotypes of classical or fashionable art.”

In Art Brut: Origins and Interpretations by Katherine Murrell:

“As Dubuffet described it, this was art that was not based on established traditions or techniques. It did not follow styles or trends, and it was not made primarily to be sold for monetary gain. It is spontaneous, uninhibited, and maybe not even made as “art”. The appeal of this work, for Dubuffet and others before him, was the unselfconscious imagery born of pure, uninhibited expression. This art subverted the conscious efforts of the artists and dismissed premeditated ideas of what art should be and what it should represent.”

The 4th #wecanalldraw exhibition will be in The Taste and See Shop from March 1-31, 2016, featuring 17 drawings from children artists from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This is the second co-curated #wecanalldraw exhibition with Ms. Chen, who is a veteran art educator in Taiwan. Ms. Chen’s studio and teaching approach focuses much on cultivating innovativeness, originality and genuine creativity. Every drawing is uniquely expressive and bears genuine and innocent aesthetic. The purpose of this exhibition and the #wecanalldraw series is to present a refreshing artistic scenery and perspective in contrast to the elites and institutional art scenes. See previous post on studio visit with Ms. Chen here. These featured artists are all under the age of 12 and are excited to be showing their drawings oversea. There will be details on artist profiles and viewers’ choice awards in posts to come. Stay tuned.