Naïve art

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

Henri Rousseau's The Repast of the Lion (circa 1907), an example of naïve art

Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true.

Characteristics

The term naïve art is often seen as in contrast to the academy, a formal, highly schooled manner of art creation, most often painting. While this was true before the twentieth century, there are now academies for naïve art. Naïve art is now a fully recognized art genre, represented in art galleries worldwide.

The characteristics of naïve art are an awkward relationship to the formal qualities of painting. Difficulties with drawing and perspective that result in a charmingly awkward and often refreshing vision, strong use of pattern, unrefined color, and simplicity rather than subtlety are all supposed markers of naïve art. It has, however, become such a popular and recognizable style that many examples could be called pseudo-naïve.

Whereas naïve art ideally describes the work of an artist who did not receive formal education in an art school or academy, for example Henri Rousseau or Alfred Wallis, 'pseudo naïve' or 'faux naïve' art describes the work of an artist working in a more imitative or self-conscious mode and whose work can be seen as more imitative than original.

"Primitive art" is another term often applied to art by those without formal training, but is historically more often applied to work from certain cultures that have been judged socially or technologically "primitive" by Western academia, such as Native American, subsaharan African or Pacific Island art. This is distinguished from the self-conscious, "primitive" inspired movement primitivism. Another term related to (but not completely synonymous with) naïve art is folk art.

Criticism

Many art critics view the term "naïve art" as a condescending reference to academically untrained painters - alternatively "vernacular art" can be used. The expression "primitive art" is even more inflammatory^{[citation needed]} to many people^[who?], especially when used towards the art of other cultures^{[citation needed]}. The words "naïve" and "primitive" are regarded as politically incorrect and are therefore avoided by many. (Fine, p. 24)

Naïve artists

18th century

Example of Edward Hicks's work

Example of Niko Pirosmani's work: Childless Millionaire and a Poor Woman Blessed with Children.

• Edward Hicks (1780–1849)
• Oluf Braren (1787–1839)
• Justus DaLee (1793–1878)

19th century

• James Bard (1815-1897)^[1]
• Denys Corbet (1826–1910)
• Nikola Obrasopissez (1827–1911)
• Ferdinand Cheval, known as 'le facteur Cheval' (1836–1924)
• Cándido López (1840–1902)
• Henri Rousseau (1844–1910)
• Alfred Wallis (1855–1942)
• Grandma Moses, Anna Mary Robertson (1860–1961)
• John Kane (1860–1934)
• Louis Vivin (1861–1936)
• Niko Pirosmani (1862–1918)
• Séraphine Louis, known as 'Séraphine de Senlis' (1864–1942)
• André Bauchant (1873–1958)
• Arnold Kramer (1882–1976)
• Camille Bombois (1883–1970)
• Jules Lefranc (1887–1972)
• L. S. Lowry (1887–1976)
• Horace Pippin (1888–1946)
• Scottie Wilson (1890-1972)
• Henry Darger (1892–1973)
• Nykifor (1895–1968)
• Miguel García Vivancos (1895–1972)
• Teofil Ociepka (1891–1978)
• Bárbaro Rivas (1893–1967) Venezuela
• Nikifor (1895–1968)
• Ilija Bašičević (1895–1972)
• Shalom Moskovitz, known as 'Shalom of Z’fat' (1895–1980)
• Antonio Ligabue (1899–1965)

