Outside looking in?

Just finished watching The Devil and Daniel Johnston a fascinating documentary about an outsider artist/musical genius (?) plagued with mental illness and unrequited love...which has me thinking again about outsider art and what makes a person an outsider or an insider in the art and music world...and also checking out Daniel on iTunes...the most interesting cover of his music was performed by the Eels...quite fitting. E gives it the best of his gravely, haunting voice. In fact, as I was watching the movie, I kept coming up with different artists I wanted to hear covering his music. Don't get me wrong, Daniel does a fine job...but his voice can get a bit...tiring...even it is part of his genius.

So, then, outsider art...had me thinking about late greats like Wesley Willis and Henry Darger (both Chicagoans) who were appreciated more after their deaths than before. I was browsing the Daniel Johnston website and was looking at the art, half serious about purchasing just based on how much his art may appreciate in the future. But then...do I like it enough to hang on my walls? Is it art?

It's just an interesting question - one that I know there are phds and curators and collectors will all "answer"...what is art, what makes it outsider, and how is talent really defined...or does talent have to even be there for it to be art? What gives it that edge that helps it leap from drawing on notebook paper to $1200 masterpiece. What makes someone like Willis, Darger, Johnston or Tiny Tim an acceptable commodity?

Anyway...after some time on iTunes listening while contemplating outsider musicians...I would recommend checking out the "Outsider Music" collection on iTunes...and introducing yourself to my new favorite - the Langley School Music Project. Super surreal to hear them singing Space Oddity...

And, speaking of outside...we had a building yard sale this weekend! We sat outside for 2 days selling all of our crap at crazy discount prices. John and I made enough to pay for a movie and 2 dinners this weekend. 25% of proceeds were donated to our building...we raised over $100...enough to pay our electric bill for a month. Thanks to the neighbors who participated for making it a success. We're looking to return again in a month to sell some of John's outsider art he keeps housed in Indiana...and by outsider art I mean t-shirts and old frying pans...and maybe this little hooligan....