Dan's Papers - August 3, 2007 - Outsider Art Inside The Hamptons

Candyce Brokaw is a compulsive artist. Seated on a black couch in her humble, hidden Quoge home, it's hard to tell where the art ends and the house begins; And this is exactly what she wants. She shows me pictures of her dream home - Danielle Jacqui's overwhelmingly colorful and ornate abode in France, a piece of outsider art itself, becoming a museum.

"There's sparkles all over my bed because I lay there and make art while watching TV, reading magazines. I can't stop making art."

Currently, her house is filled with not only the finished pieces and remnants of her own art, but also that of a plethora of other artists. These pieces are at her house because Candyce is the curator of the second annual Outsider Art in the Hamptons, an exhibit at the Galeria BelAge in Westhampton Beach.

Outsider Art is virtually synonymous with Art Brut, except that Art Brut generally refers to, or at least originates from, the art of crazy people, whereas the crazy card is not mandatory for an outsider artist. But it certainly helps: an outsider artist is self-taught. His or her art is a deeply embedded stream of consciousness.

"It's absolutely the purest art. It's not adulterated or anything. I mean, I appreciate Klimt and the masters, but there's nothing like the intensity of Outsider Art. It can be dark or funny or simple, there's such a range, each piece of art is its own," Brokaw said.

Her own art is actually dark and funny and simple, all at once.

"I'm not conscious of my inspiration so I learn about myself and my past through art. It's like a 'Where's Waldo' gone crazy - there's hidden aspects. Even hidden names. 'Sexy' is a reference to my mother."

The show will also feature art from many Outsider Art masters, including Ody Saban, a Paris-based artist, originally from Istanbul, who paints elaborate pieces of art singulier. Saban has been featured in Raw Vision magazine and her pieces carry a hefty price tag these days, but the Westhampton Beach show is making most pieces affordable (the prices at the show range from $50 to $12,000). Many of the artists exhibiting in Westhampton are also featured in the annual Outsider Art Fair at the Puck Building in downtown Manhattan, which has become an increasingly popular and notable exhibit.

Somewhat outside the lines of Outsider Art, the Westhampton Beach show will also be featuring famous folk artists. Like the outsider artists, the folk artists are self-taught. They include the late Mose Tolliver, considered a genius in the field of Southern Folk Art as well as Purvis Young, who paints a diverse canvas all on a literal canvas of found remnants in poverty-stricken communities.

Embedded in the rococo paintings and artwork of all shapes and sizes was always at least one message, unique to the artist, perhaps, but created as if the artist were letting you in on a joke or a bit of an inspirational idea through their heavily crafted artwork. For example, although I have never met Missionary Mary Proctor, her bright blue painting featuring bits of a shiny red Coca Cola can with "Amazing Grace" lyrics gave me a knowing smile.

To make matters more interesting, the show will also feature biographies of all of the artists exhibiting at it. The life stories of the mentally impaired, the Southern working class, the survivors of traumatic events, and those who just feel an innate inspiration to create will help the fantastical artistic renderings come to life on the canvas.

Brokaw, a full time East Ender and mother who raised her family out here, said: "Modern Art is untouchable, and Outsider Art is getting huge." Celebrity collectors include Robin Williams and John Waters (which may help you understand the whimsical intensity of Outsider Art). With pieces as creatively crafted as those in the show, I suspect Outsider Art will soon be "untouchable" as well. So this show might be one of your last chances to check out and cash in on the purest form of unadulterated art. That, and an ornate, colorful room with complimentary champagne and a myriad of artistic voices, singing and screaming.

The 2nd Annual Outsider Art in the Hamptons Show runs August 3rd through September 14th. The reception and party is open to public on Saturday, August 11th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Call (631) 288 - 5082 for more information.