Artistic Freedom

Artistic Freedom is an exhibition inspired by Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe, and explores the connections and influences of self-taught artists on modern and contemporary art. Though some self-taught artists used traditional artistic mediums, such as paper, canvas, and paint, their approach to art was unlike that of traditionally trained artist. Rather than working within a specific artistic style or attempting to stretch the boundaries of popular art conventions, self-taught artists often created art as a form of self-expression and rarely with the intent to impress or appeal to buyers and art critics. This unique frame of reference allowed self-taught artists to truly explore ideas and themes that mattered to them.

Often creating work that reflected the world and experiences around them, self-taught artists, particularly in the rural South, recreated a world and heritage that was not preserved within the traditional western art world. Themes of home, childhood, and even oppression were embodied in works filled with vibrant color and loose composition or pieces constructed using rudimentary representations of ideas. Their work and form of expression impacted traditionally trained artists in the western world. This exhibition explores the connections and parallels between self-taught artists and traditionally trained artists and pose the question who and what defines fine art.