Faces and Figures in Self-Taught Art

From Henry Darger's elaborate paintings of young girls caught in a vicious war to the sacred art of the prolific Reverend Howard Finster and the raw power in Thornton Dial’s turbulent compositions, the work of self-taught artists has achieved unique status in the art world for its compelling expression of emotion and unselfconscious style. The strength of the artwork lies not in its adherence to reality but in its refreshing deviations from it. Included in this exhibition were paintings, drawings, and sculptures by artists who operate without academic training and outside traditional artistic discourse, often using unconventional materials to create works that vary remarkably in style.

When taking the human form as a subject, self-taught artists often express intensely personal visions that open a window onto their imagination. The face—the apex of the human figure—takes on a strange other-worldliness that evokes children’s art, mythology, or pure fantasy. The exhibition featured works by Steven Ashby, Henry Darger, Thornton Dial, Howard Finster, Dwight Macintosh, Donald Mitchell, and Inez Nathaniel Walker, among many others.

The exhibition was generously sponsored by the Friends of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Exhibition Fund. There are works that appeared in this exhibition that were loans to the Loeb and therefore do not appear on this website.