20th century

• Emile Crociani (1902–1980)
• Andre Demonchy (1914–2003) France
• Krsto Hegedušić (1901–1975)
• Petronėlė Gerlikienė (1905–1979)
• Janko Brašić (1906–1994)
• Nina Barka (Marie Smirsky) (1908–1986)
• Préfète Duffaut (b. 1923)
• Stan Ioan Pătraş (1908–1977) Romania
• Maria Pryimachenko (1908–1997) Ukraine
• Konstantin Rodko (1908–1995)
• Franjo Mraz (1910–1981)
• Arthur Villeneuve (1910–1990)
• Ivan Generalić (1914–1992), of the Krsto Hegedušić school
• Norman Neasom (b. 1915)
• Howard Finster (1916–2001)
• Joan Gillchrest (1918–2008), British painter
• Markey Robinson (1918–1999)
• Feliciano Carvallo (b. 1920) Venezuelan documented by Mariano Díaz
• Ivan Vecenaj (b. 1920), of the Krsto Hegedušić school
• Ivan Rabuzin (1921–2008)
• Gesner Abelard (b. 1922)
• Bracha Turner (b. 1922)
• Fred Yates (1922–2008)
• Frédéric Bruly Bouabré (b. 1923)
• Martin Hegedusic (b. 1923), of the Krsto Hegedušić school
• Noël Barker (b. 1924)
• Zuzana Chalupová (1925–2001)
• Ferenc Kalmar (b. 1928)
• Mokarrameh Ghanbari (1928–2005) Iran
• Bryan Pearce (1929–2007)
• Chaibia Talal (1929–2004)
• Dragan Gazi (1930–1983)
• Ivan Lacković Croata (1932–1984)
• Bunleua Sulilat (1932–1996)
• Petar Grgec (1933–2006) Croatia
• Manuel Lepe Macedo (1936–1984)
• Katya Medvedeva (b. 1937)
• Radi Nedelchev (b. 1938)
• Frank Bentley (1941–2006)
• Bob Justin (b. 1941)
• Mario Perez (b. 1943)
• Pilar Sala (b. 1944) Argentina^[2]
• Derold Page (b. 1947)
• Mary Michael Shelley (b. 1950)
• Ferreira Louis Marius (b. 1953)
• Sergey Zagraevsky (b. 1964) Russia
• Peter Smith (b. 1967)
• Navitrolla (b. 1970) Estonia
• Claudia Vecchiarelli (b. 1978)
• Joseph Harper (b. 1988)
• Brenno Benatti (b. 1948) Italy
• Jan Balet (1913 - 2009)

Museums/Galleries

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Naïve art

Anonymous painter from Pernambuco, Brazil: Landscape

Brazil

• Museu Internacional de Arte Naïf do Brasil^[3]
• Gallery Jacques Ardies^[4]

Canada

• Le Musée International d'Art Naïf, Magog (Montreal)

Croatia

• Croatian National Museum of Naive Art, Zagreb

France

• Le Musée International d’Art Naïf Anatole Jakovsky, Nice^[5]
• Musée d'Art Naïf - Max Fourny
• International Museum of Naive Art, Vicq (near Versailles)
• Museum of Naive Art, Beraut (near Toulouse)

Germany

• Museum Charlotte Zander, Bönnigheim
• Gesellschaft für Naive Kunst, Hannover

Israel

• Gallery of International Naïve Art (gina), Tel Aviv
• Israeli Naive Art

Portugal

• Museu De Arte Primitiva Moderna

Russia

• Municipal Museum of Art Naive, Moscow

Serbia

• Museum of Naive Art, Jagodina

Spain

• Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares y Museo Internacional de Arte Naïf, Jaén

USA

• Anthony Petullo Collection of Self-Taught & Outsider Art
• Gallery of International Naïve Art (gina), New York

See also

• Neo-primitivism
• Outsider art
• Anatole Jakovsky

References

1. ^ Mariner's Museum and Peluso, Anthony J., Jr., The Bard Brothers -- Painting America under Steam and Sail, Abrams, New York 1997 ISBN 0-8109-1240-6
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ [3]
5. ^ [4]

• Bihalji-Merin, Oto (1959). Modern Primitives: Masters of Naive Painting. trans. Norbert Guterman. New York: Harry N. Abrams. 
• Fine, Gary Alan (2004). Everyday genius: self-taught art and the culture of authenticity. Chicago, IL: University Of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226249506.