HIGH SCHOOL

REMEMBERING LIKE JUDY: STUDYING THE WORK OF JUDY ONOFRIO

USING OUR OWN MEMORYWARE
LESSON: CERAMIC PLACE SETTING/OUTSIDER ART
ONLINE INTERACTIVE WORKSHEET
Carl Anderson, Remer, MN
For as long as mankind has made art there have been people who work outside of the mainstream art world, often not considering themselves artists, who are driven by an unquenchable urge to create. These people have created their own brand of artwork for their own satisfaction and personal purposes without regard for the commercial art world. Only recently has the artworld begun to recognize the contribution of these countless groups of people. The art world has struggled to give them a name for the category they have been trying to place them in, some go by Visionary Art, Art Brut, Naive Art, Primitivism, and Outsider Art to name a few. No matter what their title the work of these artists deserves to be recognized and preserved for future generations to appreciate, study, and be inspired by.

The following is a list of web sites devoted to this unique brand of creative expression. Use the information in these sites to answer the following questions. Also, while you are surfing the internet look for one particular “Outsider Artist” who inspires you. You will be asked to create a ceramic place setting you think might suit their taste. The place setting does not have to be functional but must reflect the style and interests of the artist you choose.

The American Visionary Art Museum www.avam.org
Searcher’s outsider art quest www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/1482
Raw Vision www.rawvisoin.com
Mississippi River of Song www.pbs.org/riverofsong/music/el-faith.html
Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/watts/tower.html
Outsider Art www.tradersof babylon.com/outside.htm
Outsider Art: L’art Brut...uncivilized freedom www.aabc.com/outside/l’art.htm
A. As you view these websites compile a list of what criteria an artist must meet to be considered an outsider artist:
B. The answers to the following questions can be found at the web sites listed above. Read all the questions before browsing as you may not find them in the order they are listed below.
1. What does it mean to be a visionary artist?
2. What is the difference between Visionary Art and Folk Art?
3. What is the purpose of the American Visionary Art Museum?
4. Where is the American Visionary Art Museum Located?
5. What is the Geller Effect?
6. What is an art car?
7. What is Howard Finster famous for?
8. What did James Harold Jennings build?
9. Who built “The Pasaquonians?”
10. What kind of art does Big Al Tapilet do?
11. Who was Dr. Hans Prinzhorn and what kind of Outsider Art did he collect?
12. What is Art Brut?
13. Who coined the term Art Brut?
14. How is Art Brut different from Outsider Art?
15. Who is Nek Chad? What did he do?
16. What is the Dickeyville Grotto? Where is it located?
17. What is Simon Rodia famous for?
18. Can you think of anyone you know who might be considered an Outsider Artist?
Return to the Ceramic Place Setting/Outsider Art Lesson Plan