Angels, Devils and the Electric Slide: Outsider Art from the Permanent Collection

The Nasher Museum presented an exhibition of Outsider artists from the collection to complement Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art. Outsider art refers to the visionary work of contemporary artists who have never had formal training. The artists, like Calder, share the practice of incorporating found objects and unusual materials in their work. The artists in the exhibition hail from across the Southeastern United States, and their art ranges from painting to ceramics to sculpture in wood or metal. All of their works give voice to an interior world—those personal fantasies, meditations on everyday life and unspoken fears—that most people cannot put into words or images.

Visitors learn about Outsider Art during a gallery talk by Duke graduate student Katie Jentleson. Photo by J Caldwell.